Crossing genres is not an uncommon thing for musicians these days. A lot of rock artists choose to dip their toes into country music, while you also see a lot of collaboration between hip-hop and indie rock. But to do it in a way that seems natural and not selling out is not an easy task. For New York-based duo Phantogram, it's just what they do. The music they produce is already a morphing of electronic dance music and pop music, but a lot of their beats are heavily influenced by hip-hop as well. So when Big Boi from Outkast becomes a fan of your music and wants to team up with you to produce something, of course you go with it.
Before Phantogram got their boost in popularity working with Daddy Fat Sax, they had already taken the indie/electronic world by storm. Friends since middle school, bandmates Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel did not start making music together until 2007. Phantogram was launched in 2009 to the open arms of the indie world, especially since electronic dance music and indie rock had collided into a new sub-genre called chillwave. While Phantogram's music was a little more upbeat than chillwave, it still was understandably accepted.
After moderate success from their debut album Eyelid Movies, Phantogram hit it big with their single Don't Move, from their 2011 EP Nightlife. After first contributing on a few tracks of Big Boi's 2012 hip-hop album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, they followed that up with their 2014 album Voices, producing the hit single Black Out Days. Then, they went back to work with Big Boi, this time creating a seven-song EP in 2015 under the moniker Big Grams. Now, Phantogram is back with their newest album, Three, launching strong with the first single, You Don't Get Me High Anymore.
They will be making their debut appearance in Chattanooga on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Track 29, and from the buzz created by the announcement of this show, it seems Chattanooga is ready to dance to the sounds of Phantogram.
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InTune Playlist
Don't You Cry For Me by Cobi
Carry On by Norah Jones
Here by Sho Baraka
Harder to Lie by David Ramirez
Unfortunate Kind by BJ Barham
Dance With Me by Leagues
All Day All Night by River Whyless
It Ain't Easy by Muddy Magnolias
Gotta Find a Way by The Frightnrs
Sweet Sweet Lullaby by Chris Robinson Brotherhood
One More Night by Michael Kiwanuka
Last Stop Birmingham by Kenny George Band
Cruel World by Phantogram
Crying in the Sunshine by Miniature Tigers
Your Best American Girl by Mitski
Flow with It by St. Paul & The Broken Bones