An artistโs greatest super power is freedom. Liberation is both the modus operandi and main ingredient of the fearless five-man band PHONY PPL. Comprised of the cream of Brooklynโs young musician crop, each classically trained member is a product of musical parents who gifted their children exceptional DNA, exposure to the greatsโโfrom Madrill records to Bossa Novaโโand, most importantly, wings for exploration and self-discovery. The result is a collective thatโs as limitless as its music; one that has received praise from the likes of Tyler The Creator and Childish Gambino, performed with Erykah Badu, Fetty Wap and The Roots, and killed festivals (Camp Flog Gnaw), late night television (Jimmy Kimmel) and their own residency at New York Cityโs legendary Blue Note.
[CLICK HERE TO BUY MESSING AROUND]
The warmth of lyrics are mainly credited to lead vocalist Elbee Thrie, a former Manhattan School of Music student whose vocals possess a disarming charm and lyrics glowed by advanced perspective and retrospection (โI broke out of my shell just to find that Iโm living by myselfโ). Trained composer, Aja Grant provides co-writing, the keys and much of the bandโs arrangements. Strings are manned by guitarist Elijah Rawk and Bari Bass, PHONY PPLโs visual artist and bass player. The crewโs heartbeat is percussionist and former Music Conservatory study Mathew Byas (his father is DJ Jazzy Jay of the legendary Zulu Nation).
After first jamming together in the summer of 2008, followed by several years honing their sonic cornucopia, PHONY PPL still donโt have a single soundโโto delightful results. Although the BK boys created several now Internet buried independent albums since unified inception, it was their first 300 Entertainment distribution (Yesterdayโs Tomorrow) that introduced the world to their genre-less flavors. Released in 2015, the audio rainbow offers experimental splashes of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, reggae, soul, rock and many more sub-genre expressions. It hit #6 on the iTunes R&B chart and the media applause roared in: The New York Times called the band โforward-thinking,โ NPR chose โbrilliant,โ Rolling Stone placed their album amongst the yearโs 15 greatest.
Anticipation for their latest composition has never been as high. Titled Mosaic because each song is a singular piece of art possessing shapes and colors separate from the others, yet they all adjoin to make symmetrical magic. Setting things off is โWay Too Far,โ a slow dance under purple neon to killer lines like, โI got you, but itโs me that I miss.โ โCookie Crumbleโ transports ears to the 1950โs after a latin jazz spirit possesses โOnce You Say Hello.โ The invitation to this exhibition is the palm tree-breezy hip-hop ballad โBefore You Get A Boyfriend,โ which manages to transcend classification and time. Soft rock of the early 80โs, early 90โs rap, or the mood music of today? For PHONY PPL, the new album is simply an offering to the religion of music and attempt at adding more hues to future radio.
While the band members are headlining their first tour this fall, the fruits of their โshape shiftโ will begin to sprout. Newโ Snake Hips EP โiiiโm Not Sorryโ will feature a solo Elbee; Aja is producing on Mac Millerโs new album; Matthew is in the studio with Domo Genesis of Odd Future, and Elijah is in a whole other band (Princess Nokia). But these free creators who aim to be the refresh that the music world thirsts for are best as one.
CHECK IT OUT....