Alex Greenwald
Encyclopedia
Alexander Greenwald is an American musician
, actor
, and more recently a record producer
. He is best known as the lead singer of the California
n rock
band
, Phantom Planet
, which is on indefinite hiatus according to a blog posting on the band's official website.
, California
. He is a former model
for clothing retailer The Gap and has also acted
in the past. He played the sociopathic school bully, Seth Devlin, in Donnie Darko
, alongside his friend Jake Gyllenhaal
and Seth Rogen
. He has since expressed that he is a musician
first, and that he has no interest in acting in the future. Greenwald formed Phantom Planet in his teens with four friends - guitarist Darren Robinson
, bassist Sam Farrar
, guitarist Jacques Brautbar
, and ex-band member Jason Schwartzman
in 1994.
In 2006, he collaborated with DJ
Mark Ronson
, to cover the Radiohead
song, "Just". The cover
appears on the compilation album
Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads
, as well as the Mark Ronson album, Version
. He appeared with Ronson at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival
where he climbed up on to the lighting rig of the John Peel
stage during the performance of "Just", and also sang "California". In 2010 he collaborated once again with Ronson on the new album Record Collection, on which Greenwald shares writing credit on six out of the eleven tracks. He recently became a part of Ronson's new band, The Business Intl. He was a member of another Los Angeles band, blackblack
, until 2007. At live shows he is known for 1980s styled dance moves, which he got from watching David Byrne
of the Talking Heads
.
His band Phantom Planet is best known for producing the song "California", which was used as the theme song of the teen drama "The OC", which lasted four seasons.
Greenwald's mother is a large part of his musical education.
"Music has just always been part of my life. My mom is a guitar teacher and an abstract painter -- an all-around artist and a wonderful woman. I would listen to records with her and take guitar lessons from her. Music has been an appendage almost. It speaks my language."
Greenwald was only a young toddler when his mother built her own harpsichord
from a kit. It was his first memorable interaction with a musical instrument, and Greenwald was wholly fascinated.
"Why is my mom spending so much time away from me and building a musical instrument? It's probably something extremely special," Greenwald said.
As he grew older, Greenwald began to fiddle around with the piano by himself. "I was probably 4 or 5. Before I even really was interested in playing the keys, I noticed that the mute pedal and the sustain pedal
on our piano would make noises, reverberating around inside of the wood of the piano if you stepped on it," he said. "I would stop those pedals to make a 'choo-choo' sound inside the piano -- that was probably my first musical composition."
Greenwald's mother then taught him to play guitar around age 10. He learned to play "California Girls
" and became a huge Beach Boys fan
. A year later he started writing songs. "I tried to write something similar, something about how summer was ending - a song complaining about having to go back to school."
"There was definitely a time in eighth or ninth grade when I decided that instead of skateboarding with my friends, I should go home and play guitar."
Greenwald is also a vegetarian and has appeared in at least two ads for PETA
. A former vegan, he once told PETA his reasons for going vegan: "In college I stopped eating red meat on a bet with my girlfriend at the time. She bet she could stop smoking, and I bet that I could stop eating red meat. She started smoking again, so I won, which I'm always proud of.…I had been a vegetarian as a child for whatever reason. I guess kids sometimes follow their instincts…My friend dared me to go vegan as I was reading this book Fast Food Nation
, which opened my eyes to a lot of cruelties.…Ever since then, I've been vegan and enjoyed it daily." On May 24, Greenwald announced on Jordin Rubin and Molly McAleer's podcast that he is no longer vegan, but will always be a vegetarian.
When speaking of his lyrics, Greenwald says, "I think that every song is sort of like a study in the way that a song should be. Each one is a feeling or a sentiment or a time or a place or all that stuff combined."
Greenwald has recently co-produced and appeared on ex - Panic! At The Disco
members, Ryan Ross
and Jon Walker's new band, The Young Veins
debut record, Take A Vacation!.
He has also produced a few tracks on the band The Like
's new album.
- "Don't Save Us From the Flames" and "Teen Angst", the video for Uffie
's "ADD SUV
" and also in videos for Mark Ronson, including the video for "Just".
With Phantom Planet
With Blackblack
account. The tracks as of right now are as follows:
Track listing
While "Gorilla" did not appear on the mockup, Greenwald stated, again on Twitter, that it would be included as the tenth track.
), Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley
/Conor Oberst
), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Michael Runion (solo), and Z Berg (The Like
). The group was started at karaoke night at Guys in Hollywood. The band name is an acronym using the first letter of each member's name. The group was means of escape from each member's respective bands. "JJAMZ started at an interesting time in all of our lives. We all needed some kind of escape from relationships or our other bands. It was a tumultuous time, and the lyrics just came out. It was like word vomit. I can't remember." said Z Berg, lead vocalist for the Like. The band played their first concert at the Echo Plex on January 27, 2009. They plan to release an EP in the near future.
. He can also be seen in the music video for "The Bike Song
".
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and more recently a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is best known as the lead singer of the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, which is on indefinite hiatus according to a blog posting on the band's official website.
