Some of the more interesting music that I end up getting turned onto these days comes courtesy of my Syrius satellite hook-up. Alternative Nation is a reliable channel, but I find myself gravitating mostly toward Left of Center, which, as the moniker suggests, gravitates more toward the more eclectic and obscure end of the Indie spectrum. Phoenix is a band that came to me courtesy of LOC, and I'm just now finding time to bang out a review.

This one is going to place respectively on my best-of list for 2006, with their spritely, unpretentious pop-driven ditties you can't help but take a liking to these guys. The only thing they have going against them is that they're French. On the positive side of this ledger is that they hale from Versailles and germinated in the same scene that gave us both Air and Daft Punk.

Their 2000 debut United spawned the hit "Too Young" which was featured in the Farrelly brothers 2001 Shallow Hal soundtrack. The Farrelly's have a knack for finding virtual unknowns and showcasing their goods in well placed spots in their films as well as on the soundtracks. Were it not for the Farrelly's it's unlikely that I ever would have discovered say a Freedy Johnston. In any case as a result of "Too Young's" exposure in Shallow Hal a then "wet behind the ears" film maker named Sofia Coppola became interested in Phoenix and not only did she include "Too Young" in her debut the Virgin Suicides, but brought on singer/songwriter Thomas Mars as a musical consultant during the production of The Virgin Suicides, where Mars helped mix a song for the band Air which was used in the movie. Mars can be seen in the film during the homecoming dance scene.

Evidently Mars did some pretty effective mixing because Sofia Coppola, has just recently given birth to her and Mars first child, a girl named Romy. They named her after Sofia's brother, Roman Coppola. For my money It's Never Been Like That is most aprops as it is Phoenix' most consistent and mature record so far and points to a very promising future. Easy comparisons can be drawn to Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera and to a lesser degree the poppier side of Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout. Though most of the songs are dressed sparsely with mostly strummed acoustic guitar, keyboard, bass and drums – the simplicity can be deceptive as Mars often sneaks in moments of minor chord melancholia which he weaves in and out of the pop jangle to often magic effect. Do yourself a favor, dust off the ashes and let Phoenix give you a rise.