MMIMC: Phoenix - "From A Mess To The Masses"
Phoenix started in 1995, as a garage-band in Versailles, a famous suburb of Paris. The band lineup was finalized when the older brother of guitarist Christian Mazzalai joined the group, following the dissolution of his previous band Darlin', which featured the two men who would go on to become the world-renowned Daft Punk. (The relationship is still alive and well, as @daft_punk made a surprise appearance, performing live for the first time in 3 years at Phoenix's Madison Square Garden concert earlier this week).
Phoenix's first signs of success in The States came when earlier songs were featured in the movies Shallow Hal and Lost in Translation. It wasn't until the release of their album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
, in 2009, that they really took the world by storm. What's neat about their massive success is that it all started with their inclusion of the song, 1901 as a free download.
, in 2009, that they really took the world by storm. What's neat about their massive success is that it all started with their inclusion of the song, 1901 as a free download.Phoenix - 1901
|DownloadThey've since been featured on just about everything, from trailers for Where the Wild Things Are and Alice in Wonderland, to episodes of Entourage (Season 5 Episode 2 and Season 6 Finale Episode 12) and Cadillac SRX commercials.
Their electronic-infused indie stylings came at just the right time too, sparking a meteoric rise in popularity, culminating in their winning of the 2010 Grammy for Best Alternative Album.
You can tell the band's music translates to the masses when you have a children's choir from Staten Island PS22 cover one of your songs, and it reaches over 800,000 hits on YouTube. When asked about the video in a recent interview, guitarist Laurent Brancowitz said that it had brought him to tears, and that seeing the kids sing so passionately left him knowing that he was definitely doing something right. Check out the video below...
As a bonus, here's a remix of the song above 1901 with a little heavier bass and upbeat rhythm to it. Not too different than the original, but it has a little bouncier vibe to it. Give it a listen...
Phoenix - 1901 (sayCent remix)
|Download
1 comments:
Another great article, Mikey Mike! You didn't mention anything about the lead singer being married to Sophia Coppola, the director of Lost in Translation.
Love the band and love the blog, Tony!
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