where is phoenix, anyway?

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The band, not the city. I saw them about a year ago and I liked them, and I haven't heard anything about them since... wuzz goin' on

― laurie, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i'd like to know too. 'if i ever feel better' was a brilliant single, the todd edwards remix was great, and there was plenty more goodness on that album. funky squaredance was like if all the old people who dance in the living room in '6 feet under' were actually break- dancing robots.

― minna, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If they never do anything ever again "Funky Squaredance" is immortal. The gtr solo bit I mean

― dave q, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"If I Ever Feel Better" was great, one of the best songs of either 2000 or 2001, I forget. It was like what Air tried to do on their last album, all that "Hey, homoerotic French dance with sorta soft rock, and stuff", only good.

― Judd Nelson, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three months pass...

A Weird Thing: i just watched 'shallow hal' on video and the soundtrack was almost entirely made up of phoenix songs. couldn't save the movie though.

― minna, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I can try"=Beautiful. Part of Jon Carter's sets for fucking ages.

― Ronan, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Frankly, I thought the remixes of "If I Ever Feel Better" were terrible, including the Buffalo Bunch and Todd Edwards ones. And the album was patchy at best

It would probably be best if they go down in history with "If I Ever Feel Better", and that we never hear from them again. Whatever they'll come up with, it'll never be as good as that song...

― Siegbran Hetteson, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

has anyone heard the new album?

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 3 April 2006 19:23 (twenty years ago)

love the single.

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:31 (twenty years ago)

i didn't even know they had a new album coming out until today. i thought for sure someone here had heard it by now.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:57 (twenty years ago)

i'm currently sinking into disappointment on track 2 right now. i've been forbidden from sharing it, but rest assured as you should probably just put on the first or second album if you want to avoid whatever degree of depression a bad phoenix album might induce.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 00:00 (twenty years ago)

what a shitty poo-poo cover.

http://www.emi-artistes.com/phoenix/phoenix_inblt_cover.jpg

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 00:13 (twenty years ago)

Well, the logo is nice, at least.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 00:14 (twenty years ago)

Any album with "Long Distance Call" on it is far from disappointing.

― i'm from hollywood, Tuesday, 4 April 2006 02:00 (twenty years ago)

Wow - this really went under the radar. I refuse to believe it could be a disappointment.

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 06:51 (twenty years ago)

I like that cover, apart from that odd leg in plaster thing, and Long Distance Call is great.

― Bidfurd (Bidfurd), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 07:51 (twenty years ago)

[i]that odd leg in plaster thing[/i]

Isn't the guy standing on his head? (Because he's wild and wacky?)

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:06 (twenty years ago)

what's Long Distance Call? The single?

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:10 (twenty years ago)

It's an odd lp - like they've just got round to hearing The Strokes first album. Maybe there really is a kind of 5-year timelag around France.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:11 (twenty years ago)

does sound like the stroke (LDC, at least)

I like it

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:13 (twenty years ago)

Actually I hafta say: I was profoundly disappointed when I first heard it, but it sounds 100x better listening to it on the iPod while riding around town on a gorgeous vernal morning. Maybe all music does, though.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:16 (twenty years ago)

You're right, it is a man standing on his head - silly me.

Long distance call is the single yes and is up here:
http://mookamotel.blogspot.com/2006/03/beat-is-up.html
(and on fluxblog I think).

― Bidfurd (Bidfurd), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:26 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm, not entirely convinced by that single. I can definitely see the Strokes thing and they still sound stuck somewhere in 1977, but it's somehow not as smooth as before. And in their case, that's a minus.

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 09:37 (twenty years ago)

speaking of Phoenix, what do people here think of Tahiti 80?...more specifically, what do people here think about their equally awful album cover?

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0007KIJBA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― hank (hank s), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 19:43 (twenty years ago)

what is up with these covers? whatever happened to Mellow? I dig them.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 20:05 (twenty years ago)

"Long Distance Call" is really growing on me - it's not as immediately likeable as "Everything Is Everything" or the Steely Dan-channel-Hall & Oates genre fuckery that is "If I Ever Feel Better" (which still comes up in my iTunes Party Shuffle with astonishing regularity), but it's pretty damned good. Give it time.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 20:44 (twenty years ago)

I'm a big fan of "Long Distance Call" - it's very catchy and well constructed, and it gives me a little bit of what I'm used to from Phoenix with a little bit of something new (for them.) I've got no reason not to expect the rest of the album to be pretty great, though it will be hard for them to top Alphabetical.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

go see them live. best show of 2005 for me.

