Noticing that "It's Never Been Like That," the new disc from France's Phoenix -- on the almost always batting 1.000 Astralwerks Records -- has a song called "Consolation Prizes" makes me think wistfully of the Orange Juice song of a similar name and I figure that's a good sign.
I liked the band's previous discs and was sorry to have missed their Onopa gig a while back, but nothing prepared me for how much I'd like this one, their third.
The aforementioned "Consolation Prizes" sounds EXACTLY like Josh Rouse and that can only be a good thing. Thomas Mars sings just like Rouse on this one and it has the same, wind in your hair summery sound.
The same is true of "Long Distance Call." In fact, the entire 10-disc is upbeat, breezy, poppy and melodic and there's nary a low point, making this that rare CD that you can just pop in and let it repeat again and again. (I'll save my rant on the loss of focus during the CD era for another time.)
Fresh, unadorned, straightforward and striking ... And how often can you say that?
Note: Galli-phobes don't have to worry, either. Sung entirely in English and with musical influences that are more American and British than French, there's nothing here to even clue one in that the band is from France. (And anyway, we shouldn't hate the French; without their help at the beginning we might not even have a country.)
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
