Together they have crafted a sound that is equal parts anthemic, dancefloor-oriented and orchestral, borrowing elements from progressive rock, disco, electro, and psychedelia.
The Phenomenal Handclap Band started when Collás and Marquand, two New York underground club DJs, became restless with the concept of playing other people's music. Both had also been involved in the thriving nightlife scene, and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of esoteric music ranging from Brazilian soul to vintage psych-rock, so becoming producers seemed to be the next logical step.
After working with a wide range of artists, from veteran soul acts to up-and-coming rock n' rollers, the duo set their sights on The Phenomenal Handclap Band, a supergroup comprised of various luminaries of the indie rock and underground soul scenes. The resulting self-titled debut is the harmonious culmination of numerous diverse musical backgrounds, as well as a testament to Collás’ and Marquand’s singular musical vision.
The album begins with the meditative strains of the epic "Journey to Serra da Estrela" which erupts into a driving synthesized force, and foreshadows the arrival of "Testimony", in which Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio) provides a fiery psychedelic guitar backdrop for Aurelio Valle's (Calla) voodoo incantations. Carol C (Sí Se) lends her considerable vocal talents to "You'll Disappear", a cosmic disco floor-filler that sets the stage for The Lady Tigra's (L'Trimm) jump-rope rhymes on the soon-to-be classic summer jam, "15 to 20".
Live, The Phenomenal Handclap Band is distilled to an eight-member powerhouse, an eye-popping spectacle that overwhelms the senses. It pulses with a savage rhythm section that provides the ultimate foil for cascading guitars and electrified washes of organ and synthesizers. Their delirious sermonizing whips crowds into a charismatic frenzy. Needless to say, their live shows are more akin to a spiritual church revival than an actual rock show.
The Phenomenal Handclap Band’s self-titled debut album is being released by the acclaimed Brooklyn indie label Friendly Fire Recordings on June 23, 2009.
The Right One
The Phenomenal Handclap Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singing songs about them even then
We tore down side just to see their roots
Overstay the welcome of ...
So while you keep trying again and again
We'll just wait and let the right one in
Let the right one in
Let the right one in
Let the right one in
Chorus
Do you know what it means?
To despair the .
Do you know what it means?
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
We've been judged by the ...
The moving mountains the pulling strings
The more... and the graphic scans
And Matrix testing to beat the band
So why you keep failing again and again
We'll just wait to let the right one in
Let the right one in
Let the right one in
Let the right one in
Let the right one in
Chorus:
Do you know what it means?
To despair the .
Do you know what it means?
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
They'll be coming to pick you apart...
They're complaining cause they don't understand...
Fell so ... cause they have to belong
Move on, let him in
Uh, uh, uh, uh let him in
Uh, uh, uh, uh let him in
The lyrics of The Phenomenal Handclap Band's "The Right One" signal a message of waiting for the right person to come into their lives. The opening lines of the song use the metaphor of canyons to signify that their longing for companionship has been going on since time immemorial. The band members have been singing songs about love and partnership since then. They have been in a state of constant yearning, embodied by the phrase "we tore down side just to see their roots."
Fast-forward to the present, as they have gone through life, and the band members have been through a lot of experiences. They have been judged and scrutinized by various entities, such as the moving mountains and the pulling strings, and subjected to various tests, such as matrix testing. Despite these hardships, they have not lost their hope in finding the right one. The chorus of the song asks the listeners if they understand the despair that comes with searching for the right person, which makes their message universal and relatable.
The song's closing lines reiterate the message of waiting for the right person to enter their lives. They urge the listeners to "let him in" and not be swayed by the opinions of others, who may not understand their situation. The lyrics are a call for patience, hope, and perseverance in love and life.
Line by Line Meaning
We're like canyons since way back when
We have been deep and complex like canyons for as long as we can remember
Singing songs about them even then
We were already creating art and telling stories about our complex selves, just like people sing about famous canyons
We tore down side just to see their roots
We have taken extreme measures to understand the depths of our complexity, much like tearing down a mountain side to see its roots
Overstay the welcome of ...
We have become too familiar with our own complexity to the point that it is no longer novel or exciting
So while you keep trying again and again
While some people continue to try and understand their own complexity
We'll just wait and let the right one in
We are content to wait for the moment when we will finally find someone who understands us fully
Do you know what it means?
Do you understand the significance of
To despair the .
Feeling deep sadness and hopelessness about our own complexity and the misunderstanding that often accompanies it
We've been judged by the ...
Our complexity has been evaluated and assessed by various means, including technology like graphic scans and neural testing
The moving mountains the pulling strings
Our complexity has been so great that it has seemingly moved mountains and been responsible for unseen forces at play
The more... and the graphic scans
Methods such as sophisticated analysis and medical imaging have been used to understand our complexity
And Matrix testing to beat the band
A reference to the movie 'The Matrix' where the characters are tested beyond their limits to fully understand their abilities; we have also been tested ad nauseum
So why you keep failing again and again
Despite repeated attempts to understand us, some people continue to misunderstand or fail to fully comprehend our complexity
We'll just wait to let the right one in
We are patient and will wait until the person who fully understands and appreciates us comes along
They'll be coming to pick you apart...
Others will try to dissect and analyze us, taking us apart in order to understand our complexity
They're complaining cause they don't understand...
Others may be critical or hostile towards us because they do not fully understand us
Fell so ... cause they have to belong
Others may feel threatened by our complexity because it does not fit into their idea of what is normal or acceptable
Move on, let him in
We should let the person who finally understands and appreciates us in and move forward with them
Uh, uh, uh, uh let him in
A repeated urging to let the right person in and finally be understood fully
Writer(s): Daniel Collas Copyright: Touch Tones Music Ltd.
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@namedMayDay
genius, gifted individuals who have opened people's eyes to the great, eternal, and if that wouldn't lead to eternity, but at least talking about it by poetry, music.
@SexyKyleMoran
I love the sound of the bass guitar in the beginning, I love house and dubstep so I dont ever mind a little bass!
@punkbutler88
FANTASTIC!
@Silvio19Alves
Cool music and video! Love it!!!
@d32695
Very cool !
@dragoncare
you inspireme guys!!
@janoshunyadi2
love the vid!
@criscocu
great song!!! from Py!
@namedMayDay
We all should listen to the CONSCIENCE.
@DasGeistigeGemuese
This is modern oldschol! Great! I will buy your CD! What is the Release Date?