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.
This is an example of what we call “hell.” Something that is hell is absurdist, or otherwise disturbing, subversive, or blatantly ignorant as public-access TV, or maybe a zoo billboard of an otter holding a cellphone with an iPhone bubble saying “c u @ the zoo.” Hell. My guess as to the genesis of this trend in advertising, as is the case with these Old Spice commercials in particular, is the comedy duo Tim And Eric. More interesting perhaps than the history or future of this trend is a simple acknowledgment: I’m now almost completely understood by advertisers.
