Phantogram

posted by Loren on April 21, 2011

Phantogram at Lustre Pearl, SXSW 2011. Photo by Leigh Celent.

{Editor’s Note: Phantogram was high on my to-see list at SXSW this year. Tina, Patrick and I caught their show at Lustre Pearl, their performance refreshingly modest, their pulsating beats and movements gently and picturesquely decorated by the dancing lights. Just minutes before they started playing, I all-knowingly and self-righteously revealed to Tina (and later to Patrick) that I knew that Patrick would really dig this band . . . His new favorite, maybe even. He wasn’t so sure at first, but he may have just come around before the week was over.}

It’s hard to ignore the drug-induced implications, the synthesized beats, and infectious vocals and not say that Phantogram is the entire package. The name of the band, which suggests somewhat of a mystery, left me curious as to what genre of music a band called Phantogram could play. But names do tend to be deceiving.

The band, hailing from Saratoga Springs, NY, packs quite an enduring as well as hypnotic punch, with their debut album Eyelid Movies released last year. The album in its entirety really doesn’t falter much; the music is fluid and the sound enticing. “When I’m Small” happens to be my favorite of the bunch; I always enjoy a song that starts off modestly but then aggressively asserts itself with a deep bass and hints of static that not only provide nostalgia but a sense of scenery.

Browsing the monikers for each track, you come to wonder what each is trying to tell based on its name. “Mouthful of Diamonds.” “10,000 Claps.” “You Are The Ocean.” “Running from the Cops.” Each inviting and insistent, willing to tell far off stories in such a manner it’s hard to listen. The beats are that good, where it takes a few listens just to actually discover the message, and once you arrive there it’s like translating Shakespearian pentameters, but then again, once the significance is reached, so is its relation. They are simply stories of growing up, loving, and living.

Want more Phantogram? Check out their 2010 set on KEXP and their live performance of Mouth Full of Diamonds below.

Myspace || Official site

Phantogram – When I\’m Small (Downloaded 878 times)

Phantogram – You Are The Ocean (Downloaded 520 times)

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» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Clever Lyrics • Female vocal • Male vocal • Synth

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