― pinder (pinder), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 22:11 (twenty years ago)

So people are rating Alphabetical over United?

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Saturday, 8 April 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

I don't!

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 8 April 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

best show of 2005 for me, too.

― conrad (conrad), Saturday, 8 April 2006 17:41 (nineteen years ago)

for some reason, i can't imagine them putting on a good live show. i'm probably 100% wrong on that, though, eh?.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Saturday, 8 April 2006 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

100% wrong! they put on a fantastic show. i was pleasantly surprised.

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 8 April 2006 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

Seriously, you could not be more wrong about their live show Christopher.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Saturday, 8 April 2006 21:01 (nineteen years ago)

I like both the records but hated their live show--they were like a bar band except really Euro.

― adam (adam), Sunday, 9 April 2006 00:43 (nineteen years ago)

Plus they were kind of douche-y to a friend who interviewed them.

― adam (adam), Sunday, 9 April 2006 00:45 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not terribly blown away by Long Distance Call, so I'm kinda concerned that I'll find the new album to be disappointing. But then again, when I bought Alphabetical I thought it was crap the first half dozen times I tried to listen to it. Then on a subsequent listen it hit me all at once and I was blown away by the genius of it.

That strikes me as weird that they would come off as jerky in an interview...for whatever reason I always had the impression that they would be these totally down-to-earth, nice guys.

I like the Tahiti 80 cover-- minus the panda, anyhow. The text looks like some TRS-80 thing. KC Munchkin, dude.

― Dell, Sunday, 9 April 2006 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

yep, Alphabetical took a long time for me too, in the same way that the new Donald Fagen did. there's definitely something to the phoenix = nu-steely dan idea.

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 9 April 2006 19:22 (nineteen years ago)

Minus the lyrics and the Tropicana bar-sleaze, that is

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Sunday, 9 April 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

I'll tell you by the time I get there.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 April 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

phoenix rocks out live. think the magnitude of "i'm an actor" on, say, "if i feel better" or especially, especially "funky squaredance." no steely dan shit.

― s blaze (conrad), Sunday, 9 April 2006 23:10 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

well, full-length's leaked.

Strokes influence is definitely prominent, on "consolation prizes" especially. sounds like it could be another grower though.

― bill neil (inabillity), Friday, 28 April 2006 06:01 (nineteen years ago)

So, this album is incredible. Beautiful songs and production as usual. I suppose there's a Strokes affinity on a couple tracks, but I've always liked them both for similar reasons (perhaps it is a bit Yacht Rock Strokes). I'm not sure why a previous fan would be disappointed at all - it's just more good stuff.

― i'm from hollywood, Saturday, 29 April 2006 05:17 (nineteen years ago)

fuck phoenix

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 29 April 2006 05:31 (nineteen years ago)

they just signed to Arts & Crafts in canada too

― pinder (pinder), Saturday, 29 April 2006 06:29 (nineteen years ago)

ya that's kind of wack about a&c in canada.

― Daniel Gelfer (gelfball), Saturday, 29 April 2006 09:11 (nineteen years ago)

I am a bit wary of the supposed "rawer" sound. The arch-polished sound is among what I liked best about their first two albums.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 29 April 2006 11:29 (nineteen years ago)

this album sucks. i will keep trying though. report back.

― cutty (mcutt), Saturday, 29 April 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

I'm really disappointed cause they just sound like a random strokes-wannabe myspace band now...

― snowballing (snowballing), Saturday, 29 April 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

ya that's kind of wack about a&c in canada.

pourquoi?

― Zimmer026 (Zimmer026), Saturday, 29 April 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

Didn't one of them recently impregnate Sophia Coppola?

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Saturday, 29 April 2006 17:48 (nineteen years ago)

uh oh, um sun's setting over phoenix bitchez
one more and this thread is OOOOOOOOOOVAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
or rather, I'll stop bumping it.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 30 April 2006 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

fluxblog alert: sebastian tellier remix of "long distance call" - pretty, slightly oompa-fied piano rock.

― jermaine (jnoble), Thursday, 18 May 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

Good Lord, the 25 Hours A Day Mix destroys both the Sebastian Tellier version and the original!

