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Sound Advice: Phantogram with The Veldt (March 16)

Phantogram brings a blend of beat-heavy Synth Pop and Indie Rock to Bogart’s.

Mar 15, 2017 at 10:31 am

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Photo: Timothy Saccenti

Phantogram

It’s been nearly a decade since budding visual artist Sarah Barthel became disenchanted with her schooling and returned to her home in Greenwich, N.Y. She quickly reconnected with junior high friend Josh Carter — also recently returned from New York City where he had formed Grand Habit, an experimental Art Pop band with his brother — and the pair almost immediately began writing songs around Carter’s sparse beats. For the first two years, the duo, initially known as Charlie Everywhere, kept their musical pursuits a veritable secret, playing a few shows and releasing a couple of EPs. But in 2009 they changed their name to Phantogram and began burning CDs and handing them out for free, causing word to spread about the twosome’s darkly hypnotic blend of beat-heavy Synth Pop chill and Indie Rock verve.

In rapid succession, keyboardist Barthel and guitarist Carter released a pair of EPs, signed with Barsuk Records and recorded their debut full-length, Eyelid Movies, all of which combined to garner them invitations to prestigious festivals Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Bumbershoot, plus plum opening slots for like-minded artists.

After three years of fairly strenuous touring, Phantogram dropped two new EPs, 2011’s lighter (yet still powerful) Nightlife and 2013’s Phantogram, the first product from its deal with major-label imprint Republic Records. The duo returned to the road before settling in for its sophomore album, 2014’s Voices. In 2015, Phantogram teamed up with Outkast’s Big Boi for the imaginative Electro/Hip Hop project Big Grams, recording an EP for Epic Records and becoming a regular on the festival circuit last year.

Last fall, Phantogram released Three, which cracked the Top 10 of Billboard’s album chart. The radio exposure for Three’s first single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” raised the duo’s profile even more. As proven consistently over the course of its history, Phantogram — now with touring companions Nicholas Shelestak on guitar and keys and Chris Carhart on drums — presents an impressive show that amplifies the power and energy of their already intense studio performances. Strap in for what could be one of the year’s best shows.