Life and career
Greenwald was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is a former model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
for clothing retailer The Gap and has also acted
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
in the past. He played the sociopathic school bully, Seth Devlin, in Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
, alongside his friend Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
. He has since expressed that he is a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
first, and that he has no interest in acting in the future. Greenwald formed Phantom Planet in his teens with four friends - guitarist Darren Robinson
Darren Robinson (musician)
Darren Robinson is an American guitarist and background singer in the Californian band, Phantom Planet. He helped form the band during his teenage years with the lead singer Alex Greenwald, and ex-band member Jason Schwartzman, in 1994...
, bassist Sam Farrar
Sam Farrar
Sam Farrar is the bass guitar player for American rock 'n roll band Phantom Planet. The band is now on an indefinite hiatus. His father John Farrar was in the Shadows and also carved a successful songwriting career, penning many of Olivia Newton-John's big hits. His mother, Pat Carroll, was a...
, guitarist Jacques Brautbar
Jacques Brautbar
Jacques Brautbar is an American photographer, producer, writer and guitarist, formerly of rock band Phantom Planet. He left the band in 2004, after their self-titled third album, to pursue a career in photography...
, and ex-band member Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
in 1994.
In 2006, he collaborated with DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
, to cover the Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
song, "Just". The cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
appears on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads
Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads
Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads is a tribute album to British band Radiohead released in 2006 on Rapster Records and Barely Breaking Even Records...
, as well as the Mark Ronson album, Version
Version (album)
-iTunes digital edition:-Japanese CD edition:-Chart performance:-Release history:-External links:* at MetaCritic...
. He appeared with Ronson at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
where he climbed up on to the lighting rig of the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
stage during the performance of "Just", and also sang "California". In 2010 he collaborated once again with Ronson on the new album Record Collection, on which Greenwald shares writing credit on six out of the eleven tracks. He recently became a part of Ronson's new band, The Business Intl. He was a member of another Los Angeles band, blackblack
Blackblack
BlackBlack is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, consisting of Diva Dompe , Lola Dompe , and Clark Schädelkopf .-Background:...
, until 2007. At live shows he is known for 1980s styled dance moves, which he got from watching David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
of the Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
.
His band Phantom Planet is best known for producing the song "California", which was used as the theme song of the teen drama "The OC", which lasted four seasons.
Greenwald's mother is a large part of his musical education.
"Music has just always been part of my life. My mom is a guitar teacher and an abstract painter -- an all-around artist and a wonderful woman. I would listen to records with her and take guitar lessons from her. Music has been an appendage almost. It speaks my language."
Greenwald was only a young toddler when his mother built her own harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
from a kit. It was his first memorable interaction with a musical instrument, and Greenwald was wholly fascinated.
"Why is my mom spending so much time away from me and building a musical instrument? It's probably something extremely special," Greenwald said.
As he grew older, Greenwald began to fiddle around with the piano by himself. "I was probably 4 or 5. Before I even really was interested in playing the keys, I noticed that the mute pedal and the sustain pedal
Sustain pedal
A sustain pedal or sustaining pedal is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. It is typically the rightmost of two or three pedals. When pressed, the sustain pedal "sustains" all the damped strings on the piano by moving all the dampers away from the strings and allowing them to vibrate...
on our piano would make noises, reverberating around inside of the wood of the piano if you stepped on it," he said. "I would stop those pedals to make a 'choo-choo' sound inside the piano -- that was probably my first musical composition."
Greenwald's mother then taught him to play guitar around age 10. He learned to play "California Girls
California Girls
"California Girls" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys, featured on their ninth studio album Summer Days . Written by band-members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the song features contrasting verse-chorus form...
" and became a huge Beach Boys fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
. A year later he started writing songs. "I tried to write something similar, something about how summer was ending - a song complaining about having to go back to school."
"There was definitely a time in eighth or ninth grade when I decided that instead of skateboarding with my friends, I should go home and play guitar."
Greenwald is also a vegetarian and has appeared in at least two ads for PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
. A former vegan, he once told PETA his reasons for going vegan: "In college I stopped eating red meat on a bet with my girlfriend at the time. She bet she could stop smoking, and I bet that I could stop eating red meat. She started smoking again, so I won, which I'm always proud of.…I had been a vegetarian as a child for whatever reason. I guess kids sometimes follow their instincts…My friend dared me to go vegan as I was reading this book Fast Food Nation
Fast Food Nation
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is a book by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry....
, which opened my eyes to a lot of cruelties.…Ever since then, I've been vegan and enjoyed it daily." On May 24, Greenwald announced on Jordin Rubin and Molly McAleer's podcast that he is no longer vegan, but will always be a vegetarian.
When speaking of his lyrics, Greenwald says, "I think that every song is sort of like a study in the way that a song should be. Each one is a feeling or a sentiment or a time or a place or all that stuff combined."
