Phony PPL

Phony Ppl either crash-landed from the past or the future: critics and fans can’t decide. Since throwing warehouse shows around New York in 2011, the five Brooklyn natives have tossed together vintage astral funk, soulful complex R&B, and dusted-out hip-hop which evokes a newfound genre-less form of music originating in the basement of a Bedford-Stuyvesant home studio where the band begin making music together in high school. Co-founded by lead vocalist Elbee Thrie and keyboardist Aja Grant, whose brother Bari is the bassist, the band self-released hits like “Why iii Love the Moon” which is featured in EA Sports’ NBA Live 16 and “End of the Night,” and was praised by none other than Tyler the Creator as one of his favorite songs of 2016. The dynamic quintet also features Elijah Rawk on guitar and drummer Matthew Byas. Together they have been direct support on tours with like-minded experimental performers Theophilus London, Erykah Badu and The Roots. Their most recent effort, 2015’s “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” gained rotation on BBC1 and Odd Future Radio, and the L.A. Times applauded it’s “meteoric rise” via social media, with the album peaking at #6 on the iTunes R&B chart. The band is releasing a new, and as of now untitled, follow up LP in 2018.