In interviews, the members of Phox have a conversational style that reflects the Wisconsin band’s music—it’s playful and thoughtful, serious in its ambitions, but seriously fun when all is said and done. With folk-like delicacy, jazz-like precision and a very indie sense of irreverence, the group’s self-titled Partisan debut is one of the best underground-pop records of the year. These high-school friends will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on them.
Akin to comics, some pottery and maybe geode cutting or something, screen printing is a fine art not appreciated for its full merit. Patrick is such a craftsman who tirelessly illustrates and prints his own work, and his packaging is as much a piece of art as its contents. The illustrations are subversively drawn with a childlike wonder, but with masterful skill. Actually, the thing I’m most deeply interested in is his complex blending of colors without obvious half-toning. He must have explained it like 10 times to me, but I’m clearly in denial that there are some mystical aspects of craft to which I must stay ignorant.
