[Photo courtesy of lowerwestside]
It was refreshing, for once, to see an exciting, emerging American band that wasn’t from Brooklyn. The electronic rock duo Phantogram hail from the rural college town of Saratoga Springs, NY – so far from Brooklyn it might as well be in Virginia. But geography aside, Phantogram’s sound is very of the moment, a smooth, approachable style they call “street beat, psych pop.” The closest reference, by far, would be the also-booming UK band The xx, who have been reviving some of the better elements of the mid-90s sound once known as “trip-hop” without letting the style devolve into a bunch of faceless Starbucks jams. Phantogram’s style occupies a solid middle ground between the somber and the bombastic, with songs that are instantly memorable.
For Phantogram, this show represented a crucial milestone familiar to every New York band: their first sellout of the Bowery Ballroom. Playing live can be a challenge for a band whose sound relies so heavily on pre-programmed loops and sampled beats, as the “press play” aspect can make the show feel less immediate and exciting, but Phantogram solved that problem with Josh Carter’s live guitars and Sarah Barthel’s spot-on lead vocals. The generosity and gratitude of the band was evident, as they repeatedly thanked the audience for their support. Selling out Bowery, clearly, will not be the end of this duo’s journey. I just hope they don’t feel too much pressure to move to Brooklyn.
I recorded this set from the balcony with the hypercardiod microphones at eye level with the sound staff, and the omnidirectional microphones taped to the soundboard cage, providing a clear and balanced blend of sound. Enjoy!
Direct download of MP3 files [HERE].
Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].
Phantogram
2010-05-19
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA
Equipment: Beyerdynamic MC950+DPA 4061>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: MC950s LOC at SBD cage, pointed at stacks, 4061s in boundary mounts, 2? split
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, EQ, set fades, tracking, amplify)>FLAC Level 8
Tracks [51:48]
01 As Far As I Can See
02 Let Me Go
03 Mouthful of Diamonds
04 Running From the Cops
05 You Are the Ocean
06 Make A Fist
07 Turn It Off
08 When I’m Small
09 [encore break]
10 All Dried Up
11 Futuristic Casket
If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Phantogram, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their excellent album Eyelid Movies from Barsuk Records [HERE].
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