Kraak & Smaak

• Genre: Downtempo

About

Their name may sound seedy, but the Netherlands' Kraak and Smaak really just want to have a good time. That's evident from their funk- and Fender Rhodes-fueled recordings, and their full-band live shows make a good time imperative for all in attendance. The core trio of Mark Kneppers, Oscar De Jong and Wim Plug started out as a studio project in 2003 with a string of well-received EPs, but then found fame with their live act, swelling the stage with drums, bass guitar and three vocalists in addition to the boys' own keyboards, percussion and electronic gear. Anticipated staples on the festival circuit, they routinely rock events like Coachella, Glastonbury and the Big Chill, and their easygoing grooves have translated to regular radio play the world over. In 2008 they released Plastic People; their third album, it featured collaborations with Moloko's Mark Brydon and Stones Throw's Dudley Perkins -- and even an unusual cover of "Man of Constant Sorrow" that fused country, Bollywood and soul. Much like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," the single "Squeeze Me" is a slab of future-vintage funk with virtually universal appeal.

- Philip Sherburne