The French indie rock band that released the 2009 album 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' was Phoenix. The album arrived on May 25, 2009, as the band's fourth studio album and was recorded at Motorbass in Paris.
The record marked a major expansion of Phoenix's audience. Earlier releases had built a moderate underground following, but 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' brought the band wider attention through songs such as 'Lisztomania' and '1901,' along with appearances on American late-night television. Its sound draws from indie pop, synth-pop, new wave, electronic rock, and polished pop rock.
The album title deliberately plays with the name of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, replacing Mozart's surname with the band's own name. That playful reference matches the album's bright, highly arranged style rather than suggesting that it is a classical project.
'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' earned Phoenix the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010. The distractors are prominent French electronic or alternative acts, but none released this album: Phoenix is the canonical answer.