Phantogram rocks Boston, releases new album

When they stepped onto the stage at Boston's Great Scott last night, Phantogram's Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter looked remarkably young and fresh-faced, not unlike the college kids who made up the majority of the crowd. For some reason, I expected the duo to be older—maybe just because the assured songs on their debut full-length Eyelid Movies (released just in time for last night's show) seem to reflect the confidence of long experience.

Phantogram's sound--which whips together bright, ringing guitars, smooth vocals, and dense, hip-hop-esque beats--sometimes reminds me of vintage Portishead or Bowery Electric, minus the feeling of stoned relaxation. Instead, songs like "Bloody Palms" and "Running from the Cops" combine languid melodies with an edgy, beat-driven intensity, while even the slower tracks, like "You Are the Ocean," seem to throb with anxiety. Though a few songs (like album closer "10,000 Claps") sound less fully developed than others, Eyelid Movies makes for a cohesive whole, filled with a compelling, seductive energy.

That energy was on full display last night at the show, when a small but adoring crowd danced, bounced up and down, sang along, and otherwise displayed their devotion. It may have been the band's relative inexperience that brought a slight initial tentativeness to their live show; it took them a few songs to really pick up the energy from the album. Still, for a two-person band (Carter on guitar and vocals, Barthel singing and dancing behind a daunting bank of synthesizers) Phantogram generated a remarkably big sound. They saved "When I'm Small" for last, and with good reason: it's probably the best song they've written yet, and it sounded incredible live, closing the show with a sexy, energetic swagger. As time goes on, I have no doubt they'll be able to harness that potential over a long-lasting career.

Download "When I'm Small" on MP3

- Anna K

2009 highlights (with MP3s)

Favorite album (tie)

Fever Ray – Fever Ray. The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson harnesses dualities— organic/artificial, animal/human, male/female, adulthood/childhood—to create a fascinating and cohesive whole. I haven’t been able to stop listening ever since I first heard “If I Had a Heart” back in January. This is music constantly revealing itself, forcing you to look deeper.



Sin Fang Bous – Clangour. The cover of this LP shows the song titles cobbled together from twigs, branches, paper, and bits of metal—a fitting metaphor for the layered and vibrant sound of Icelandic musician and artist Sindri Már Sigfússon. Meticulously crafted (but never twee) songs like “Carry Me up to Smell Pine” and “Clangour and Flutes” lead you along a forest path of unexpected twists and turns.

Sin Fang Bous – Melt Down the Knives MP3 courtesy KEXP

Other highlights (in no particular order): The XX – XX, Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms, Telepathe – Dance Mother, A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ashes Grammar, JJ – JJ No. 2, Moderat - Moderat, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions – Through the Devil Softly, Animal Collective – Merriwether Post Pavilion, Asobi Seksu – Rewolf

Favorite EP

Maybe it’s the predominance of song-by-song digital downloading—or maybe our attention spans are just getting shorter—but it seemed like there were almost as many EPs as full albums this year. Break out the long-players, guys!


Glasser – Apply. An irresistibly energetic blend of tribal percussion and soaring female vocals, combined with some awesome remixes (especially the John Talabot version of “Learn”), make this the perfect soundtrack for both a brisk run on the treadmill and a peaceful walk in the sunshine.

Glasser – Glad MP3 courtesy Stereogum

Other EPs: Phantogram – Phantogram, Memory Cassette – Call & Response, Washed Out - Life of Leisure, ZaZa – Cameo, Delorean – Ayrton Senna

Favorite songs

In no special order, here are five songs that rose to the top of my playlists this year:

Active Child – She Was a Vision MP3 courtesy Transparent blog

Phantogram – When I’m Small MP3

JJ – Ecstasy MP3

Speck Mountain - Angela



Atlas Sound – Quick Canal (w/Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab)




- Anna K.

Phantogram on tour with School of Seven Bells

I’ve been obsessed with Phantogram ever since I heard a KEXP podcast featuring “When I’m Small”—an unforgettable blend of silky vocals, aggressive beats, and spy-movie guitar. Phantogram’s self-titled debut EP, available on their Myspace page, reveals influences from artists like Portishead and the Knife, but still sounds urgent and new.

I mention Phantogram because I just read that they’re touring this month with School of Seven Bells, whose dreamy, epic “Half Asleep” was one of my favorite songs of ’08. Check out dates for this promising double bill below; now, if only they’d come to Boston…

Phantogram & School of Seven Bells

Sept. 26 – Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
Sept. 27 – Rock n Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
Sept. 28 – Local 506, Carrboro, NC
Sept. 29 – Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 1 – Emo’s Junior, Austin, TX
Oct. 4 – Casbah, San Diego, CA
Oct. 5 – Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 6 – Slim’s, San Francisco, CA