Eponymous third album

The band’s eponymous third album in 2004 marked a change in both the band’s sound and lineup. Ditching their radio-friendly pop rock, the band moved towards a garage rock sound. Lead singer Alex Greenwald said it was an intentional choice: “I especially loved bands, like The Beatles, that changed with every single record they made. That’s been our plan from the get-go. We want our records to be like experiments. We want to have fun with the music. People can hear when you’re not having fun.” In the middle of recording the album, founding member and drummer Jason Schwartzman abruptly left the band in May 2003 to focus on his acting career. He was replaced by former Siren Six! and Big City Rock drummer Jeff Conrad, who helped record the remainder of the album. Phantom Planet was released to mixed reviews from critics. Shortly after the album’s release, co-guitarist Jacques Brautbar left the band to pursue a career in photography. The band performed “Big Brat”, the album’s lone single, on the Late Show with David Letterman .