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Gnarls Barkley Is Crazy

It’s kind of hard to feel funky in the heat. You already sweat enough in the summer, you don’t need to work up a bigger one from dancing. Still, once in a while you’ve go to — especially when a group like Gnarls Barkley is in town. They’re bringing their incredible sound to Central Park Summerstage on the 17th.

Gnarls Barkley Seeing them live WILL make you move your feet. The group mixes dancy funk with touches of rock and hip-hop. The bass drives the tune, soul horns kick in at just the right moments, and well-placed handclaps break the beat — just like the best disco-funk hits. It never feels retro, even though it’s a got a little bit of throwback; the hip-hop production and distorted guitar stings keep it modern. The album’s sound is summed up in its biggest hit, “Crazy.” This powerful, soulful tune reminds you of the best Al Green or Delfonics jams. It was a major hit in the UK before it got noticed here in the states; they made history overseas by being the first #1 hit based only on downloads.

Gnarls Barkley is made up of two solo innovators. DJ Danger Mouse made one of the most downloaded albums ever, The Grey Album — a famous mash-up of The Beatles’ White Album with Jay-Z’s Black Album. (Do a Google search on his name and you’ll find it as a free download.) It was an online sensation, and was noticed by Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly, who gave him great reviews. Since being discovered, Danger Mouse has produced the Gorillaz album Demon Days & collaborated with another underground hitmaker, MF Doom, as half of Danger Doom. The other half of Gnarls is Cee-Lo. He was one of the pioneers of “Dirty South” hip-hop in Goodie Mob, before going solo and producing two great albums’ worth of hip-hop influenced R&B/soul. These two originals have teamed up to create one of the year’s best albums, and their live show is a non-stop dance party. Check them out - it’ll do your soul good.