DEERHOOF Green Cosmos (Menlo Park) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For Green Cosmos, Deerhoof have kicked things up a notch on their already-deliciously frenetic art-rock quirk-o-meter, and they've done so in impressive style! They've not only branched off in ways that may appeal to a broader audience without alienating their old fans, but also locked into some more out-there planes. Quite a bit more melodic and composed, but also sorta like a tricked-out Beatles' "Revolution #9" mashed up with candy-coated anime soundtracks and of course some Capt. Beefheart and Melt-Banana too. At times very bizarre and epic with its grand assemlbage of tinkly toybox sounds, winky guitar stabs, tight rhythmic progressions and those pussycat-cooing vocals. You can easily imagine this accompanying a giant puppet show. Or if we were to compare it to an amusement park ride, it'd be some sorta mongrel mutant of a rollercoaster and a bumper car. Only seven songs (six new, two revised older ones "Come See The Duck" and "Byun") clocking in at around fifteen minutes, but oh such utterly splendid precision and chaos in every twisted adventure pop bite. Wheeeeeeeee!
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Golden Tower"
MPEG Stream: "Koneko Kitten"

DEERHOOF Green Cosmos (Record Store Day Version) (Kill Rock Stars) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thanks to RSD, back again on vinyl while they last. What we said when this first came out: For Green Cosmos, Deerhoof have kicked things up a notch on their already-deliciously frenetic art-rock quirk-o-meter, and they've done so in impressive style! They've not only branched off in ways that may appeal to a broader audience without alienating their old fans, but also locked into some more out-there planes. Quite a bit more melodic and composed, but also sorta like a tricked-out Beatles' "Revolution #9" mashed up with candy-coated anime soundtracks and of course some Capt. Beefheart and Melt-Banana too. At times very bizarre and epic with its grand assemlbage of tinkly toybox sounds, winky guitar stabs, tight rhythmic progressions and those pussycat-cooing vocals. You can easily imagine this accompanying a giant puppet show. Or if we were to compare it to an amusement park ride, it'd be some sorta mongrel mutant of a rollercoaster and a bumper car. Only seven songs (six new, two revised older ones "Come See The Duck" and "Byun") clocking in at around fifteen minutes, but oh such utterly splendid precision and chaos in every twisted adventure pop bite. Wheeeeeeeee!
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Golden Tower"
MPEG Stream: "Koneko Kitten"

DEERHOOF Halfbird (Menlo Park) cd 14.98
Menlo Park, after nearly four years, finally got it together and put out a way outdated second lp from SF art pop faves Deerhoof. Recorded before their sophomore "Holdypaws", prior to the inclusion of Kelly on keys, "Halfbird" continues on the abrasive path once started with "The Man, The King, The Girl", and bridges the gap leading to their sunnier, dreamy pop sides, full of small sounds waiting to be discovered after repeated listens. Not necessarily representative of their current sound, but a piece of Deerhoof history and a wonderful one at that.
RealAudio clip: "Half Rabbit Half Dog"
RealAudio clip: "Six Holes On A Stick"

DEERHOOF Holdypaws (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
2nd disc on KRS by this cult San Francisco outfit. Featuring one-half of the unfortunately underappreciated and thus long-gone Nitre Pit (who were a kind of Melvins-meets-Caroliner band), Deerhoof experiment with weird, angular, noisy, pop. Slightly reminiscent of the Thinking Fellers, with female vocals, surreal lyrics, and assorted other strangeness.

DEERHOOF Live Koalamagic (Dual Plover) cd 10.98
Not really new, but we have a more consistent supply than when this was first released. Koalamagic collects five tracks of live performances spanning various lineups between 1996 and 2000, two of which are longer, uncut sets. Countless fans have praised Deerhoof as one of the best live acts in America right now, hear what everyone's raving about! If you haven't already seen Deerhoof live, well, this won't necessarily make up for it, nor will it be completely indicative of how they are live now, but it's a nice document of what was and why you might want to get out of the house once in a while. Get this if only for their legendary, frenzied, uninterrupted twenty minute set from Club Hot! in 2000. And if you're still wondering what the heck this Deerhoof is we're talking about, I guess this live album isn't the release for you -- try their album Reveille (or at least read our review of it).
MPEG Stream: "Gore In Rut"
MPEG Stream: "A Town Test Site"

DEERHOOF Matchbook Seeks Maniac / Makko Shobu (Picture Disc) (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 5.50
Nice single from AQ faves Deerhoof which has a different mix of "Matchbook Seeks Maniac" from their latest album Friend Opportunity and a b-side which is a charming and enchanting short track that displays their continued push towards even more vividly creative pop. A picture disc whose spinning colors match the brightness of Deerhoof's spirited sound.

