Thank God it’s Friday’s song of the day

I was (and am) a big fan of Phantom Planet’s 2004 self-titled release, with its raw, noisy production values, aggressive playing, and singer Alex Greenwald’s sometimes mumbling delivery. It’s a record that grows on you and still sounds fresh (and, importantly, distances them from their 2002 sugary mega-hit “California”).

For the past few years I’ve been wondering when the follow-up would arrive. Other than Negatives (originally a fanclub-only release, made public in 2006), Phantom Planet has been off the radar.*

So it was with tentative excitement that I saw their new album was coming out (released this past Tuesday). From the few tracks I’ve heard this week (I’ve been busy, gimme a break), they’ve kept their sound pretty close to what I’d hoped for.

Today’s song of the day is their updated version of “Do The Panic” (which originally appeared on Negatives) from the new Phantom Planet release Raise The Dead, available now.

It’s catchy, but it’s no “California.”**




* Mine, at least
** And that's a good thing.