Deerhunter!

The second time I saw them (at the Pitchfork festival, hardy har har) was a lot worse than the first, but I chalked that up to the terrible sound. I think they forgot to turn the snare drum mic on for half the show, and at times all of the sound out of the entire right half of the speakers would cut in and out intermittently.

Who compared them to Harold Budd? I'm guessing it was just a lazy reference to their instrumentals, which at times assume an ambient structure.

sucks, really a lot. live show? terrible. literally a disaster. just further proof that pitchfork really does brainwash people.

but then who brainwashed pitchfork?

i'm not sold on these guys myself, they come across to me as just another of the many bands who can't get over how cool it sounds if you turn the reverb way up on all the instruments and make everything all blurry

but then who brainwashed pitchfork?

The underpants gnomes, obvs.

I'm in Boston for the summer, and one night in July I had to make a choice. Deerhunter, the Besnard Lakes, and Dan Deacon were all playing simultaneous shows at three different clubs. I saw the Besnard Lakes. They were quite good.

Was this decision wise or foolish? Perhaps only time will tell...

they come across to me as just another of the many bands who can't get over how cool it sounds if you turn the reverb way up on all the instruments and make everything all blurry

Yeah, I can see that. Last time I saw them I was struck by what a combination they are of perhaps the two biggest musical influences of the early 1990s, Nirvana and MBV. From Nirvana, and the Pixies by extension, they take the softer verse-loud chorus dynamic, with the hazy, reverbed-out blast of a chorus taken from MBV. Deerhunter use that trick on many of their songs that have vocals, and your appreciation of Cryptograms depends largely on how much you like the sound of echoing, looping vocals and guitars crashing into each other. I like the trick a lot, myself. I was more impressed with the Flourescent Grey EP because they didn't rely on that trick so much. Their songwriting evolved into something much more unique.

Z S pretty much otm. I love their one trick and, by extension, Cryptograms and their live show... but yeah, Fluorescent Grey is something else. I'm not quite sure what yet. but I'm excited, so there's that.

but then who brainwashed pitchfork?

The underpants gnomes, obvs.

-- Drooone, Monday, August 6, 2007 8:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

obviously it doesn't take actual brainwashing, it just has to be your buddy's band, or to come out on kranky. it probably is great for someone close to them to be doing what they're doing. the records actually sound fine, professional, i'd just hold way back on calling them great.

Last time I saw them I was struck by what a combination they are of perhaps the two biggest musical influences of the early 1990s, Nirvana and MBV.

I hear that. I also hear early R.E.M. in Deerhunter's sound. They both have that hazy, mysterious Southern Gothic Rock sound and -- for some Deerhunter songs, at least -- I can hear the same "big beat" that there was in early R.E.M. I'm thinking more of the stuff on Deerhunter's EP (especially Fluorescent Grey), which I think is much better than the full-length disc.

just further proof that pitchfork really does brainwash people.

Pitchfork was the only place that hyped this band. And certainly not every magazine, blog, college radio station, podcast and MTV2 on earth.

there actually was an mtv news "segment" on the "burgeoning atlanta indie scene" that profiled deerhunter, black lips and snowden. suffice to say that the term "psych-rock" was thrown around quite a bit.

I like how because one dude doesn't like it, everyone who does was "brainwashed" by Pitchfork.

I mean how can I respond to that? I'm brainwashed so my opinions aren't my own!

<I>I'm in Boston for the summer, and one night in July I had to make a choice. Deerhunter, the Besnard Lakes, and Dan Deacon were all playing simultaneous shows at three different clubs. I saw the Besnard Lakes. They were quite good.

Was this decision wise or foolish? Perhaps only time will tell...</I>

Maybe not for Deerhunter (I liked it but wasn't completely destroyed or anything) but I imagine this was the show @ the ICA? Was gorgeous, such an excellent space. After the first track they opened the black curtains along the back that opens out into the harbor and they played down the sunset. The KFW opener was absolutely gorgeous too.

just saying its a lot easier to folks to walk around saying that deerhunter was an amazing live-show, a new, progressive, uncompromising sound without giving it a second, or possibly first, thought when pitchfork writes about them constantly that way (and all their activities) than it would be if say Stylus or any other web publication would

this sums up what i was saying much more nicely.

excerpt from andy beta's 'beta blog': But as I get this Deerhunter assignment, I find the disc more enjoyable, though nothing brilliant. It's a good start, nothing less or more. Hopefully it augurs well their next few years, allowing them to really do something, but for now, they remain just this pretty good rock band. Why do they deserve such a shitstorm of praise following them everywhere?

