Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Phosphorescent: My New Favorite Band


I wasn't looking for a new favorite band, I was happy with my fill. But then, out of the blue, along came Phosphorescent, I remember seeing something about them someplace or another and being drawn to investigate what kind of band would write a song with the title 'Joe Tex, These Taming Blue'... The song grabbed me immediately, something about it resonated within me, it spoke to me, held my hand, kissed me and told me everything would be ok. I was immediately a fan, I was on board and before I knew it - here I was with a new favorite band. As is customary when I fall into in such a situation, I find myself doing everything I can to buy everything the band have released... as quickly as possible. I have not been let down.

Phosphorescent is Matthew Houck, a 26 year old southern man with a cracked voice, kind of reminiscent of Will Oldham. His music is rough and loose, but the songs reveal themselves slowly to be dense, restless, yearning and heartworn things of great beauty and sophistication.


Phosphorescent have recorded three frighteningly brilliant works, 2003's 'A Hundred Times or More' and 2004's 'The Weight of Flight EP' both released on the Warm label to quiet but lavish praise and 2005's 'Now, Aw Come Aw Wry' released by Misra, perhaps the bands most fully realized effort so far. A new album is due later this year.


Download: Phosphorescent - Joe Tex, These Taming Blues (MP3)
Download: Phosphorescent - I Am A Full Grown Man (I Will Lay In The Grass All Day) (MP3)

Website: saltandblues.com
Myspace: myspace.com/phosphorescent