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Biography
Before recording under the name Phosphorescent, Matthew Houck toured the world playing under the moniker Fillup Shack and released a limited pressing of the album 'Hipolit' in 2000 on his own album. Houck later changed his recording name to Phosphorescent, and went on to release a full length LP 'A Hundred Times or More' in 2003 and was released through local independent Athens label Warm Records. It was praised by critics for the ethereal and textured nature of tracks and the re-imagination of the country genre.
The critical acclaim grew following the release of 2005 album 'Aw Come Aw Wry' and 2007 'Pride'. The latter won an accolade from Stylus Magazine, who named it as the twelfth best album of 2007 on their prestigious list, it also received a rating of 8.0 from Pitchfork, a huge name in indie music review. In 2009, inspired by Willie Nelson's tribute album to Lefty Frizzell To Lefty From Willie, Houck crafted a tribute album to Nelson himself entitled, To Willie which was released through Dead Oceans.
The 2013 album 'Muchacho' was released also through Dead Oceans and is one of Houck's most successful album to date both commercially and critically. The album reached fifty-nine on the Billboard 200 and fifty-eight on the UK Albums Chart and was produced by Matthew himself. It features the tender single 'Song For Zula' which was hand picked to soundtrack the 2013 film 'The Spectacular Now' and the 2014 film 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'. It currently holds a score of 85/100 from Metacritic who collate review scores from some of the most notable publications.
Live reviews
My wife and I watched Phosphorescent live in Colorado Springs at the first-ever Bristol's Freewheelin Music Festival. The event was a disorganized mess, and the venue consisted of a concrete parking lot sandwiched between a metal building and the old Ivywild School--considering the beautiful possibilities in the Colorado Springs area, the organizers picked about the worst possible place. We're in our early 70s, and we weren't even allowed to bring in chairs for our creaky bones. The sound system, combined with the location, was pretty bad--when the band sang "Wolves", I couldn't even figure out what they were singing for the first minute or so.
That said, Phosphorescent were fantastic. This is a great live group--they're in touch with the audience, and the audience responds. They were part of a 2-day festival with a dozen or so groups, and they livened up the festival. They sang many of their best-known songs, all of which somehow seem suited to the Colorado outdoors. I'd love to see them at Red Rocks or some other place that would do their talent justice.
Fenster
OMG... it was more then I expected. First, I was blown away for Jo Schornifow's performance. Her spiritual passion was mesmerizing, her vocals were hypnotic and her passion dug deep to my soul. I hope to hear more from her.
Phosphorescent: Wow!!! I love how the band blends rock, folk, singer song writer with a slash of psychedelic rock (don't know if that is even a genre but hey, my review right?). I have been wanting to see Phosphorescent for years. I grew up in New Orleans and follow Grayson Capps and the Iguanas and various bands from the south. I was floored by his passion. I felt like I was a part of a jam session. The band has such good chemistry and it was felt. I watch the crowd and how they commanded the mood. It was like a mushroom trip in music (can I say that on here?... oh well). Thank you for a beautiful evening. Nothing negative to add except I wish it could have gone on all night. Namaste
cde1231
I was really looking forward to this gig and I can tell you I wasn't disappointed. On a really hot night with the band under the kosch from the start, they played a blinding set. Playing lots of tracks from last years release "Muchacho" and a hand picked few from their back catalogue they satisfied the super enthusiastic crowd. They showed real support to the crowd, supplying them with chilled water and beer in the extremely hot venue. The heat added to the already hot atmosphere. All in all it was an incredible performance with Matthew announcing that this being the best gig of the tour. A delighted crowd responded with love.
RickyJackson++++
I was lucky enough to catch two Phosphorescent shows this year. One at an incredibly small and intimate venue in Hamnden, CT (Spaceland Ballroom)... The other at Webster Hall in NYC. Both were great shows. Matthew Houck is a spectacular song writer and a great vocalist. I really enjoy the live performance he and his band put on... Definitely looking forward to more shows in the future.
tom-ryan-1
Concert was awesome, Vic filled to capacity, great opening band and Phosphorescent kept the crowd going the entire time. Matthew seemed to struggle with the amp midway through but powered through it and the acoustic solo portion was super cool. Highly recommended for anyone who likes good music!
redstar92
First time seeing you guys live and I wasn’t disappointed. Amazing! If I didn’t have responsibilities I’d follow you around just to experience live performances over and over again. So grateful to have been in your presence. Great energy.
taradoll13
The show was awesome! It was very intimate and relaxed. Michael was very personable and came down and gave us a hug. We had a conversation about a baby squirrel he rescued earlier in the day. Would see them a million times more.
sam-calhoun-1
Even Better then i expected! I haven't been this excited for a band in so many years. Their music is quite close to a spiritual experience. I had so much fun.. the members of the band i met were very gracious and fun people!
greggeg
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