[SXSW 2016] The Roots Inaugural SXSW Jam Session
SXSW's 30th edition wrapped up this weekend with a bang. For those privileged with special access badges and wristbands, the legendary Roots Crew put on a Jam Session Saturday night that still has people talking. In collaboration with Bud Light Music, at the Bud Light Factory, the inaugural Roots SXSW Jam Session was brought together. In an event originally advertised as "The Roots with Big Grams and Special Guests", event goers had no idea what was in store.
Even with limited information on the lineup, the entry line stretched around the building, but was well worth the wait. When I finally got in, Phantogram was playing their hit song, "Fall in Love", with the Roots backing them, a sweet set to walk in to. As I made my way towards the front, Big Boi came out playing new tracks from their collaboration, Big Grams. Once Phantogram left the stage, Big Boi continued to perform some of his Outkast favorites with a Roots flare. Then the surprise guests began to roll in one after another, bringing on Talib Kweli, Yo Gotti, Ashanti, and Naughty by Nature. Before I arrived other artists included X Ambassadors, Emily King, Tish Hyman, and Marc E. Bassy. The night ended with more classic Roots tracks, and Black Thought announcing their first of many more jam sessions to come to SXSW. All in all, the event didn't disappoint and with the free beer, I guarantee I'll be at the next one.
In case you missed it, definitely check out some of the photos I managed to capture inside a very hyped crowd.
[Review] Phantogram: Voices
Due to the overwhelming amount of electro-pop rock outfits saturating the indie scene over the past couple years, I have had difficulty latching on to any one artist or album that I enjoyed thoroughly, not just that had a couple of catchy tracks. That being said, I have been constantly listening to Phantogram's latest album Voices on repeat, discovering deliciously desperate lyrics, alluring vocals, and knock-out beats with each go around. The more I listen, the more I like.
Josh Carter (guitar, vocals) and Sarah Barthel (keyboards, vocals) made their debut in 2009 with their album Eyelid Movies, sparking attention but somewhat living in the shadows of other electronic rock groups like Sleigh Bells. They gained more glances their way collaborating with heavy hitters like Big Boi and The Flaming Lips, but lacked a strong presence musically, almost like they were stuck in electro-pop limbo. Voices is the next step in the absolute right direction.
"Fall In Love," (the first single off of the record) is enchanting, dooming, and dance-y all in one. I literally can't stop singing the hook, which is perfectly simple in comparison to the melodic verses. And I must praise the vocal melodies on this album, so often with pop music we are presented with one or two note repetitive mutterings that march on to the chorus. But Phantogram achieves excellent song structure with compelling musical lines accompanied by tragically lovely lyrics. "The lines on my face ate away at my smile, could it be that I fell apart?"
Having two lead vocalists on a project can sometimes derail the flow or energy of an album, but when Carter popped up on "Never Going Home," I was delighted at the change of direction the album took. Stripped down and organic, the track possesses a Bon Iver/David Bazaan quality that pulls you out of the electronic heavy haze.
The album seems to teeter between reality and dreams/nightmares, with tracks like "Howling At The Moon," which gives off a very aggressive, sacrificial vibe. Barthel hollers and swoons over busy beats singing "And if I ever fall asleep I'll turn around and face the sea. And if I crucified my dreams to be on your side, to see you alive." Followed immediately by "Bad Dreams" which is less violent and more lyrical as Barthel confesses "Bad dreams never effect me I'm not afraid of the concrete... bad thoughts never arrest me, I'm just a flash in the memory." reality kicks in on the bass heavy "Celebrating Nothing," one of my favorites off the album. Barthel sings about failures and empty living, pleading for a reason to go on if there's nothing to look forward to or no one to celebrate with. "How many times will I blow it all? How many times will I burn it down? Give me a reason to stay alive."
The album pulls you through various emotions and sounds, breaking your heart and burning a fire in your brain. Voices is the complete package, each track executed flawlessly, proving the album to be the boost that Phantogram needed to land themselves at the top of the electro-pop chain. Get Voices here and be sure to listen from beginning to end.
[Video] Phantogram Perform on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
Phantogram are in the thick of their promotional run for their latest project, Voices, released yesterday via Republic Records and last night stopped in Burbank to pay Jimmy Kimmel a visit and perform their songs, "Black Out Days" and "Fall in Love" to an energized crowd at the AT&T Outdoor Stage. The UK duo is sure to be in the public eye quite a bit over the next few months, having finally ended the long wait that fans had between Voices and 2011's full release, Nightlife. Check out the full video of them performing last night in the video, streaming below.
"Black Out Days"
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"Fall In Love"
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[Album Stream] Phantogram: "Voices"
It's been a long wait for Phantogram's latest studio album since 2011's Nightlife EP and apparently the UK synth-pop duo got sick of it too, releasing a stream of the album today on Soundcloud, which you can find here below. Voices isn't a huge departure for Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, as it stays true to the aesthetics that thrust the duo into the spotlight when the sound was fresh and new. Three years later, they seemed to have settled into a niche, not an entirely bad thing (Justin Bieber has pretty profitable 'niche') but I have a hard time believing this is all there is. There's plenty of feedback and airy vocals, but it doesn't really progress the way I had expected it to. Perhaps it's the fact that the album has been teased since last September, when "Black Out Days" first hit the Internet and that's where the feeling of repetition is coming from. I'm sure this project will make a huge wave across the greater music landscape, I was just hoping for something a little bit more. Stream and full tour dates through 2014 below.
