Wikipedia Genre: Electronic rock, dream pop, electronica, trip hop, psychedelic pop
Home: NYC (although now in L.A.)
Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 9
Day: Sunday.
Weekend One Only.
Beatbox Stage at 7:30.
Thoughts: Last here in 2014, which is surprising to me, as I figured they had been back since then.
The reason that I had heard of the band back in 2014 was that they appeared on one of Big Boi's albums - 2012's Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors - singing the hook on a few songs. Those songs were terrible – I kept wondering why Big Boi needed to add some weak-voiced hook singer to his songs. They really took me out of the flow on that whole album. But then when I actually dug in on the tunes themselves from the band, I can hear the good stuff. Female singer over pretty catchy new wave-y electronic. Drum machine with glitchy little stuff over the top.
Thoughts: Last here in 2014, which is surprising to me, as I figured they had been back since then.
The reason that I had heard of the band back in 2014 was that they appeared on one of Big Boi's albums - 2012's Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors - singing the hook on a few songs. Those songs were terrible – I kept wondering why Big Boi needed to add some weak-voiced hook singer to his songs. They really took me out of the flow on that whole album. But then when I actually dug in on the tunes themselves from the band, I can hear the good stuff. Female singer over pretty catchy new wave-y electronic. Drum machine with glitchy little stuff over the top.
I am listening to their 2013 album Voices, and it’s actually good. Making me re-think the fact that I thought they were weak with Big Boi. Catchy little ditties with just the one female singer. They also have a five song live EP from SXSW in 2014 that is very enjoyable.
"When I’m Small" is their top track from their debut album - 2010's Eyelid Movies. It is quite cool. Some funky business in the background of that one. 193.6 million streams.
I don't think I've ever had to click something agreeing that I am cool with seeing suicidal stuff before on YouTube, and then this video is just them jamming? That is a very cool song - makes me feel cool even just listening to it.
The members of the band have been friends since pre-school, which is wild. Sarah Barthel left Champlain College in Vermont and reconnected with Josh Carter. They formed an unfortunately named band called Charlie Everywhere and released a few EPs before signing with a label and changing their name. A phantogram is an optical illusion in which two-dimensional images appear to be three-dimensional. Sure.
Their 2011 EP (Nightlife) seems like they’d be nice to put on in the background while you are doing something else, but I was not sold after listening through it a few times. But their 2013 album (Voices) is much more fun and interesting. "Fall in Love" was the original hit that was getting radio play in 2014 (now has 80 million streams):
Weird that YouTube told me that I had watched that video eleven years ago. Stop looking over my shoulder, yo. That one is slinky and head-bobbing stuff. But the monster hit from that same album is "Black Out Days" with 386.2 million streams. Their top track.
Another great groove to it. That is the mastery here, is creating a funky groove that makes me want to bob along. Vocals sound like Siouxsie.
2016's Three didn't really have any breakout tunes, and nor did 2020's Ceremony. 2024's Memory of a Day doesn't appear to have caught on just yet - no song has more than 4 million streams. Starting to look like this is a band that was hot for a minute back in the day but hasn't done much to win over fans in the time since. I wonder what brought them back to the Fest this year, and on the 9th line. Some of the vocals on the new disc make me think of Miley Cyrus. It's not a bad disc, but there is definitely nothing on there that stands out in a major way. Just kind of washes by in a fog of chill beats. Maybe I'm annoying for only giving you links to their old stuff, but I just don't hear anything interesting on the recent discs.
I still can't decide whether this would translate to a good live show, but maybe I'll give them a chance.
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