During my phone interview, I ask singer Bradford Cox about what it means for Deerhunter to be deemed 'insane.'

Cox asks me upfront: "When you saw us were you let down?"

“Sorta. I mean, I didn't see what anyone was talking about.”

"That’s because you're a rational, sane person," he laughed. "You wanna know the secret? You're probably a nice dude, that's what it is. It's your problem, not mine, buddy. You're too nice, rational, and smart. Let me tell you why. If you wanna know what this 'insane live show' boils down to is: people have never seen a skinny person before get on stage and not be shy about it. I don't have to do anything. I just have a weird appearance."

Such is hype.

just saying its a lot easier to folks to walk around saying that deerhunter was an amazing live-show, a new, progressive, uncompromising sound without giving it a second, or possibly first, thought when pitchfork writes about them constantly that way (and all their activities) than it would be if say Stylus or any other web publication would

Does this suggest that Pitchfork now informs what we consider a good live show? I've been to enough shows to know damn well when a band has kicked my ass. New? Nope. Progressive? Hardly. Uncompromising? That's a bullshit word. Loud, exciting, well-performed? Fuckin' a. The album and ep are both decent, I wouldn't put them where pitchfork has but what the hell. I give enough credit to ILM to believe that everyone in this thread has judged them on their own merits and not what a website has said.

Sorry, but you did not like that show as much as you thought you did. Pitchfork brainwashed you, bro. :(

My whole life is a lie! I need to go listen to some Okkervil River leaks.

taking the cure to talk ironically about likes, i like how you latch onto a word that i obviously used without much seriousness and are taking it as a cause to act snarky. i also like how you act like you're taking these things personally, for yourself or on behalf of other people, ignoring that everyone who posts here does so probably to voice their opinion rather than try to convince someone of anything.

i'm just as happy to stop giving this band lip service as you are for me to.

just saying its a lot easier to folks to walk around saying that deerhunter was an amazing live-show, a new, progressive, uncompromising sound without giving it a second, or possibly first, thought when pitchfork writes about them constantly that way (and all their activities) than it would be if say Stylus or any other web publication would

I'd argue the opposite. Pitchfork can definitely create hype (see: Arcade Fire, Shins), but they can also create a backlash (see: Arcade Fire, Shins), once a band gets pegged as a Pitchfork Band. If Pitchfork would've never reviewed Deerhunter, perhaps I wouldn't have to deal with assertions that I only like them because I've been 'brainwashed'. Although, I suppose the truth is that I was primarily brainwashed by Stylus and Dusted Magazine, where I first read about Deerhunter. I only like music that I'm brainwashed into liking.

pitchfork hasn't broken a band in ages, you people are nuts.

http://jasonmystic.net/hypnotist.jpg

errrrr
http://jasonmystic.net/hypnotist.jpg

Also, not all of that hype was particularly positive. When those stories came out on Pitchfork about Deerhunter's blog, it almost seemed as if there was a lot of tension between the two.

honestly, I was kinda surprised/impressed that pitchfork even reviewed Cryptograms, cuz it hadn't really struck me as the kind of that they would normally be into.

*"the kind of thing that" etc etc

So, anyone else heard the new Atlas Sound record? I'm really loving it. I'd almost say it was by far the best thing I've heard all year (mainly electronic, occasional guitars and live drums accompany, keyboards that gravitate between "Zuckerzeit" era Cluster, Talk Talk, I hear a little Seefeel in it too). However, I just downloaded the new EP at the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound blog, and the second song on it, "Activation", sounding remotely unlike anything on either the Deerhunter records or his own full length, blows everything they've ever done out of the water.

The Joe Meek cover at the end is similarly great, with the same sort of spaghetti western produced sound.

