Biography

This US indie rock band may be better known by the acting resumes of a few of their members. Jason Schwartzman (b. 26 June 1980, Los Angeles, California, USA; drums) is the son of actress Talia Shire, and has starred in movies such as Rushmore and Slackers, while Alexander Greenwald (b. 9 October 1979, Los Angeles, California, USA; lead vocals/guitar) has appeared in countless television commercials and in the movie Donnie Darko. Originally formed in their home-town of Los Angeles, California, during 1994, Schwartzman and Greenwald were joined by Jacques Brautbar (b. 14 March 1979; guitar/vocals), Darren Robinson (b. 24 August 1978; guitar), and Samuel Farrar (b. 29 June 1978; bass). The latter is the son of renowned songwriter John Farrar.
The quintet fashioned a sound containing elements of emo as well as echoes of renowned alternative rock acts such as the Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth. They signed with Geffen Records during the late 90s, resulting in a largely ignored debut release, 1998's Is Missing. The quintet switched to Epic Records in time for their second long-playing release, 2002's The Guest, which was overseen by two of alt-rock's most respected producers, Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake. The album spawned the popular MTV track, "California".
DISCOGRAPHY: Is Missing (Geffen 1998)***, The Guest (Epic 2002)***, Phantom Planet (Epic 2004)***.

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