Greenwald has recently co-produced and appeared on ex - Panic! At The Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
members, Ryan Ross
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter most known for his work as the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and main songwriter for the band Panic! at the Disco, before his departure from the band in 2009...
and Jon Walker's new band, The Young Veins
The Young Veins
The Young Veins is a rock band from Echo Park, California. The band is composed of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, two former members of the Las Vegas band Panic! at the Disco, along with bassist Andy Soukal, drummer Nick Murray and keyboardist Nick White.-History:...
debut record, Take A Vacation!.
He has also produced a few tracks on the band The Like
The Like
The Like is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. The current members are Elizabeth "Z" Berg , Tennessee Thomas , Laena Geronimo , and Annie Monroe...
's new album.
Cameos
In addition to the commercials for The Gap and his appearance in Donnie Darko, Greenwald appeared in two music videos for the electronica band M83M83 (band)
M83 is a musical act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France...
- "Don't Save Us From the Flames" and "Teen Angst", the video for Uffie
Uffie
Anna-Catherine Hartley , better known by her stage name Uffie , is a Paris-based underground electronic musician, rapper, fashion designer and socialite signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. She has been described as a muse for French DJs, and is known for working with...
's "ADD SUV
ADD SUV (song)
"ADD SUV" is a song by the electro artist Uffie. It is her second and lead single from her debut album Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans, it was released in France on May 17, 2010, May 31, 2010 in most European and Asian countries, June 7, 2010 in The UK and Ireland and June 8, 2010 in the US...
" and also in videos for Mark Ronson, including the video for "Just".
Discography
Solo- TBA
With Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
- Phantom Planet Is MissingPhantom Planet Is Missing-Trivia:* The song "Sleep Machine" is about Alex Greenwald's television.* The Song "So I Fall Again" appears on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch The radio single...
(1998) - The GuestThe Guest (album)-Musicians:Phantom Planet*Alex Greenwald – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards*Sam Farrar – Bass guitar, Backing vocals*Jacques Brautbar – Rhythm guitar*Darren Robinson – Lead guitar*Jason Schwartzman – DrumsAdditional musicians...
(2002) - Negatives (2004)
- Negatives 2Negatives 2Negatives 2 is Phantom Planet's second collection of rare demos and tracks, released on their official bootleg site in 2004, after initially being released to fanclub members only.-Track listing:...
(2004) - Phantom PlanetPhantom Planet (album)-Musicians:Phantom Planet*Alex Greenwald – lead vocals, guitar*Sam Farrar – Bass guitar, Backing vocals*Jacques Brautbar – Rhythm guitar*Darren Robinson – Lead guitar*Jason Schwartzman – DrumsAdditional musicians...
(2004) - Raise the DeadRaise the Dead-Singles:The second single is "Dropped". The video, directed by Eric Wareheim, was released in December 2008. The song was featured in the season opener of season two of Chuck -Musicians:Phantom Planet*Alex Greenwald – lead vocals, rhythm guitar...
(2008)
With Blackblack
Blackblack
BlackBlack is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, consisting of Diva Dompe , Lola Dompe , and Clark Schädelkopf .-Background:...
- Blackblack EP 1
- Blackblack EP 2
- BlackBlack (2006)
Untitled Solo Record
Alex Greenwald has officially announced the tracks for his solo record. He posted the track listing and a CD mockup to his TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account. The tracks as of right now are as follows:
Track listing
- "Love and Influenza"
- "Baby Don't Cry"
- "I Don't Say I Love You"
- "The Other Side Of Town"
- "I Can't Sleep"
- "Ordinary"
- "Mine Tonight"
- "Return of the King"
- "All I'm Asking"
- "Gorilla"
While "Gorilla" did not appear on the mockup, Greenwald stated, again on Twitter, that it would be included as the tenth track.
JJAMZ
JJAMZ is a band composed of James Valentine (Maroon 5Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
), Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel....
/Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst
Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Michael Runion (solo), and Z Berg (The Like
The Like
The Like is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. The current members are Elizabeth "Z" Berg , Tennessee Thomas , Laena Geronimo , and Annie Monroe...
). The group was started at karaoke night at Guys in Hollywood. The band name is an acronym using the first letter of each member's name. The group was means of escape from each member's respective bands. "JJAMZ started at an interesting time in all of our lives. We all needed some kind of escape from relationships or our other bands. It was a tumultuous time, and the lyrics just came out. It was like word vomit. I can't remember." said Z Berg, lead vocalist for the Like. The band played their first concert at the Echo Plex on January 27, 2009. They plan to release an EP in the near future.
Mark Ronson & The Business International
Alex Greenwald is the executive producer and one of the musicians in The Business International. He has also helped write many of the songs. He is one of the lead singers in the song 'The Night Last Night' on the album Record Collection (album)Record Collection (album)
-Track listing:-Musicians:*Mark Ronson - vocals, guitar, percussion, keyboards, drum machine, bass, bell ringing*Nick Movshon - bass, drums*Victor Axelrod - keyboards, percussion*Homer Steinwess - drums-Additional personnel:...
. He can also be seen in the music video for "The Bike Song
The Bike Song
"The Bike Song" is the second single taken from Record Collection, the third studio album by Mark Ronson, released under the moniker Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. The song features singer Kyle Falconer from Scottish indie rock band The View and rapper Spank Rock...
".