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Thursday, 18 May 2006 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

Did anyone get the album? I know I'll end up buying it but peopele haven't been very enthusiastic about this so far...

― Baaderonixx rides the neon lights (baaderonixx), Friday, 19 May 2006 09:37 (nineteen years ago)

I've listened to it 4 times now, and the good songs are definitely floating to the top. Longdistance Call, Consolation Prizes, Rally, Courtesy Laughs, Sometimes In The Fall and the bizarre Neu-in-pastoral-mode instrumental North all make it for me, but as certain folk meantion upthread, this is all a little Strokes-y. Which is fine, but not what I was expecting & not really what I want from Phoenix. It's chunky when I was expecting velvety, not unlike expecting a Cadbury's Caramel bar and getting a Yorkie bar instead. Though they do it very convincingly.

Sounds like the lyricist has been going through some relationship problems...

Seeing them live again in a couple of weeks though, for the 5th time, which will -I'm sure- blast any doubts I have into oblivion.

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Friday, 19 May 2006 10:08 (nineteen years ago)

wasn't sure about this, at first, but, really like it, now

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 21 May 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

i agree

― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

going to see them next tues

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 21 May 2006 18:41 (nineteen years ago)

I just saw'em last night in Mexico City. Great set and came back for the encore with a terrific acoustic version of Air's Playground Love.

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Sunday, 21 May 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

Played it a couple of times but it don't impress me much. (Urgh, now I've got that song in my head.)

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Sunday, 21 May 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

Phoenix have been one the most overrated bands in the 00s - good session musicians without talent for songwriting, apart from one or two singles.

― zeus (zeus), Saturday, 27 May 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

one of the most completely listenable start to finish albums i've heard in a while. love every track.

― cutty (mcutt), Saturday, 10 June 2006 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

thought so

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 10 June 2006 19:57 (nineteen years ago)

the new album is wonderful! it's just as slick as ever; there's no dissonance, flubbed notes, mess of any sort. it's just less obviously smooth, i.e. they've dropped some of the touchstones, but the fact that they're an incredibly tight band means that no matter the style, they'll do it immaculately. the acoustic break in 'consolation prizes' is a great moment.

'sometimes in a fall' is probably my favourite track at this point.

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 10 June 2006 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

It's a great summer album.

― Bidfurd (Bidfurd), Sunday, 11 June 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

good songs/ waste of time ratio?

― molly (bulbs), Sunday, 11 June 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

0 waste of time. except for that instrumental track.

― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 11 June 2006 12:08 (nineteen years ago)

shit must get

― molly (bulbs), Sunday, 11 June 2006 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

the instrumental is great! the few songs in the middle that i thought were duds the first time through have blossomed over the last week, much like a lot of Alphabetical. this album is solid, and yes it is great for summer!

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 11 June 2006 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

the new phoenix album is a fucking delight. everything is hooks -- under forty minutes, well-paced, and with an honest handful of great songs. the strokes drag is almost fascinating -- like they very deliberately tried to make a strokes album, but didn't necessarily get how to do it and made a better album in the process.

― pm (p-m), Monday, 3 July 2006 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

Dunno where it is, but I will tell you by the time I get there.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 01:02 (nineteen years ago)

'Courtesy Laughs' has really grown on me.

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 02:05 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

So turns out this is actually their best album. As said upthread, perfect summer album.

― Baaderonixx immer wieder (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 08:26 (nineteen years ago)

why is phoenix not even very big in france?

― richardk (Richard K), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 09:09 (nineteen years ago)

My guess is because they don't sing in French.

― JoB (JoB), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 09:22 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

Phoenix CD80 'portable' Go!
---------------------------

Heatwave

Too Young
Honeymoon
If I Ever Feel Better
On Fire
Summer Days
Funky Squaredance

Everything is Everything
Run Run Run
Victim of the Crime
(You Can't Blame it on) Anybody
Holdin' On Together

Napoleon Says
Consolation Prizes
Rally
Long Distance Call
One Time Too Many
Lost and Found
Courtesy Laughs
Sometimes in the Fall

(chronological AFAIK, 79:04, line breaks indicate album breaks)

― I.M. From Hollywood (i_m_from_hollywood), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:39 (nineteen years ago)

saw em for free back in august.
pretty 'meh'. even the opening local band kicked they're ass!
to be fair, French Kicks were equally as blasse.
time to rethink attack- when Pittsburgh local band makes you look floppy and uninspired. i WISHED they were a Strokes rerun!

