Destroyer - Kaputt (2011)

http://www.danielbejar.com/Destroyer_1.html hilarious

about the googleganger

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/03/21/110321ta_talk_sanneh

― Moreno, Thursday, March 17, 2011 8:03 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark

that cyclic defrost review is terrible

It's weird how this '80s New Romantic-disco style, which seems at first like such a total left-turn for Bejar, ends up fitting him so well. For one thing, his distinctive nasal tenor and loquaciousness seem better suited to an understated singing voice. His loud rock voice, as on his earlier glam-rock albums, could be a bit grating at times. Also, the weird wordless ostinato "la la la" and "da da da" vocal parts that he often used in place of choruses now make more sense as instrumental horn or synth parts. I guess I'm making it sound like I hated his old stuff, which isn't true at all, but this new style does suit him very well.

still LOVING this album. today I realise it sounds a lot like...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hxkwaXaGKI

live show that nyc taper posted is really great -- i'm glad bejar and band are embracing this sound. They could've easily "rocked up" the arrangements (like when he took Your Blues on the road), but the horns/keyboards work so well in a live setting.

He looked like he was facing some sort of inner turmoil last night, the band did well to pull the thing together. The latter half of the gig was better. Brass players kind of made the show for me.

yeah the band really killed it, esp that sax player, but idk is that how dan bejar always is? didnt really seem happy to be there

I saw him in NYC earlier this year. He wasn't the most charismatic performer ever, but he didn't seem to be actively unhappy - just slightly uncomfortable.

^all part of the schtick of this record, no? Bejar-as-detached-socialite-voyeur or something...I for one don't want to see him smile his way through 'Suicide Demo for Kara Walker' or 'Chinatown.'

also, this still stands as AOTY for me.

yeah, i've listened to this record *a lot* this year -- my two year old loves it for some reason. and it still hasn't gotten old.

^all part of the schtick of this record, no?

It didn't seem like a shtick to me, but I haven't seen him on other tours. He didn't seem like the kind of natural performer who feeds off the crowd, but maybe he was just nervous - it was a pretty big crowd (full house at Bowery Ballroom).

Also, this record still sounds amazing.

The guy's not a smiler. I think he self-styles after misanthropic literary heroes of his like Thomas Bernhard, etc...

xp record still sounds great. album of the year (not having heard a single other contender!)

he should become a robot like daft punk

Has anyone else noticed the similarities between Bejar's voice and Amanda Lear's?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxEOFeNzIlM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yDIO0DXKok

also, this still stands as AOTY for me.

yes yes yes still album of the year. i think i've said it on here before but the obvious vocal comparison = luke haines. they are totally the same person split into different nationalities (thus bejar is a lot more positive obviously)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqmLQE6BiwY

Best America-themed album in years? Discuss.

Well, no, that would be this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YoeL-GdyL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

But it comes damn close.

Damn, The Laziest River is really astonishing, isn't it? So cinematic, so epic, so beautifully paced, so beautifully recorded. I wish it went on for hours.

yeap, my album of the year as well, nothing has been better

also *my* album of the year, tho it's not like i hated all other 2011 music by any means

still haven't heard laziest river. is it worth getting the vinyl for it?

yes. or the UK/european version of the CD has it.

yeah absolutely worth it

I found it on a blog (might've been posted upthread). It's amazing.

would buy a solo album from that guy

i just emailed the guy at the website i posted above and asked if its the right ted bois and if hes going to write more stuff like TLR

Keep us "posted," Max!!!

I think the album's terrific, but I don't think anything else comes close to the majesty of The Laziest River, so yeah, the vinyl's more than worth it!

the vinyl came with a link to DL a 320kbps of the entire album, including the laziest river, iirc

listening to the vinyl right now, though, dang

bois wrote me back! says hes working and will maybe have new stuff next year! i sent him a link to this thread, too

Righteous.

Yall have inspired me to pull this back out after a few months away from it.

Damn, what a great album.

yeah its basically made me seek out all the destroyer stuff i didn't have, feel a bit of an idiot for not having done so sooner.

Great work Max!

best of the year for me too

OK fine -- I'm playing "Savage Night at the Op-eh-RAAAAHHHH"

the turn in the weather made me reach for this. not as much of a summer jam

and yeah this is my top pick

I haven't heard a lot of albums released this year but this album's my favorite of the ones I've heard.

I'd like to listen my way through all the albums that people have compared this to on this thread. Somehow I've never managed to hear "Avalon" or "Boys and Girls", so maybe those should be next.

oh i'm regreting preordering the merge version now. i'll try and get the vinyl.

the videos for kaputt and savage night at the opera are pretty good. the savage night one is a bit of a slog but the pay off makes up for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puu3IvKnSb4&ob=av2e
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfuDbWD_PIk&feature=relmfu

ha, that's a pretty neat homage to the paris one

Whoa! This is the first Destroyer record I haven't listened to a bajillion times.

and this is the first Destroyer album I've listened to a million times.

^^^^^^

AOTY for me, too. That smeared trumpet blare is my favorite sound of 2011.

Everything I found at best arch and at worst loathsome in Bejar's voice finds its musical correlative here.

Interesting! I've come to selfishly expect certain things in a Destroyer record, maybe I should re-approach Kaputt with less neediness.