MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Phantom Planet

One week ago today, I was maxing and relaxing in sunny Los Angeles. I spent my time eating Mexican food on patios, driving with the windows down and walking my friend's adorable dog, Hudson, around the Silver Lake Reservoir. In other words, one week ago today, I wasn't wearing Wellies, hitting people with my industrial-size umbrella and suffering from humidity-induced hair frizz.

That's right -- I love you, New York City, but you've gotta quit with this rain garbage!

I moved to NYC from Los Angeles in July to accept my amazing editor gig at MTV.com, and while I had only lived in the City of Angels for 18 months, in that time I became pretty attached to my picturesque surroundings. One week after moving out West, I remember driving down Sunset Boulevard, whizzing past the Chateau Marmont, thinking to myself, "Do I really live here? This must be a dream!" and I continued to pinch myself on a weekly basis until I had to stop pinching myself, because that's weird.

While I absolutely love my Manhattan stomping ground, I definitely miss Los Angeles on days like this when the rain is incessant, the sky is gray, and the public transportation smells like ass.

To get in touch with my California self, I'd like to share some of the songs that remind me of my former hood. Grab a beach towel, apply some sunblock and feel 100 times sunnier with music from The Distillers, Everclear, Hole and Coconut Records.

Finally, and if you'd like to keep up with all my musings, please visit my website and follow me on Twitter (@redpatterndress).

1.) The Distillers' "City Of Angels": I don't listen to a ton of full-out punk rock, but once I heard The Distillers, I was hooked. Their second album, Sing Sing Death House, unleashed my inner Liberty-spiked rebel, and I always thought "City Of Angels" was the perfect love letter to Hollywood and the Sunset Strip. Plus, I was lucky enough to hang out with frontwoman Brody Dalle a couple times while I was working at Alternative Press, and she remains one of the badass-est ladies I've ever met.

Listen to "City Of Angels"

2.) Everclear's "Santa Monica": I can't tell you how many times I spent driving around Shaker Heights, Ohio, in my friend Jessica's mom's Toyota Celica convertible, blaring this song while the two of us screamed along at the top of our lungs. We would even put the top down in the middle of winter and blast the heat so we could still achieve the full "Santa Monica" experience. (I also can't tell you how many times I developed a gnarly head cold because of such behavior.) Oddly enough, Jessica still drives her mom's Celica, and when I go visit her at the end of the month, don't think I'm not bringing this song with me!

Listen to "Santa Monica"

3.) Hole's "Malibu": Sadly, I never managed to make my way to "Malibu" while I lived in L.A., but I can put this song on, close my eyes and almost smell the salty beach air. One of these days, I'm going to take a mini-trip and drive down to the Paradise Cove Pier. From there, I also might have to frolic in the water in a nearly nude slip dress so I can pretend to be Courtney Love in the "Malibu" video. NBD.

Listen to "Malibu"

4.) Coconut Records' "West Coast": Whereas some Jason Schwartzman fans would pick Phantom Planet's "California" as their favorite L.A.-inspired song by the Rushmore Renaissance man, I prefer the quieter indie pop of "West Coast." (Why, you ask? I blame it on watching too many reruns of The O.C. on The Soap Network while I was fun-employed.) Plus, I think the line, "I wish you would've put yourself in my suitcase," is the cutest thing ever, so if Jason ever wanted to sneak away in my luggage, I'd totally pay the check-in fee.

Listen to "West Coast"

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Tags Brody Dalle, Coconut Records, Courtney Love, Everclear, Hole, Phantom Planet, Soundtrack Of My Life, The Distillers

(Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)

We knew Katy Perry had been hard at work on her new album, but we had no idea how hard she's been working. In a recent interview with MTV News, Perry reveals her follow-up to One Of The Boys will be ready for a summer release. That's, like, really soon -- which makes us really excited.