I am digging Atlas Sound, we got it at KOPN this week. Proceeding to check out this new ep, too. Thanks for the heads up, Zach.

No problem, Sean.

http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Animals/Cats/big_cat.gif

You know, delete "Hunting Quail" from that EP's playlist, and it's a pretty consistently great release. Best free thing I've downloaded all year. Dude puts up new songs about every four or five days, steadily. He's like a good Bob Pollard that's nice enough to release all the extra stuff as free, the night of recording, even. New touring band lineup looks goods, too:

B. COX (GUITAR, BASS, VOCALS)
BRIAN FOOTE (SYNTH, SAMPLER, PERCUSSION, VOCALS)
ADAM FORKNER (GUITAR, EFFECTS, LOOPS, DRUMS)
STEPHANIE MACKSEY (DRUMS, GUITAR)
HONEY OWENS (BASS, VOCALS, GUITAR)

Sorry, I don't mean to shout the names out, I just apple-X and apple-T'd it over from the website.

Uh, I apple-V'd it, I mean, not apple-T.

Atlas Sound are all right. Nothing fantastic tho.

the new album is pretty fantastic

You mean the Atlas Sound disc or the forthcoming Deerhunter disc?

yeah the new one is really "pretty"

So less rock-oriented than the debut? Is it more like the soft(er) electronic sounds on Atlas Sounds?

This guy records/releases a lot of music.

yeah daniel the new one is called microcastle

there are some quieter non-ambient moments but they're not electronic perse

just really nice guitar strumming

Do you know which label it's coming out on and (generally) when?

(I'm asking because if it's on Kranky, it should appear on eMusic).

i'm pretty sure they're still on kranky but i don't think this has a date yet

I've listened to this three times through. It's not bad at all. I'd rate it at about Cryptograms level of quality, which is decent, but after the awesome awesomeness of Fluorescent Grey, the Atlas Sound LP, and some of the random free tracks that get uploaded at deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com ("Activation", "Cloves" and "Sea Burial", specificially), I can't help but feel pretty disappointed.

That "trick" I was talking about upthread, busting into the MBV/Pixies/Nirvana chorus - I miss it, I can't lie. I think I remember reading somewhere that they went into the recording process with the intent to not use their various loop stations that they use in the live show, or at least not RELY on them. I miss the loop stations. Fluorescent Grey and the Atlas Sound LP are night time, woozy hazy records. The new one is sobering.

the new one is like summer backyard drinking jamz at least like half of it is (compared to atlas sound, cryptograms/floursecent grey)

sounds horrible.

Yeah, I've had the same thought a few times as I listen to it. I'm going to give it one more go, tonight, in "fuzzy" mode. I'm rooting for some sort of personal breakthrough with this. (plz post this in ILX posters casually mentioning ilicit or dangerous hobbies they engage in in an attempt to sound cool thread thanks)

i saw them in concert last night in paris, and cox made some girl from the audience read into the microphone the description of him in in the program, which included the phrase, 'anorexic giant.' he wanted the journalist that wrote it to come down to the stage so he could pee on him. 'this festival can suck my big american dick.'

i did my best to make that sound not amusing, because it wasn't.

he was quite amusing at Primavera. he regaled us with a little tale of witnessing a woman getting "finger banged" in a castle in Malaga.

the music was good though!

i am starting to hear the doowoop- Everly bros connection on certain songs, on others not so much. it's a record where he's not really moving forward, but sideways, whether that's a good or bad thing, i still can't tell.

alos, it's weird how his voice sounds different from record to record, sometimes from song to song. the thing about this band i've noticed is that about half of their records (flourescent grey excepted) are really great, the other half are sonically pleasant but not very engaging, boderline boring I would say.

does atlas sound deserve its own thread?

this is an enjoyable read, imo:

https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/9k4pjv/rank-your-records-deerhunter-bradford-cox

BC talking about Lockett's songwriting just made me want a new Lotus Plaza album (as I have said before itt) even more

http://deerhunterofficial.bandcamp.com/album/why-hasnt-everything-already-disappeared

