Phantom Tollbooth was a post punk band from New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Purveyors of psychedelic/jazzcore

Punk jazz

Punk jazz describes the amalgamation of elements of the jazz tradition with the instrumentation or conceptual heritage of punk rock...

 damage, PT played from 1984 to 1988, releasing albums on Homestead Records

Homestead Records

Homestead Records was a Long Island, NY based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading. It was founded in 1984 by Sam Berger, who was the American Independent buyer for Dutch East India Trading. Berger was finding that many bands who had perhaps released their own first 45 were...

.
In 2003, Guided by Voices

Guided by Voices

Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...

 frontman Robert Pollard

Robert Pollard

Robert Pollard is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices, who disbanded in 2004, only to reform in 2010...

 created new lyrics and melodies for Phantom Tollbooth's 1988 album Power Toy. The resulting work was released as Beard of Lightning.

Members

• Dave Rick
  Dave Rick
  Dave Rick is an American guitarist and former member of underground rock bands B.A.L.L, Bongwater, King Missile, Phantom Tollbooth, When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water, Wide Right, Wonderama, and Yo La Tengo . He is a current member of Atlantic Drone, Dew-Claw, The Martinets, Overcat...
  
   (guitar/vocals), is a former member of B.A.L.L, Bongwater
  Bongwater
  Bongwater may refer to:* Bongwater , a 1997 comedy film* Bongwater , a former college rock band* Bong water, the used fluid from a bong...
  
  , King Missile
  King Missile
  King Missile is an American avant-garde band that has been led in various disparate incarnations by poet/singer John S. Hall since 1986. Currently, Hall performs with a new version of the first incarnation, King Missile ....
  
  , Shapir-O'Rama, When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water
  When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water
  When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water was an American experimental psychedelic rock band from New York City active from 1986–1996...
  
  , Wide Right, Wonderama, Yo La Tengo
  Yo La Tengo
  Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
  
  . He currently plays with Atlantic Drone, Dew-Claw, The Martinets, Overcat and Stress Test.

• Gerard Smith (bass/vocals), recently recorded with Ben Miller and his band Third Border on the album "Sun of Water, Sea of Light". Produced by Roger Miller (Mission of Burma) and Laurence Miller (ex Destroy All Monsters), the album was a Grammy Award candidate for "Best Alternative Music Album of 2006". In 2010, Smith played several dates with Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices/Death of Samantha) in the "Doug Gillard Electric Band".

• Jon Coats (drums), currently of Canartic and proprietor of dank disk records.

Albums

• Valley of the Gwangi 7" (1986)
• Phantom Tollbooth E.P. (1986)
• One Way Conversation (1987) album cover designed by Dave's sister Jenny
• Power Toy (1988)
• Daylight in the Quiet Zone E.P. (1990)
• Beard of Lightning (2003)

External links

Band Website http://www.wkhorse.site.aplus.net/phantom_tollbooth_pt5speed

Dusted review of Beard of Lightning http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/785
Trouser Press http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=phantom_tollbooth