Phantom Planet are suddenly lame. Boo!
May 12th 2008 22:07
Being a huge fan of Californian rock band Phantom Planet, I was at JB Hi Fi the day their latest album came out waiting to trade my hard earned cash for what I was hoping would be another gem of a CD.
Titled ‘Raise the Dead’, I’d already heard the album featured an updated version of one of my favourite Phantom Planet tracks ‘Do the Panic’.
The track was murdered.
For those who don’t know (which is probably a lot of people) Phantom Planet is the band who brought you the OC theme song. You know the one, “California.... CaliforniiiiiIIAIIAAAA.... here we cooooooooooooommmmmee um.”
Bloody good song if you manage to stop associating it with overly thin 30 something actors posing as teenagers ODing and making out with each other.
Phantom Planet had been around for years before the OC, and put out some great indy pop rock tunes. The lead singer, Alex Greenwald, worked with the drummer, Jason Shwartzman, to create these brilliant tracks.
And then it all went to hell.
Jason left to pursue a career in movies (a good one too, he’s in Marie Antoinette, Rushmore, Slackers, Shopgirl and heaps more). It seems like the band had enough tracks to put out another great, albeit heavier sounding, LP called Phantom Planet featuring some awesome songs.
But with ‘Raise the Dead’, it seems like the last of Shwartzman’s influence has rubbed off.
I will admit there are a few good tracks, I particularly like ‘Demon Daughters’, but these tracks are outnumbered by the overwhelming amount of guitar distortion and Greenwald just trying to murder his own voice.
‘Do the Panic’ was the most disappointing, Greenwald just mumbles and screeches into the microphone while losing all the fun timing and lyrics of the original.
It makes you want to write a fan letter:
Dear Mr Greenwald,
While I appreciate that you are a stone cold fox (when you cut your hair anyway), but could you please return to your musical roots?
I know artists need to express themselves and try new things, but if it’s not broken don’t fix it, ya dig?
So clear your throat, try shifting your guitar further from the amp and instead of trying to be lyrical and artsy, just write music you enjoy and that we’ll enjoy.
Peace out,
Katie.
I’ve never signed a letter peace out before but I feel it’s appropriate.
This is what Alex's fans did after hearing the album. Duct-taped the whiny a-hole to the wall.
Titled ‘Raise the Dead’, I’d already heard the album featured an updated version of one of my favourite Phantom Planet tracks ‘Do the Panic’.
The track was murdered.
For those who don’t know (which is probably a lot of people) Phantom Planet is the band who brought you the OC theme song. You know the one, “California.... CaliforniiiiiIIAIIAAAA.... here we cooooooooooooommmmmee um.”
Bloody good song if you manage to stop associating it with overly thin 30 something actors posing as teenagers ODing and making out with each other.
Phantom Planet had been around for years before the OC, and put out some great indy pop rock tunes. The lead singer, Alex Greenwald, worked with the drummer, Jason Shwartzman, to create these brilliant tracks.
The cool self titled album, with equally cool artwork.
And then it all went to hell.
Jason left to pursue a career in movies (a good one too, he’s in Marie Antoinette, Rushmore, Slackers, Shopgirl and heaps more). It seems like the band had enough tracks to put out another great, albeit heavier sounding, LP called Phantom Planet featuring some awesome songs.
But with ‘Raise the Dead’, it seems like the last of Shwartzman’s influence has rubbed off.
I will admit there are a few good tracks, I particularly like ‘Demon Daughters’, but these tracks are outnumbered by the overwhelming amount of guitar distortion and Greenwald just trying to murder his own voice.
‘Do the Panic’ was the most disappointing, Greenwald just mumbles and screeches into the microphone while losing all the fun timing and lyrics of the original.
It makes you want to write a fan letter:
Dear Mr Greenwald,
While I appreciate that you are a stone cold fox (when you cut your hair anyway), but could you please return to your musical roots?
I know artists need to express themselves and try new things, but if it’s not broken don’t fix it, ya dig?
So clear your throat, try shifting your guitar further from the amp and instead of trying to be lyrical and artsy, just write music you enjoy and that we’ll enjoy.
Peace out,
Katie.
I’ve never signed a letter peace out before but I feel it’s appropriate.
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Comment by Harry
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Comment by Jett
2. i do agree that alex's voice isn't at its best on this record, but to sing his former style on these tracks would just not fit with the tone of the songs.
3. i can appreciate that you're into the pop/ more melodic side of PP, but these songs are just as good melodically and rhythmically if you get past the distortion and such.
4. demon daughters is not one of the best songs on the album. the title track is infections; it builds and build and then takes you down just to bring you back up again. brilliant. Geronimo is hard hitting and pulled off superbly despite it's complete reversal of usual PP style. i could go on, but in short, most l the songs have awesome hooks, stunning guitar, killer bass (which i personally and so excited gets highlighted on this record) and on point drumming. the only song i, dare i say, hate is quarantine. i can't stand it. that is the lowest point on the record. next is demon daughters....but by a large margin
5. PP could NEVER be LAMEEEE. i agree this is not their best album (the self titled/we win again/white album is obviously their masterpiece) and i'll admit i was disappointed when i first heard it because the melodies were not in the forefront, but his album is full of hidden gems. i think the band is slowly growing into who they want to be. the uber-pop sound they had on "...is missing" was because they were young and as they have matured, so has their music. i think this record is sophisticated yet rough. you might not like this direction but it is certainly ANTI-LAME. going pop-ier would be getting lame and boring. oh, and don't call Alex an a-hole. he is wonderfull!!!!! FULL OF WONDER!
haha sorry for the rant.
-Jet
p.s. "the schwartzman influence"? is that the "lets abandon music so i can become more famous and make more money" influence? would you want someone like that making an album? no offense to jason, i like him, but he chose his path and if he didn't love what he was doing i'm glad his influence is out.
Comment by Kdthestrange
Noise Voyage
So Jet, i admit I was overly harsh. After listening to it a few more times I've found I like it more. But the thing is, listening to and enjoying an album shouldn't be hard work (unless it's a pretty bloody amazing album). And this album just feels like hard work. You said it yourself: you have to get through the distortion to find the melody.
And about Alex's vocals- to me they just feel lazy. He's sluring, he's cracking and it's not adding to the piece. Remember 'Wishing Well' and 'The Guest' from the guest album? He was giving it his all, his voice was cracking, he was occasionally not quite getting notes and it sounded amazing. I agree he has to change his vocal style to suit the pieces- but why change it to crapness?
And Shwartzman - isn't Phantom Planet kind of huge? Wasn't he already ridiculously famous? And probably rich considering all the royalties he would have got from songwriting? Jason's released his own indie CD which I plan to review soon so I hope you read and post a rant.
Different opinions are great and it's good to be made to think. Thanks for commenting.
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Jett
the only thing i can say is no, phantom planet is not nor have they ever been huge. and jason schwartzman is not ridiculously famous, especially not during the period when he left the band. people knew him from rushmore...thats it. sure california was a big hit with the whole OC thing but no one knew who did it. maybe to fans like us it seems like they should be because they are so good, but alas, they are not. i know people who make music professionally, like in high class studios and they have no idea who the band is.
oh.. and ive been doing some listening too...demon daughters is growing on me