Gambit
“Members of People Museum also have grown as musicians, honing a unique electro-pop style that’s become increasingly cinematic. It’s positioned the band as one of the most engaging indie rock acts in New Orleans, able to sell out the Marigny Opera House and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art for concept-driven shows as easily as it can fill Saturn Bar and Gasa Gasa with bodies dancing to the synth-heavy, dark pop. Each new release has vividly traced People Museum’s evolution as well as hinted at bigger things to come. That’s especially true on the forthcoming album “Relic,” the band’s most ambitious project to date.”
OffBeat Magazine
“People Museum is the unique innovative sound of Brian Eno producing dream pop in New Orleans, while a second line struts by, and Twin Peaks plays on the TV. This most unique of bands is doing something not heard before here or elsewhere, while remaining purely organic and true to four distinct Louisiana backgrounds. You will never forget People Museum once you witness them live.”
Under The Radar
“‘Relic’ acts as an achingly romantic confession, as well as a hypnotic and heartfelt tribute from the band to their home city. Waves of shimmering and sparkling arpeggiated synths trade off with bass-heavy passages, all as warm brass accents weave in and out of the mix.”
Gambit
“Givens and Phipps were chosen to take part in NOMA’s 2021-22 Creative Assembly, a program connecting New Orleans artists and creators with pieces in the museum’s collection, and they decided to turn Givens’ demos into “Destruction of, Vol. 1.” The title of the EP is taken from Bourgeois’ 1974 installation “The Destruction of the Father.”
Antigravity Magazine
“It’s almost as if the two (Givens, Phipps) started out on opposite ends of a spectrum and just happened to meet symbiotically somewhere in the middle. Joining forces alongside drummer Aaron Boudreaux and bassist/sousaphonist Charles Lumar II (who was Phipps’ bandmate while on tour with Solange), they have merged together to forge a new, exceptionally innovative sound.
The Hullabaloo
“(People Museum innovates at NOMA) When the band played, the entire garden transformed into a twisted fairy tale, moody and soulful, punctuated by trombones and synthesizers, yet distinctly New Orleanian.”
Gambit
“People Museum build on several synth-driven electronic music styles on “I Could Only See Night,” from the more meditative “Ice” to the faster House pace on the songs “Forever” and “Rush.” Givens’ voice and the brass sounds of Phipps’ trombone, filtered through effects, and Lumar’s tuba help the EP hold on to a grounded, warm touch.”
Glide Magazine
“With its downtempo electronica sound mixed with dreamy vocals, the song showcases the dance-ready grooves People Museum are capable of conjuring. Claire Givens’ lyrics soar over the beat in a way that is haunting and tantalizing at the same time, and the way the duo incorporates brass into the beat captures their ability to push boundaries and give the listener unexpected flourishes inspired by the city they call home.”
Flood Magazine
“The new EP from People Museum often harnesses this optimism both musically and lyrically, with the standout track “Ice” adding Jeremy Phipps’ warbly synths and Claire Givens’ dramatic vocals—often recalling those of Poliça’s Channy Leaneagh—to the mix.”
Audiofemme
“People Museum aims for a balance between menacing and hopeful, and always danceable.”
