Better Than: It looks. Thomas Mars stood between the two guitarists of Phoenix. Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai softly played the closing riff of "Love Like a Sunset Part II," the wistful, crescendoing track from the band's 2009 record, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The two stretched each not ... More >>
Phoenix/Dirty Projectors/Wavves Madison Square Garden Wednesday, October 20 Better Than: Breathing normally This year, the biggest show of CMJ had the biggest secret to keep. I postulated recently -- maybe facetiously -- that this MSG bill fulfilled every part of the psyche. Well, the rampant ... More >>
Oh, indeed. The gala Phoenix/Dirty Projectors/Wavves show hitting MSG Wednesday, October 20th is a big we-made-it moment for the maximalist, SOTC-beloved French pop-rockers; we think it'd be great if you got to see it in person. We have five pairs of tickets. And since is this is a bigger dea ... More >>
Look. We here at SOTC are perhaps unnecessarily protective of French maximal-pop stars Phoenix, architects of perhaps our single favorite album of 2009 (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix) and, therein, perhaps our favorite track of last year, the two-part arena-ambient masterpiece "Love Like a Sunset. ... More >>
Three different rock bands in one unique gig
But don't look for that persona-grooming bassist
On the euphoric charms of utter inscrutability
Bid adieu to summer with Phoenix
Phoenix Music Hall of Williamsburg Thursday, June 18 For some, this Phoenix show is probably over before it even really starts, as the five guys in the band emerge from the Music Hall of Williamsburg's blue-lit backstage shortly after midnight and launch right into "Lisztomania," their loose-limb ... More >>
In 2009, the traditional practice of exchanging physical copies of records for money is a trade that might best be called quixotic. But New Yorkers are stubborn people, and the record store is not dead. Below, the top ten records that actually sold in the last week at a store near you. Photo of Tak ... More >>
We have little-to-no stakes in the summer-song horserace, except in a "If I hear that Drake song one more time I'll happily slit his throat with the jagged shards of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" kind of way. But we are interested in "Relator," the improbably buoyant Scarlett Johansson/Pete Yorn colla ... More >>
A French lesson from Phoenix
This flick put Sofia Coppola on the map
Parisian charm merchants keep the magic in check and in Chuck