During the conversation, Perry also talks a bit about what we can expect from the album, and name-checks a couple influences and styles that impacted her creative inspiration during the recording process. We speculated a while back on who we'd like to see Perry work with, but now that soon-to-be Mrs. Brand has opened up about the sound of her new album, we can totally imagine what it will sound like!

Here are a couple hints, from Perry. Check out more after the jump.

+ Ace of Base, "The Sign"
Perry told MTV News that the album will recall a time when kids used to roller-skate to the perfect dance pop of Ace Of Base, saying, "It's going to be one of those records that is everybody's favorite guilty pleasure." Let's see if she can top this guilty pleasure.

Read more...

Tags Ace Of Base, Cyndi-Lauper, Katy Perry, Phantom Planet, Rivers Cuomo, The Game, video, Weezer

Alex Greenwald -- Phantom Planet frontman, Mark Ronson collaborator, and former model -- used to be so freaking hot it was almost impossible to look at him without thinking "nasty thoughts," as Janet Jackson once said. But not long ago, a paparazzi photo popped up in which the once-smokin' Alex looked like a straight-up hobo. Still, who'd he have hanging on his arm? British supermodel and Met Ball belle Agyness Deyn.

While we've got no problem with some slight shagginess, Alex Greenwald has seen better days, and his unkempt hair looks gnarlier than ever. (A tip: lather, rinse, repeat... repeat... repeat...) Still, Alex bagged a supermodel, so maybe the joke's on us.

Anyway, the shaggy/smoldering combo of Alex Greenwald and Agyness Deyn reminded us of some more hot chicks and the mangy men they love. So check out more of Buzzworthy's favorite guys who look like they live in boxcars and the beautiful babes who love them anyway.

Ryan Adams: Alt-country musician Ryan Adams won the heart of pop-folk singer Mandy Moore, who's had high-profile romances with tennis hunk Andy Roddick as well as Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, while Ryan dated pretty Parker Posey. But it was ultra-shaggy Ryan who swept Mandy off her feet: Ryan and Mandy got married just last month. Hopefully the groom, uh, groomed for the big day.

Alex DeLeon: Okay, Alex DeLeon -- who's been linked to the radiant Demi Lovato -- used to be way more polished, but when he came to MTV for The Cab's Buzzworthy interview in March 2009, his broken-ended hair, fuzzy facial hair and leather accessories kinda made him look like he was running from the law. Bring back unquestionably hot Alex!

Ben Gibbard: Indie superstar Ben Gibbard's sensitive vocals are the perfect match for Zooey Deschanel. Zooey, dubbed "the rich man's Katy Perry" -- oh snap! -- by one site, has had leading roles in a slew of movies like Elf, where she showed off her vocal cords and her adorablility. Even though the oft-unshaven Ben's been featured on UglyMales.com (to the objection of many commenters, to be fair), he and Zooey matched up not only musically, but they're also engaged. Aww! Indie romance!

Joe Trohman: It's clear that Pete Wentz-ian man-glam is not Joe Trohman's style. But there are other ways to stand out besides looking like a homeless man who wandered off the street and onto the stage. His disheveled, mountain-man look has still been described as "wonderfully hobo-esque meets Jesus." True! We're not saying Joe's not hot. We just miss his From Under The Cork Tree-era/ "Dance Dance" short hair. Still, he nabbed a super-cute girl and put a ring on dat; he and Marie (above) are engaged.

+ More hobo guys and hot girls after the jump.

Read more...

Tags Agyness Deyn, Alex DeLeon, Alex Greenwald, Ben Gibbard, Cisco-Adler, Death Cab For Cutie, Demi Lovato, Devendra Banhart, Fall Out Boy, Joe Trohman, Mandy Moore, Phantom Planet, Ryan Adams, The Cab, The Postal Service, Zooey Deschanel

So-Cal pop-pranksters Phantom Planet go through identities like most bands go through groupies vans. First they were the band with dude from Rushmore on the drums (before he graduated to Coconut Records) and Ashton Kutcher look-alike Alex Greenwald handling vocals. Then they were the band who sang The O.C. theme song ("Californiaaaaa!").

