Eyelid Movies

Phantogram | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 9, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B00319DXAQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,484 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Now on vinyl! Phantogram's music sounds like it's made by a band from the city. Electronic loops, hip-hop beats, shoegaze, soul, and pop each find its way into their songs. Unexpectedly, the band doesn't live and work in a major urban center, but rather calls the town of Saratoga Springs, NY home. Despite the cultural influence of local Skidmore College (where fellow beat-experimenters Ratatat formed) Saratoga isn't exactly teeming with fans of J. Dilla, My Bloody Valentine or Serge Gainsbourg. Using various samplers, tapes, records, synths, drums, and both percussive and stringed instruments, Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, the duo that make up Phantogram have allowed their natural surroundings and metropolitan influences to mix, resulting in brilliant, unusual recordings that are beautiful yet hard, dreamlike yet substantial, danceable yet smart. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars... Early contender for album of the year, February 14, 2010

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eyelid Movies (Audio CD)

Upstate NY-based duo Phantogram, consisting of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, issued a couple of EPs in 2009 that quickly gained critical acclaim, in particular with the song "When I'm Small", and now finally comes the US release of their debut album, which was released in late 2009 in overseas markets. If you're not familiar with the band's sound, think Portishead or even Neon Indian.

"Eyelid Movies" (11 tracks; 45 min.) starts off with a blast, an upbeat "Mouthful of Diamonds", followed by their best song, the earlier-mentioned "When I'm Small" (both from their March '09 EP), the latter being so infectious, you just want to play it over and over again. But great tracks follow one after another, "Turn It Off", with great off-beat underlying drums. "Running From the Cops" is another great trip-hop tune. "All Dried Up" provides a breather to give way to "As Far As I Can See", yet another mesmerizing track, what a great fabulous first half of the album. The second half starts off with the only clunker on this album, "You Are the Ocean", a 5+ min. track that goes nowhere and has mediocre lyrics to boot ("This song is about you/Cuz I can't live without you"). But the best is yet to come after that, with "Bloody Palms", which is a coulda-shoulda be major radio single (if mainstream radio were any good, which of course it isn't), and "Futuristic Casket", another irresistible trip-hop track. The album closes with the pensive "10,000 Claps".

In all, I can't emphasize enough how impressed and charmed I am with this debut album of Phantogram. Sure to make my end of the year "best of" list, and quite high on it. Can't wait to see this band live at some point. If you wonder where you can hear this band, check out WOXY (BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll), the internet-only station that brings the best indie-music in the country. Meanwhile "Eyelid Movies" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Better Cross-Genre Offerings You'll Ever Hear, May 21, 2010

By 

Hubert Sawyers III "FryinginVein dot com" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eyelid Movies (MP3 Download)

There are so many spaces that Eyelid Movies fits that it is crazy. I feel just as comfortable playing this record as an indie rock spot as I would at a hip hop night. The usage of familiar drum breaks gives it an appeal that will make any b-boy smile, while the instrumentation will definitely bring all the emo to the yard. There are references to Portishead and the like, but I hear J Dilla and Tobacco. It may sound similar to trip-hop, but these guys are showing a bit more range to me. Emotionally, Eyelid Movies covers a lot more ground than Tricky ever has. The range is in the production capabilities though, which I think is the greatest component to this two-piece band.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like weird hip hop......, April 13, 2011

By 

David L. Vance "APOLLOSTEES" (Altalnta) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eyelid Movies (MP3 Download)

How about a simple review from someone that is not an aspiring writer.....

If I had to categorize this album, I'd call it: hip-hop/alternative-rock. (parts of it even sound like house)
I'm not really into rock, but I am definitely a beat lover/hiphop(not rap) fan.

My favorites are:
Mouthful of Diamonds
Turn it off

I liked:
when I'm small
Running from the cops
As far as I can see
Bloody Palms

If your into Dilla, Hudson Mohawke, Flylo, you will like this album.