Bankrupt!

Bankrupt! is the fifth studio album by French indie rock band Phoenix. The album was released on 19 April 2013 by Loyauté, Glassnote Records and Atlantic Records. It is the band's first studio album since Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which was released four years earlier in 2009. The album was produced by the band with Philippe Zdar and was recorded in a span of two years at Studios d'Herbécourt and Motorbass Studios in Paris, France and at Oscilloscope Laboratories in New York City, United States. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics upon release. It debuted at number 3 on the French Albums Chart, number 4 on the Billboard 200, and number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.

Three official singles have been released from the album: "Entertainment", "Trying to Be Cool", and "S.O.S. in Bel Air".

Writing and composition

On 5 April 2011, Phoenix posted a blog update on their website revealing CCTV stills of a studio where the band was working. The band stated in interviews that the album would be a departure from the pop sounds of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009), and they were trying to create something more experimental. The band also said that their work on the soundtrack for Sofia Coppola's 2010 film Somewhere provided inspiration for the creation of the album.

Bankrupt (band)

Bankrupt is a punk rock band from Budapest, Hungary. They are one of the most known Hungarian bands outside Hungary in their genre, having received coverage by UK, US and Canadian online magazines. Since their formation in 1996, the band has released three full-length albums and three CD-EPs. The title song of their most recent release Rewound was played in rotation by Hungarian Radio's music channel MR2 Petőfi and the music video of its Hungarian version Retro was played in rotation by MTV Hungary. The band plays melodic punk rock incorporating elements of pop punk, surf rock, britpop, melodic hardcore and punkabilly. They have played about 350 concerts in 9 countries, and their releases have been reviewed by various punk rock related publications around the world. The current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist/lyricist Rocco, guitarist/vocalist William, and drummer Shorty.

History

Origins

The band was formed by Rocco and William in March 1996 in Budapest. The original line-up included Canadian expatriate singer Michael K and drummer Black Peter. Following Michael K's departure in 1999, the vocalist duties were shared by Rocco and William. Present drummer Shorty joined the band in November 2000 after a succession of drummers.