Aug 1, 2011
On tour with West Coast electronic dub-definers The Glitch Mob, Phantogram is now getting ready, along with tour partners TGM and Com Truise, to take on the now Chicago based Lollapalooza Music Festival. As street beat as the duo’s sound is, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter are actually from rural upstate New York, having been friends since childhood in Saratoga Springs. But even though their edgy heavy hitting synth pop sound comes across as definitively urban underground, you can tell that they have un-folk woodsy roots in Barthel’s swirling keyboard rhythms and echoey vocals that teeter the line of psychedelic. And when you hear that they record 45 minutes outside of Saratoga Springs in an old barn, their songs seem to come together for the listener even more.
The trance-y sound on their only LP, Eyelid Movies, incorporates reverb recorded in a remote lodge, the thumping drums and smashing guitar sequences are there to sharply contrast the woodsy ooh-ahhs and Metric-like chill vibes. The essentially rock and roll street sound reminds us not to confuse Phantogram as just another MGMT or Phoenix, but they really stand out in their own category, that might be defined as the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s with more electronic loops and hip-hop beats.
While gaining a strong following after touring with and being directly promoted by The Glitch Mob band members themselves, Phantogram seems primed to have packed audience at Lollapalooza especially after being featured on SPIN’s Lollapalooza 2011 album Park Life. The New York duo have even caught the attention of Jay-Z’s team, who despite being Top 40 mainstream products, are true indie-rock and roll connoisseurs, and gave big props to the band on Jay-Z’s own Life & Times blog. Their innovative sound is so diverse musically as to let them tour with and support almost everyone from Minus the Bear and Caribou to Ra Ra Riot, Yeasayer and more, while still being distinctly definitive of their own background. We applaud Phantogram, who tours with drummer Tim Oakley to make a live trio, and wish them all the best this weekend. Not that they need it. Check out their music on your DIRECTV Music Channels, as their songs are often featured there.
