metronews.ca 24 SCENE Wednesday, May 14, 2014 METRO CUSTOM PUBLISHING Legal Matters Montreal duo Chromeo The lawyer’s role in ready to raise eyebrows rehabilitation

James Vigmond, White Women. Personal Injury Alliance Musicians, who blend disco, rock and funk with humour, say album title is meant In a personal injury case where someone has been to be provocative Q catastrophically injured, how is the lawyer involved in rehabilitation? While one of the lawyer’s roles is to sue the at-fault Sitting a few feet in front A parties for damages, another equally important of the Danforth Music Hall role is to ensure access to the best health-care stage — which features a keyboard perched atop plas- professionals in order to maximize recovery. That is why tic high-heeled female legs it is important to hire a firm that specializes in personal — Chromeo’s Dave Mack- injury, such as a member firm of the Personal Injury lovitch steers a conversation about the Montreal duo’s Alliance, which has access to a wide network of privately- new album into a discussion funded health-care professionals. The lawyer and the about the persistent female firm’s accident benefits specialist will meet with imagery in their music. It’s natural, really, given rehabilitation professionals and assemble the health- that the title of their just- care team. released album is White Will the lawyer fully understand the medical Women. Although that ref- Q erences a 1976 book by late complexities of the injury? German fashion photograph- Yes. Understanding the short- and long-term er Helmut Newton, Chromeo A impact of an injury is a prerequisite to the lawyer gravitated toward the name for its potential to provoke. being able to engage the services of the right health-care Macklovitch said he had experts. For example, how will the injury affect a person to sell that title to partner in terms of income earning capacity, mobility, and Patrick Gemayel. They were both “very hesitant,” but ul- support needs? Will the condition deteriorate in future timately decided that it had and, if so, how might that affect the person’s personal the iconic flair of an old Roxy and economic situation? Having this knowledge will Music, David Bowie or Van Halen record. help the lawyer dedicate their efforts to improving the Though they intended to injured party’s rehabilitation and recovering maximum raise eyebrows, Maklovitch compensation for their injuries. is eager to confront the no- tion that the Juno-nominated Chromeo band members Dave Macklovitch, left, and Patrick Gemayel in Toronto on May 2. The Montreal duo What if a client is not happy with someone on their outfit — which blends disco, named their new album White Women and knew it would be provocative, so they’re eager to explain the thought Q NATHAN DENETTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS health-care team? yacht rock and funk with process behind the title. Speak to the lawyer. It is the lawyer’s role to make goofy-hearted humour — is sexist to any degree. and neurotic, goofy and yet A What’s with the high-heeled keyboard? sure the health-care provider is the right fit with the “I feel like people who determined to build a cata- view our visual language as logue that stands up to those client and the health-care team. If this isn’t the case, the “I feel like people who view our visual language lawyer will work with the case manager to find someone objectifying are taking it too of their musical heroes. literally — because what we That ambition is especial- as objectifying are taking it too literally — who fits the bill in expertise, personality and team vision. reference is not the concept ly obvious on White Women, of women, it’s an era and an an album they worried over because what we reference is not the concept of atmosphere,” he said during for two years, packed with women, it’s an era and an atmosphere.” a recent interview. guest stars (including So- Chromeo’s Dave Macklovitch If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury “Our iconography ... lange, Toro Y Moi and Vam- doesn’t refer to actual female pire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig) It), Over Your Shoulder and ing,” Macklovitch added, ref- legs to say that the legs are and sleek mini-epics that Sexy Socialite. erencing their breakthrough pretty when they’re skinny discard the careful brevity of “There’s gotta be juxta- 2004 single. “That was al- CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION and you should chop them previous records. position,” Macklovitch said. ways our blueprint.” off and put a keyboard on “We had a lot to prove,” “Because a song like Over When the pair emerged top, because that would be said Macklovitch, seated Your Shoulder, for instance, a decade ago, many critics 1-855-4-PIA-LAW really offensive even to us. next to Gemayel. “Every- when you hear the music, figured their obsession with It refers to a whole atmos- thing’s harder on album it’s normally very Playboy, then-unfashionable influ- phere: late ’70s, early ’80s, No. 4. But for a lot of bands, Barry White stuff. So we de- ences — blue-eyed soul and erotic, kind of soft rock.” sometimes that’s when the cided to make it a feminist disco, performing on sleazy The title, Macklovitch accomplished version of the anthem.” synths and talkboxes — was says, works on multiple lev- band appears.” “I’m sure tons of singer/ intended as winking irony. els. “It’s highbrow and low- Their comedic lyrics again songwriters have touched Those attitudes have grad- brow,” he added. offer an arch look at relation- that subject but never on ually evolved, to the point It’s the sort of contra- ships, and again Macklovitch our type of music,” Gemayel where Daft Punk’s disco-in- dictory balance Chromeo balances smug shtick with piped in. “Two guys that look debted throwback Random has always tried to strike. funny admissions of self- like us and sound like us.” Access Memories was seren- Similarly, the duo is simul- doubt. Insecurity is a persis- “We started out on Needy aded as album of the year at pialaw.ca taneously retro and modern, tent lyrical theme, on groovy Girl — we had a dance track January’s Grammy Awards. slick and gawkish, arrogant single Jealous (I Ain’t With about someone being annoy- THE CANADIAN PRESS