
STRFKR & Phantogram
Starting under the head-turning moniker Starfucker, STRFKR is an indie electro band formed by Josh Hodges, a songwriter with an aptitude for breezy hooks. The project's dance-friendly eponymous debut appeared in 2008 and led to a record deal with Polyvinyl. Amidst regular lineup changes, the group cracked the Billboard 200 with their third full-length, 2013's Miracle Mile. A spacier fifth album tempered Hodges' catchy synth-pop inclinations with a soft-focus palette incorporating acoustic guitar. Titled Future Past Life, it arrived in 2020, which also brought the instrumental outing Ambient 1. STRFKR streamlined prior melodic, groove-forward, ambient, and experimental sensibilities into the nearly hourlong alternative-dance set Parallel Realms in 2024.
Phantogram's deeply emotional electronic pop revolves around Sarah Barthel's powerful vocals, which tower over their insistent, hip-hop-inspired left-field pop sound built on booming beats, washes of synths, and the occasional jagged guitar riff. Their early records, like 2010's Eyelid Movies, had a murky, trip-hop approach. Starting with 2014's Voices, they transitioned to an arena-sized sound that ended up on the radio and in video game commercials. They teamed up with Big Boi to form Big Grams and broke into the Top Ten of the Billboard Albums chart with 2016's Three. The duo continued to blend dark emotions and sonic hooks on their own albums like 2020's Ceremony and 2024's Dilla- and shoegaze-inspired Memory of a Day.