Phantom Limb might be the name of a well-known Shins song, yet instead, it’s also the band name of who is creatively masterminded by the uber-talented Andrew Laningham. Musical references to Animal Collective, Oh Sees and, Ty Segall converges on this crazed sound that is part Desert Daze late night and some Coachella day time slot. Phantom Limb’s new album Pastoral is due out 11/16 via Earth Libraries.
By infusing a blend of garage pop songwriting and Animal Collective electronic tweaking with chopped and screwed samples of preachers and comedians found in thrift stores throughout the American South, Laningham digs at the preconceptions of the South specifically and rural life in general—and how supposedly simple ideas like “happiness” and “isolation” get messier with each new day.
Laningham produced the LP and has a background in experimental/noise music and free improvisation. He is also an interpersonal communication researcher focusing on deception, pursuing his master’s degree at The University of Alabama. So clearly, this guy knows his way around a musical control board….
Along with the LP announcement, Glide is premiering the video for “Guppy” which tackles anxiety in its most colorful and fully realized form.
“We wanted this video to center around anxiety. We landed on Jell-o as the vehicle through finding very gross-looking Jell-o salad recipes in Better Homes and Garden/Family Circle magazines from the 70s. Anxiety is sticky, paralyzing, gag-inducing, and really hard to ignore. Eventually, it just kind of overtakes you and coats your life in this malaise. But, you kind of make a weird pact with it to keep living your life. Jell-o and anxiety are kind of similar in that way I guess.”
