Chinese American Bear - "Mama"
 |
| Photo by Eleanor Petry |
For their latest single, Chinese American Bear have decided to go quietly groovy. "Mama" is the new track from the duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten, and it has this great quality of making you want to dance and chill at the same time. The funk guitar riff might be the highlight of the entire song, which is relatively stripped down. It's the kind of song that sounds both vintage and modern at the same time, and combines funk and twee. It makes me think of a collaboration between Deee-Lite and Belle and Sebastian, which I think we can all agree that we've never thought of that combination but suddenly need it. Based on the few singles we've heard, Chinese American Bear could end up being the sleeper band of 2026.
Anne Tong says of her band's latest single:
"I’ve always wanted to write a song with the phrase 'chi fan le'. In Chinese families, every day revolves around meal times. Food is an extremely important part of the culture. Typically when a meal is cooked and ready to eat, moms will yell the phrase 'chi fan le', which translates to 'it’s time to eat!'. And every Chinese kid knows that Chinese moms hate it when you’re late to the meal table, so you better run to the table the first time 'chi fan le' is yelled. "
You can watch the video for "Mama" below. Dim Sum & Then Some is due out May 8 on Moshi Moshi Records. For more on Chinese American Bear, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a June 20 show at Red Room @ Cafe 939 in Boston.
