Song of the Day: Au Revoir Simone - Crazy

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week’s featured songs come from artists performing during KEXP’s broadcast from CMJ. Today’s song is “Crazy” by Au Revoir Simone from the 2013 album Move in Spectrums on Instant Records.

Au Revoir Simone – Crazy (MP3)

There are three very important things to know about the band Au Revoir Simone. First, their name comes from a line in the Pee-wee Herman movie, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Second, they are an all-keyboard band formed after a a long train ride to New York City. Third, David Lynch called the band’s music “innocent, hip and new.” Pee-wee Herman, all-keyboard, David Lynch. A fourth fact, for good measure, is that the band has also had songs featured on hit TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. The trio of women who make up Au Revoir Simone play pop music and, from all accounts, they seem to have a blast doing it!

“Crazy” is the first single off the band's latest album. It is a 3-minute pop gem with the sticky hook, “Ooo, you girls, you drive me crazy.” It’s a song for a road trip, it’s a song for a living room dance party. It’s a song for a film montage. The ubiquitous appeal of “Crazy” does not take away from its musical precision, however. It takes great skill to get away with something that seems so simple. And the song, with all its charm, ends almost as quickly and coyly as it begins.

Au Revoir Simone will be live on KEXP during our CMJ broadcast on Thursday, October 17, at 11AM PST. Tune in all day for more live performances and check out the band's website and Facebook page for more tour dates, which includes a stop in Seattle on October 27 at Neumos. For now, here's the video for their new single “Crazy”: