Phoenix, Max DeMarco

[FRENCH DANCE ROCK] Phoenix’s last album, 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, may not have taken the band in a new direction, but it undisputedly took it to new heights. The impeccable collection of pop-y, danceable tunes builds upon the band’s previous three albums, swiftly opening a niche carved out by similar acts while concurrently catapulting the French outfit into the international limelight in the process. Its most recent single, the aptly titled “Entertainment,” is a formidable pop number, characterized by larger-than-life synths, bursting drums and an opening riff that sounds like a “China Girl” knockoff. Whether the band can hit the bar it set for itself on its forthcoming album, Bankrupt!, remains to be seen.

Where: Crystal Ballroom
Phone: 225-0047
Address: 1332 W Burnside St.
Website: www.mcmenamins.com