Phoenix: Parisian Perfection

Purevolume was kind enough today to suggest to me a lovely little pop rock band called Phoenix. French boys Thomas Mars, Deck D'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz have had their delicious beats featured in a Cadillac RSX commercial and several movies such as "Valentine's Day" and "Where the Wild Things Are," and rightfully so! Their music is contagious, fun, and energetic. What else could a movie trailer or sports car commercial ask for?

I picked three songs, as per usual, and gave Phoenix a whirl, and what a delightful ride it was!

"Lisztomania," from their album "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," got stuck in my head almost instantly. With a catchy little guitar riff and heavy cymbals, Phoenix had me off of my ass and ready to dance. The vocals sounded intriguingly delicate, which contrasted perfectly with the high energy of the percussion. There is a beautiful marriage of synthesizer and vocals for a brief moment just before the chorus really starts kicking. Around 3:00, "Lisztomania" turns into groove-o-mania, like some lost anthem from the days of Studio 54. The song was like a pint-sized rave party.

After one pleasant experience with Phoenix, I was begging for another. "Long Distance Cal," from their album "It's Never Been Like That," was reminiscent of 1980's Billy Joel and Steely Dan. CAN YOU SAY WIN? With a cymbal-riddled intro, "Long Distance Cal" shined with a jazzy chorus and sassy but simple verses. I was compelled by the urge to dance again, at which point I decided to dub Phoenix's music as the most dance-worthy jams out of all the music I have reviewed thus far.

I listened to "Too Young" next, a wonderful finale for my rendezvous with Phoenix. A friendly synth/keyboard beat supported the airy vocals and steady percussion. The lyric "everybody's dancing" sums up every second of the song. I felt like I was at some hipster, 1980's themed prom, and I was okay with that.

Phoenix epitomizes energetic pop music. Nothing in their instrumentation overpowers anything else going on in their music. They maintain a balance among all of their instruments, while keeping it playful and inviting. If you like fresh, fun music, Phoenix might be your musical soulmate.

Have a listen here!

Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.

Photo credit: http://www.purevolume.com/wearephoenix/photos/2946713