Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix is a band from Paris, France that is classified as alternative on Wikipedia, which is an extremely vague genre in my opinion. Also, they don't have any genres or influences listed on their Myspace page. This information made me think the band either does not want to be categorized or can't be.

Their latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was released this past May. The melodies, beats, and synthesized effects (listen to "1901") make for a very exciting collaboration of music. Most of the album is very fast-paced and the music made me want to dance. Tracks like "Listzomania" and "Girlfriend" could have this effect on almost anyone. Hearing them live would probably be pretty awesome, because I cannot imagine the audience successfully fighting the urge to move with the music.

This band is very much a product of the environment. Paris at the time of Phoenix's inception was producing bands like Daft Punk and Air, and it's easy to see some relation between their styles. However, their sound is very unique.

Overall, this album put me into an extremely good mood. When I first heard about Phoenix's French roots, I thought the album would have French lyrics, but they sing everything in English, which is nice. Listen to them on Myspace or the Hype Machine.

-Cory Vogel