Phoenix

Future Music and Frontier Touring can confirm that Grammy-award winning French quintet Phoenix are set to bring their inimitable blend of genre-twisting synth-rock and high-energy performances to Sydney and Melbourne for headline shows in March 2014!

The announcement comes alongside their place as co-headliners on the epic line up for next year’s hugely anticipated Future Music Festival.

Phoenix released their fourth album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in 2009, a piece of new wave brilliance that struck a chord with audiences everywhere and projected the band into mainstream consciousness in a way they had never been before. The album’s sound referenced the sizzling electro-pop from their debut but was also fine-tuned with sharp lyricism and thoughtful composition. First single ‘1901’ was a bona fide smash hit globally, certifying platinum in America and reaching #1 on the US Alternative Songs Chart and second single ‘Lisztomania’ came in at #4 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2009. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix itself ranked at #5, #3 and #1 in Time, Rolling Stone and Drowned In Sound’s Top Albums of 2009 lists respectively, winning the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, certifying ARIA gold and making its way to #13 on the Australian Albums Chart.

Phoenix’s fifth album Bankrupt! (out now through Liberator Music) saw the band throw out the rule book, retaining the synth-pop heart they had become synonymous with but evolving their sound into something altogether more experimental. The album debuted at #5 on the Australian Albums Chart and #1 on the Alternative, Independent and Rock Albums Charts in the US. Current single ‘S.O.S. in Bel Air’ is insightful and post-modern track that Pitchfork called “the album’s heart-racing standout”. Contrary to its own title, Bankrupt!, has received wide-spread acclaim for its new ideas and fresh sound, becoming possibly the band’s most heralded release yet:

“They’ve taken what made Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix so brilliant, turned it up to 10, and then added a few new twists to create one of the most effortlessly enjoyable albums you’re likely to hear all year” – Music OMH

Phoenix’s live shows have continued to set the benchmark for expert musicianship and unparalleled flair and as such are as equally celebrated by critics as their albums are:

“A truly majestic, memorable night by a group very much at the top of their game, it was clearly just as special for the band as it was for everybody watching” – The Hollywood Reporter

“The sheer energy and joy in seeing Phoenix at their best is an addictive treat. They can be stylish, quirky, and yet effortlessly catchy; a notion well and truly supported by a crowd that exited in awe this particular evening.” –  FasterLouder

Joining Phoenix as special guests will be Australia’s very own new-wave and synth-rock virtuoso’s World’s End Press! The quartet have performed with the likes of Cut Copy and Hot Chip and in October released their self-titled debut album, a darkly melodic and triumphant gem that has rapidly collected accolades as the one of this year’s smartest and most danceable releases:

“A remarkable debut that never merely submits to trends” –  Sydney Morning Herald

“This hour-long opus sets dreary romance against spring-loaded rhythms and incessant catchiness – and thrives off the resulting friction” – Rolling Stone

Alongside contemporaries and friends Air and Daft Punk, Phoenix are one of France’s finest contributions to modern music. Their headline performances in Sydney and Melbourne in March are an opportunity to see an accomplished band in their element, performing non-stop hits that for many of us have become the soundtrack to our life for the last decade. Don’t miss out!