― edde (edde), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

Just saw them last week at the Wiltern, they were amazing.

― I.M. From Hollywood (i_m_from_hollywood), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

saw them tonight; as amazing as last time. thomas mars is becoming more of a showman - climbing into the balcony, standing on the bar, walking through the crowd. they're a tight band - the drummer is great. nice to see their set up growing with this tour; TWO guitar techs!

the crowd loved it, too; there's a fanbase here. they're cut out for rock stardom.

― derrick (derrick), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 07:31 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Listening to "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" today, it struck me that until the vocal comes in, it sounds like it could be a Phoenix song.

Uh, actually, even after the vocals come in, as well.

Anyway, that little progression of jazzy guitar chords at the beginning of that song is so pretty.

― dell, Sunday, 30 December 2007 22:27 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/June%202008/Phoenix%20-%20Twenty-One%20One%20Zero.mp3

― and what, Sunday, 8 June 2008 20:13 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.emi-artistes.com/phoenix/phoenix_inblt_cover.jpg

classic summer album

― J0rdan S., Sunday, 8 June 2008 20:17 (seventeen years ago)

Wow, that new song is WTFoenix in the most terrific of ways!

― willem, Sunday, 8 June 2008 20:30 (seventeen years ago)

WTFo_Oenix

― and what, Sunday, 8 June 2008 20:34 (seventeen years ago)

^ album title

― willem, Sunday, 8 June 2008 20:36 (seventeen years ago)

wtf indeed

― baaderonixx, Monday, 9 June 2008 07:40 (seventeen years ago)

It's funny, I told myself I should pull out 'It's never been like that'. Ultimate summer album

― baaderonixx, Monday, 9 June 2008 07:40 (seventeen years ago)

Feels quite autumny to me, well, nostalgic end of summer. Great album.

― I know, right?, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 12:26 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

any news?

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 23 September 2008 13:50 (seventeen years ago)

oh, this thread isn't about the romanian progressive rock act Phoenix?
A shame.

― ian, Tuesday, 23 September 2008 17:25 (seventeen years ago)

surprisingly, no

― I know, right?, Tuesday, 23 September 2008 17:30 (seventeen years ago)

From their myspace:

September 2, 2008

***** ALBUM UPDATE *****
We've chosen the path of most resistance
We're late but happy
It will be worth the wait
Ps: We're about to start mixing with our friend Zdar (United!)

― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 23 September 2008 18:59 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Phoenix are compiling the next Kitsune Tabloid comp:

1. Kiss – Love Theme From Kiss
2. Dirty Projectors – Rise Above
3. The Red Crayola – Victory Garden
4. The Impressions - I’ve Been Trying
5. Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos
6. Roxy Music – Pyjamarama
7. The 13th Floor Elevators – I Had To Tell You
8. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Shipbuilding
9. D’Angelo – Send It On
10. Tangerine Dream – Love On A Real Train
11. Urge Overkill - Stull (Part 1)
12. Lô Borges – Aos Barões
13. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Master Charge
14. Dennis Wilson – Lady (Falling in Love)
15. Irma Thomas – It’s Raining
16. Ritchie Valens - In A Turkish Town
17. Dusty Springfield - I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today
18. Lou Reed - Street Hassle

― Telephone thing, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 17:41 (seventeen years ago)

That's a pretty fantastic tracklist.

― willem, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 19:49 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

New single '1901' is available as a free download on their website! New album out may 25th!

― Gerard (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 26 February 2009 17:42 (seventeen years ago)

So fucking psyched for this. Album title according to Pitchfork: "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix." Out on a label I've already forgotten, as a continuation of Astralwerks' slow hemorrhaging of artists.

― Telephone thing, Thursday, 26 February 2009 20:43 (seventeen years ago)

Really hyped for this.

― Plaxico (I know, right?), Sunday, 1 March 2009 01:03 (seventeen years ago)

^^^ yes

― cutty, Sunday, 1 March 2009 01:35 (seventeen years ago)

pretty sure this album will rule my summer

― just sayin, Sunday, 1 March 2009 20:29 (seventeen years ago)

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