There’s this really cool coffee shop where I sometimes run into Kevin. It’s near The University – but a bit off the beaten track. It’s not one of those places loaded with kids ordering decaf, skim, free-range, triple lattes. This place is more laid back. They serve mostly esspresso and cups of French Roast. There’s a small selection of dry pastries, if you must. There are bowls of sugar on each table. The place looks like it’s been around forever. I think it was a cigar store and smoking lounge in the mid-’90s. Locals shop up and down the street.
There’s always something interesting playing when I stop in for my double esspresso. Mostly new stuff. When I first started going there, Rogue Wave was big. Them and Spoon, of course. I got turned onto that Malkmus album I love so in this shop. Then that Decembrists’ album was in heavy rotation, and for the next few weeks I’d “shoot” my esspresso and get on my way. Kevin liked that one, but he’s got broader tastes that I’ll ever have. I do try, and that’s not bad for a guy in my position.
Last week I stopped in and heard something that caught my ear. Hyperactive drums and percussion blasted out alongside slashing, Fripp-for-Big Note guitar chords. A high-pitched woman’s voice, with a hint of Asian teen prostitute, joined in. A bubbling organ part surfaced at points. I savored my double esspresso, thinking I’d stumbled on some supergroup involving members of The League of Gentleman and Art Bears.
One of the shop’s owners, Larry, told me this was Deerhoof. The song was “The Perfect Me”, from their new album, Friend Opportunity. I’d been hearing this band name for a couple of years, but I had no idea what they sounded like. Any time I read the band’s name, all I could picture were guys with greasy hair, ski caps perched high, and standard-issue Kurt Cobain-length stubble. There are a couple of guys like this in the coffee shop. They’re pretty cool, but I can never figure out exactly what they’re into. They just seem to rattle off new band names and tour dates without any discernable pattern in their tastes. Must be one of those “street teams,” I think as I nervously scan the morning crowd for Kevin or another dude who understands The Power and Glory of Rock.
This Deerhoof album continued to interest me with “+ 81”, a poppier track that made me think Peter Blegvad and Andy Partridge must have snuck in on these sessions. How Partridge found time to jam with Deerhoof in between his ongoing collaborations with Robert Schneider, Robyn Hitchcock, Robert Pollard, Scott McCaughey, and Trey Anastasio is beyond me, but thank heavens for multi-tasking.
And so it went, a mix of abridged prog-rock and chirpy, ’80s quirk rock. Surely this is happier than most any classic ’70s prog band – and more concise. Beside the album-closing, 11-minute, 45-second “Look Away”, the album’s songs maintain a pace more in line with the breezy, quirky songs of a band like Papas Fritas. At times, the angular Fripp/Frith chords are dropped and a light jangle-pop comes to the fore, like something by Golden Palominos. So happy, this music, even with the clashing chord constructions and scattershot drumming. This is a sound that can shake those street team dudes out of their indie rock mantra, at least for a day.
Have you heard this album? Anything cool playing in your coffee shop?
To stream tracks from Deerhoof’s Friend Opportunity, complete with light show, click here.
I used to hear Deerhoof when I trawled the mp3 blogs. Everybody there loves them. I was always drawn up short by the vocals, which seemed to set of my cuteness detector. Listening just now, I’m wondering if it’s just the accent that creates that effect, if she sang in ‘plain’ English maybe I wouldn’t be bothered by it. What’s my problem?
I don’t think you have a problem. I think that Asian teen prostitute thing is an affectation that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not even sure if it’s legal to hear that vocal style.
This album is very popular over at the coffee shop, and I’ll tell you why. The singer is just adorable. Even at their craziest, Deerhoof always has her voice at the center holding everything together. She sings these catchy little songs amidst all the chaos.
true story, my youngest daughter, who is just about to turn three, LOVES Deerhoof. They have a song called Come See The Duck, which came out a few years ago on their Green Cosmos ep, which might be the definitive Deerhoof track. Crashing guitars, that break away long enough for her to sing Come see, Come See The Duck, then the storm kicks back in, trust me, it’s awesome.
question though, does she get points added, or taken away, for playing the Hofner bass?
that’s a pretty cool, live clip. I caught them down at the Southgate House right around the time their last album was getting ready to come out, and the whole show was great. their drummer is fun to watch, it’s pretty entertaining to watch them play off each other. they wait for the singer to get her part in, then they just go nuts.
My favorite Deerhoof track is another one from GREEN COSMOS called “Koneko Kitten,” which is considerably quieter than most of their stuff and ends with a dramatic chorus of meowing by the singer. It just amuses me.
Kevin, although the Hofner bass is completely inappropriate, I’ll give her a point for playing it. It’s always cool to look at those things. Plus, she looks tiny. That bass may be about the only model she could haul around with ease.
Looking forward to your own Coffee Shop reviews in the future. I know you get to that place more often than I do.
I have their album from a few years ago, “Reville”, which I bought for the amped up, comic-book surreal, crazed rave ups. I wasn’t expecting the more experimental avant sound constructions, but those grew on me, too. I’ve heard their early stuff, way more messy and punky, but I think they found their sound on Reville. I’d love to check out the new one.
ac
trolleyvox wrote:
Check out that streaming audio page. The only bummer is that you have to click for a new song. Also, it may have been a coincidence, but the first 12 or so times I clicked for new songs, the softer, jangly ones popped up. I’d already owned the album and worried that they’d left out the more aggressive numbers that appealed to me.
no deerhoof, no deerhunter, no wolfmother, no wolfpac, no wolfblood, no grizzlybear, no new young pony club, no athsmatic kitty, no patric wolf, norabbit factory, no band of horses. why? cause i’m not a sheep.
hatin not congratulatin
I’m confused. What the hell is wrong with a Hofner bass?
Maybe someone else has a different take on the Hofner bass issue, both in respect to Deerhoof and more broadly.
Re: Deerhoof, the bass style doesn’t fit the music. It’s like trying to turn a GT Opel into a “lowrider” car.
Re: broadly, like the GT Opel and the more expensive Jaguar, the Hofner bass Looks fantastic yet has serious performance/maintenance issues.
Mr. Mod, hip to the downright gorgeous but woefully crappy Opel GT! Who knew?
Hey, as a kid I couldn’t wait to grow up and drive an Opel GT (sorry about transposing the name). Then people told me about how bad the cars actually were. Shortly thereafter I lost interest in cars for cars’ sake.