I’m not an indie rocker type, so it takes a lot for me to like a band. But from the moment I heard the first licks of guitar from Phantogram’s When I’m Small, I knew these guys had something special about their schtick. Call it retro-electro chic. Call it Indie. Call it pop. Whatever you wanna call it, its catchy, funky, sexy, and ubermodern.
I think that their intrigue comes from a strangely synergetic digital-meets-analogue approach to music: they write and record their music in a barn in upstate New York. She plays synth and sings. He plays guitar. Their sound is very processed, yet somehow manages to feel raw.
They’ve been performing live since 2007, and have been hitting the medium big-time following the release of their debut album, Eyelid Movies, in 2010. My current Phantogram favs? When I’m Small‘s funky fuzz rock takes the cake, but my other favs are 10, 000 clap’s nostalgic piano melodies, As Far As I Can See‘s poppy choppy broken beats, and the very 70′s sounding Turn it Off.
They’ve definitely got something, and its not just because of Sarah Barthel’s great hair. These two have some serious talent and passion.