Right now Phantom Planet is going through a very Buzzworthy phase. The band who take their name from a '60s sci-fi flick spent last summer touring the country with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore and Jack's Mannequin, where they found that -- even though they've been around a while -- their sarcastic tweaker-pop is right at home on the new rock circuit.

Watch "Dropped," their hilarious new video that asks the simple question, "I love you, do you love me?"

+ Plus: Exclusive Phantom Planet photos!

Tags Alex Greenwald, Jack's Mannequin, Jason Schwartzman, Motion-City-Soundtrack, Panic At The Disco, Paramore, Phantom Planet

Though it sometimes seems like Phantom Planet just can't shake their insta-affiliation with the piano tinkle of The O.C. theme song and former drummer Jason "Rushmore" Schwartzman, the boys are working hard to give everyone something new to talk about.

The less-pop-more-Brit-rock sound of their latest album, Raise the Dead -- their first release both on Fueled By Ramen and without Schwartzman -- brings them one step closer to maturity. But before you reluctantly delete "California" from your iPod, we should point out that Phantom Planet 2.0 holds no ill will toward their past. In fact, in an apparent homage to, well, themselves, their new single, "Do the Panic," was heard on an episode of The O.C. knockoff Gossip Girl.

We sat down with Phantom Planet to find out what life's been like since their celeb drummer departed and they joined the Fueled By Ramen family and hit the road with labelmates Panic at the Disco on the Honda Civic Tour.

+ Plus, watch what the band had to say about leaving "California" behind and how -- and why -- cult leaders influenced their new album here.

Tags Interviews, Music, Phantom Planet, Videos, Videos

Leaving "California" nothing more than a distant speck in the rearview mirror of their tour bus, Phantom Planet channeled their inner Brit rockers and switched up their sound on their latest album, Raise the Dead.

The comically creepy video for the first single, "Do the Panic," features a grimy old cabin in the woods, an ax-wielding maniac and musically inclined severed limbs. But the idea didn't come from repeat viewings of The Addams Family and/or The Evil Dead trilogy, and their updated sound wasn't inspired by a hop across the pond.

In this exclusive Buzzworthy interview, Phantom Planet talks about how a morbid fascination with infamous cult leaders like Charles Manson, David Koresh and Jim Jones shaped their songwriting and why they feel the need to constantly one-up themselves.

+ Plus: check back tomorrow to see what the band had to say about the departure of drummer/actor Jason Schwartzman, joining Fueled By Ramen and what it was like touring with Panic at the Disco.

Tags Celebrity, Interviews, Music, Phantom Planet, video, Videos

When did Phantom Planet turn into Razorlight? Since celebrity drummer Jason "Hollywood" Schwartzman jumped ship to start his own Coconut Records, Phantom Planet V2 extracted the "California" sound out of their past life, and now they're hitting their stride with a bit of Brit rock strut. Which isn't a bad thing, but it's unexpected from a band most associated with the long national pop culture addiction that was The O.C., which has since been replaced by Gossip Girl. (Appropriately enough, by the way, "Do the Panic" was featured on an episode of Gossip Girl. Josh Schwartz, you done did it again!)

For their new video, "Do the Panic," off their brand-new album, Raise the Dead,
they've traded in the fuzzy freewheeling and gone for a the darker environs of a house that could easily double as the Addams Family's upstate retreat. And just like the Addams Family, it's all about spooky dichotomy: disembodied limbs, gloom and doom, sturm und drang, but the song is actually pretty damned upbeat. Meet contradiction, reanimated appendages, and darker, not-quite-so-sunny pop.

+ Relevant video involving disembodied limbs and loss of control: Albert Hammond, Jr., '101'

Tags Albert Hammond, Jr., Celebrity, Music, Phantom Planet, video, Videos