April Tour Dates:
02.20.14 Oakland, CA Fox Theatre – SOLD OUT
02.21.14 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
02.22.14 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium – SOLD OUT
02.23.14 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre
After featured performances at the Maverick Music Festival in San Antonio Texas on March 21st and the Buku Music & Art Project in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 22nd Phantogram will embark on a full U.S. tour:
04.04 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
04.05 Columbus, OH LC Pavilion
04.06 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
04.08 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
04.10 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
04.12 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
04.13 Minneapolis, MI First Avenue
04.15 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
04.16 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
04.18 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
04.19 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
04.21 Tulsa, OK
04.23 Dallas, TX
04.25 Houston, TX
04.27 Atlanta, GA
05.23-25 George, WA
06.20-22 Dover, DE
[Video] Phantogram: "Fall In love"
Photo by Virgil Solis
The Phantogram duo has been steadily keeping us supplied with fresh tracks and inspiring visuals over the past few months since releasing their abbreviated, self-titled offering that landed at the end of last year as they ready fans for their first full studios albums since 2011's critically-acclaimed Nightlife. Today, adding to the hype around the expected drop, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter released their video for the song "Fall In Love" off their latest, set to be titled Voices. The trippy, black and white accents of the video add a layer to the track, appropriately titled as we enter the Valentine's Day vortex this week. If nothing else, the UK duo know how to build anticipation, but alas the three-year long journey that has been Voices will come to an end on February 18 when the project finally finds its way to fans. You can pre-order the album, via iTunes, here. Check out the full video, streaming below.
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[Songs of the Day] 2/4/14 (Feat. Hit-Boy, Tree, Phantogram & More)
For today's "Songs of the Day" we have a cross-genre collection of releases that hit the' net in the last 24 hours. Hit-Boy dropped showed he's a double-edged sword on his latest release, "Tyson 87", Vancouver product Cyril Hahn teams up with British songstress Javeon for a soulfully electric ride on "Breaking". Beck also pops back up with a new song in "Walking Light".
A pair of Australian acts find themselves on our list, as Paces delivers a dance floor banger with Erin Marshall on "Julian" and duo Prolife unveil their latest in the ominous, eccentric track "Gold Leaves" which premiered today on The Fader. Chicago also sees a pair with Tree dropping his latest collaboration with Closed Sessions in the unearthed, Thelonious Martin-produced track, "More Than You Know", while Black Matt gives us "Rhyming & Pimping". Big Gigantic also teased their new album, which is a week away, by premiering "The Night Is Young" featuring Nashville duo Cherub via ThisSongisSick.
Track of the Day: Phantogram: "Bill Murray". It got a little head-start on our other choices from today based purely on the title, but Phantogram's "Bill Murray" continues to prove why the Phantogram duo is regarded by many to be at or near the forefront of genre-bending music.
Hit-Boy: “Tyson 87”
Cyril Hahn & Javeon: “Breaking”
Paces: “Julian" (Feat. Erin Marshall)
Prolife: “Gold Leaves”
Tree: “More Than You Know”
Black Matt: “Rhyming & Pimping” (Feat. EMS)
Big Gigantic: "The Night Is Young" (Feat. Cherub)
Beck: “Walking Light”
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Phantogram: "Bill Murray"
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[Songs Of The Day] 1/27/14 (Feat. Big Boi, Blood Orange, Imagine Dragons and more)
With the Grammys come and gone and it is with Macklemore as the new-minted golden boy of hip-hop that we bring you a bevy of music that followed the perennially-disappointing award show on the Internet and beyond today as the race began for the next batch of gold gramophones.
Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons got things started at the actual show as they debuted the remix to "Radioactive" which they performed together last night. Big Boi stoked the flames of the already incendiary talks of his and Andre 3000's reunion after being on hiatus since the 2006 film Idlewild as a mash-up of Big Boi, Phantogram and Sade dropped, titled "CPU 2.0". British producer Blood Orange's "On The Line" received a remix from Star Slinger and we have the latest from a pair of up and coming Chicago artists as Joel Quentez offers up his talented "Moment of Truth" while Sterling Hayes and THEMpeople make up for a super collaboration on "Monae". Check out all the latest to hit the 'net streaming here below.
Big Boi "CPU 2.0" Feat. Phantogram & Sade (Mash-Up)
Blood Orange "On The Line" (Star Slinger Remix)
Joel Quentaz "Moment of Truth"
Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" Feat. Kendrick Lamar (Remix)
Sterling Hayes "Monae" (Prod by THEMpeople)
Phantogram: "Nothing But Trouble"
And the anticipation continues. The lead-up to Phantogram's Voices, their first full-length studio release since 2009's Eyelid Movies, has been eventful to say the least. The New York duo of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel released a self-titled EP towards the end of last year, which was the first anyone had heard from the pair since 2011's Nightlife EP and was preceded by the singles "Black Out Days" and "Celebrating Nothing". Today, in further support of their scheduled February 18 drop date for Voices, Barthel and Carter released their latest track, "Nothing But Trouble" today, which follows the lead single, "Fall In Love". Both tracks are available for download upon pre-ordering Voices, which is available on iTunes, here. If nothing else, Phantogram keeps listeners on their toes, both with their music and their frenetic release schedules, and this latest installment is no different. Listen to "Nothing But Trouble" streaming below.