http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn68TlEFYWs1
Phoenix is one of those bands everyone should see at least once in their lives. The French quintet, originally from the sleepy town of Versailles (seriously, what else is there apart from the Palace, the gardens, and the Treaty?) has been around for thirteen or so years, but only began making an impact in the United States in late 2009. Thomas Mars (vocals), Deck d’Arcy (bass), Chris Mazzalai (guitar), Laurent Brancowitz (guitar), and Thomas Hedlund (drums/percussion) put on an amazing show, full of energy, tempo, and style changes and an impressive array of visuals, thanks to their shared art school backgrounds and general beret-wearing-Frenchness. Next time they’re on tour, GO SEE THEM. BUY THE ALBUM. Help these guys out, and hope they’re playing a small or mid size club, because they will have you hypnotized. That’s when the gypsy children throw babies at you and take your money. A small price to pay for seeing one of the most talented and versatile acts on the planet.
Fun fact that everyone knows but still repeats: Laurent Brancowitz was in a band called Darlin’ in the early 90s with two guys called Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. When they split up, the other two guys went on to form a little act known as Daft Punk. Yep. Ridiculous. Daft Punk have been known to make cameo appearances at Phoenix shows every once in a while (see: December 2010, Madison Square Garden).
