Apr 062013
I don’t know if anyone else is into Deerhunter, but they did a pretty cool performance on Jimmy Fallon the other night. Freaky leader Bradford Cox came out as an alter-ego, full of Patti Smith/Johnny Thunders sass and fake chopped off fingers. It was a pastiche, yes, but it still tapped into something that is quintessentially rock n’ roll to me.
I’m still trying to assess the RTH and BAC states of mind. Do you like this?
I’m a big Deerhunter/Bradford Cox fan. I do worry about the boy though.
I want to like them, because their music is always interesting and sometimes phenomenal, but man, I just can’t get into Bradford’s whole death-trip vibe. I mean, yes, it has to suck knowing that there’s a decent chance that you’re just going to suddenly bleed out from an aortic rupture at any time, but the visceral ugliness of his whole scene is just not my bag.
I prefer Deerhoof.
Actually, there is nothing less cool or R’n’R, than trying too hard to be cool or R’n’R.
Not the worst thing ever, though I do think “pastiche” is a nicer way of putting it than I would.
The Listen But Don’t Look Principle came in handy the first time I check this out. I had it playing while another window was up, and it sounded pretty good, like one of those Between the Buttons or Their Satanic Majesty’s Request-type deep cutz. Then I watched it and remembered being 22, which rarely brings back a lot of warm and fuzzies. Are these guys actually that young? I hope so. All in all, not bad, but then I was reminded of Cobra Verde, a band that’s been around for some time that I actually like more, I wish Cobra Verde got a little more love. Of course, that has nothing to do with Deerhunter.
Is there actually something wrong with the singer, beside the sort of immaturity and play-acting tendencies that would be expected of a lead singer in an up-and-coming band? A couple of you hinted at things.
I have heard but not seen this band. I like the song “Revival” and had “Nothing Ever Happened” in rotation for awhile. Gotta let it play. The end of this song is great. I find it kind of mesmerizing.
http://youtu.be/xpY6GdidIVg
But is he sick or something? What happened to his hand in the Fallon video? It looks like he stuck it under a lawn mower.
He’s got Marfan Syndrome, just like Joey Ramone.
Thank you.
When I saw the pictures of the singer, I remembered that I had seen them open for someone at the Starlight Ballroom a while back. I finally found it. It was 2007 opening for Man Man. They were not very good and Mr. Cox was mostly annoying. This was better, but not something I thought was essential.
I’m with jeangrey: I’ve already got Deerhoof and I’m not in need of another Deer____ band.
We’ve seen Deerhunter in their full band form, as well as Bradford Cox’s spin off, Atlas Sound; we enjoyed both tremendously. When BC appeared alone as Atlas Sound, it was just him, a guitar, a bunch of effects pedals, and his baggy flannel shirt. He was much warmer and more personable in that format. But I love Deerhunter and will buy anything they put out.
I also love Deerhoof, especially their last album, Breakup Songs, which you may recall was one of my top albums from last year.
I haven’t been able to get behind Deertick, despite their RI roots.
Reminds me of the Strokes who I like much better. Not much of a song, is it?
The best part though was definitely the commercial I was forced to watch first. Now I know how to make my lashes 8x thicker.
This thread caused me to break out my copy of “Microcastle,” which I prolly hadn’t listened to since ’09. It was better than I remembered, but Ima still having major issues with Cox’s schtick. Having never seen a “LIVE” performance of the band, I thank that I enjoy their stuff better without the visual component. And for some reason, I truly dig Atlas Sound way more than Deerhunter. Go figure.
He also has — or at least had at some point in the past — a pretty major hard-drug problem.
I will third this: I not only like Atlas Sound more than Deerhunter, I like Lotus Plaza (the guitarist’s solo bag) better than Deerhunter too.