Looks like the whole thing is available to hear already... Seems slightly fishy tho, idk.

dang, it's gone now!

it leaked a while ago so i'm guessing someone uploaded the leak to bandcamp as 'deerhunterofficial' to try and scam some money out of people

ah, makes sense.

btw that noisey.vice link above is a pretty entertaining read, with the usual dose of bonkers statements from bradford. putting monomania at the top is challopsy enough, but then "Monomania is the greatest album I’ve ever made and anybody that doesn’t like it has no idea what I’m about or what I’m doing. They’re simply avid fans of what’s called indie rock and think we’re a notable indie rock band."

lol, ok

was surprised that weird era didn't make his top 5, either.

monomania is my fave of his albums tbh

He also sez Stereolab's "Blue Milk" is the greatest song of all time. I like it, yeah. Greatest? I dunno.

He says Desire Lines is his favourite Deerhunter song, which is magnificently otm - it's the only thing they've done that's completely blown me away and transcended what I thought the band capable of

This album is really, really good

I’ve listened to this three times now. I like it but it’s just sort of an average Deerhunter album. Nothing surprising nor extraordinarily compelling. Solid, I guess.

I am liking it v much

Cannot get 'What Happens to People' out of my brain

'Elemental' has a real 'Let England Shake' (the album) vibe

the rest is microcastle with piano + LES lyric vibes

desire lines is their best for sure

except for the length it's indistinguishable from guided by voices. there's even a lyrical nod to "echos myron"

this is fine. i feel like all their albums after Halcyon have been a bit samey though and thisi isn't an exception.

Keeping my fingers crossed that snow either doesn't fall here tomorrow or is light because DEERHUNTER ARE COMING TO BMORE

BMore show sold out before I could get tix . Live in DC area but couldn’t make DC gig the night before that I heard was good but deafeningly loud.

It was amazing. Sorry you weren't able to get tickets.

JFC

https://www.stereogum.com/2051988/deerhunter-bradford-cox-heckler-cultural-appropriation/video/

Uhh..

“During the set, Bradford Cox started a dialogue with a heckler accusing him of cultural appropriation because he said he’s a huge fan of Twin Peaks, and he said was planning on staying in North Bend at the Salish Lodge that night so that he could explore Snoqualmie the next day.”

I fail to see how this is cultural appropriation...?

Exactly.

i'm not sure what thread to bump for this, and i haven't listened enough to start a new thread and proselytize, but i've been listening to a lot of Ulrika Spacek recently (just their album Modern English Decoration - haven't even gotten to their other stuff) and it's very good. there's an early deerhunter-y vibe to some of the songs and i feel confident throwing a RIYL deerhunter tag on there, even though there are other strong influences as well

which*

realized it's way past time I put together mixes for my two favorite bands (Girlpool next), figured I'd share

1. Game of Diamonds
2. Futurism
3. Duplex Planet
4. Memory Boy
5. Microcastle
6. Vox Celeste
7. Strange Lights
8. Dream Captain
9. Revival
10. River Card
11. Pensacola
12. Eveningness

13. Like New
14. Parallax
15. Helicopter
16. Nothing Ever Happened
17. The Missing
18. Criminals
19. Take Care
20. What Happens to People?
21. Doldrums
22. Cover Me (Slowly)
23. Agoraphobia

felt incomplete without some (4) Atlas Sound & a (1) Lotus Plaza. an earlier version (that I've already road tripped with, therefore official?) had "Mona Lisa" instead of "Parallax," there's no good way to not overrepresent that album

i was thinking of deerhunter/bradford cox today, and how it's been a minute since i heard anything from them. i did some light searching, found speculation on reddit that cox is just kind of taking it easy/doesn't feel like playing music lately (the spoon guy suggested as much in an interview a while back). but also, he returned earlier this year for an improv experimental set in athens:

https://www.stereogum.com/2230238/bradford-cox-performs-for-the-first-time-in-years-at-vintage-market-in-athens-ga/news/

Covid considered, they are not too much behind their typical album cycle. I’m friendly with Lockett and the last time I saw him he said they are still planning to continue being a band. Bradford has always had health problems, so I think it might just be a pause.