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds -- is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on "Milking"? -- synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drumb blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, "That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light" and "Milking". The lovely "Desaparecere" is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single "C", is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Free Porcupine Society) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yowza, now on vinyl! What we said about the cd last list: It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds -- is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on 'Milking'? -- synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drumb blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, 'That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light' and 'Milking'. The lovely 'Desaparecere' is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single 'C', is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Polyvinyl) lp 14.98
Repressed and back in stock!!
Our original review: It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds - is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on 'Milking'? - synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drum blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, 'That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light' and 'Milking'. The lovely 'Desaparecere' is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single 'C', is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF My Pal Foot Foot (Nothing Fancy Just Music) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Three new songs of fractured pop dreaminess from the SF trio, including a cover of The Shaggs' "My Pal Foot Foot". Also features the beautifully unusual Deerhoof track, "Sunny Forty Fours", a stripped down prog-pop lullaby with heavy analog synth stylings! Released on XBXRX's Nothing Fancy Just Music label out of Mobile, Alabama.

DEERHOOF Offend Maggie (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Our long standing love affair with Deerhoof is still in full force after all these years. Not only do they continue to make fantastic and rewarding music, but they've managed to remain in touch with the wondrous spirit and deep creativity that made them so irresistible right from ther beginning. While their sound has been fleshed out and fine tuned over the years, they have not lost any of the unique and off kilter elements that made their music so special. They're perhaps the only band you can play for your two year old niece AND your weird druggy psychedelic uncle, and chances are they both would be bopping and bouncing and grinning like crazy and loving every sound coming out of the speakers.
Offend Maggie could just be their most effortless sounding outing to date, it's so cool that despite being such precise and proficient players they've found a way to make their songs jump, hop and skip through all sorts of wonderful shapes and colors without ever sounding self conscious. There is a delightful freedom and sense of play and wonder in these songs that has us falling in love with Deerhoof all over again. Much like the most recent outing by Stereolab, the songs on Offend Maggie really start blossoming after repeated listens and we're pretty sure we'll be spinning this over and over for the rest of the year. It's almost a decade since they were our little San Francisco secret, and now they've shared tours with the likes of Radiohead and The Flaming Lips, and earned a spot as one of the more popular and respected bands in the indie rock world while keeping their music so innovative and inspired and original!
MPEG Stream: "Offend Maggie"
MPEG Stream: "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back"
MPEG Stream: "The Tears Of Music And Love"

DEERHOOF Offend Maggie (Kill Rock Stars) lp 14.98
Our long standing love affair with Deerhoof is still in full force after all these years. Not only do they continue to make fantastic and rewarding music, but they've managed to remain in touch with the wondrous spirit and deep creativity that made them so irresistible right from ther beginning. While their sound has been fleshed out and fine tuned over the years, they have not lost any of the unique and off kilter elements that made their music so special. They're perhaps the only band you can play for your two year old niece AND your weird druggy psychedelic uncle, and chances are they both would be bopping and bouncing and grinning like crazy and loving every sound coming out of the speakers.
Offend Maggie could just be their most effortless sounding outing to date, it's so cool that despite being such precise and proficient players they've found a way to make their songs jump, hop and skip through all sorts of wonderful shapes and colors without ever sounding self conscious. There is a delightful freedom and sense of play and wonder in these songs that has us falling in love with Deerhoof all over again. Much like the most recent outing by Stereolab, the songs on Offend Maggie really start blossoming after repeated listens and we're pretty sure we'll be spinning this over and over for the rest of the year. It's almost a decade since they were our little San Francisco secret, and now they've shared tours with the likes of Radiohead and The Flaming Lips, and earned a spot as one of the more popular and respected bands in the indie rock world while keeping their music so innovative and inspired and original!
MPEG Stream: "Offend Maggie"
MPEG Stream: "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back"
MPEG Stream: "The Tears Of Music And Love"

DEERHOOF Reveille (5RC / Kill Rock Stars) cd 15.98
Gosh. What can I say? This is absolutely the finest moment of Deerhoof's recorded output. At 34 minutes, there is absolutely no filler on Reveille: it is an astonishingly precise and accomplished half hour of some of the most challenging, interesting avant-rock we've heard in a long long time. Jeff loves this album so much he almost started a record label just to put it out! The local trio of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich and Greg Saunier are old school; you can hear in their music the lessons they learned from vintage Bay Area weirdos like Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Caroliner, and from the famously avant garde Mills College music program -- all of which have resulted in a great, eccentric band whose aesthetic is fully formed, mature and confident. Satomi's light, singsong vocal delivery (similar to Boredoms' Yoshimi, Blonde Redhead, Yoko Ono) careens from stereo left to stereo right, a dose of melody and almost j-pop sweetness that plays perfectly against the macabre repeating guitar lines and the great, unpredictable, muscular drumming. Sudden stops and starts punctuate eight minute songs against one minute collages of noisy audio squiggles. Much like the Thinking Fellers did, Deerhoof juxtaposes melodic passages against weighty, distorted guitar a la Sonic Youth; they rarely descend to all-too-easy verse/chorus/verse trad songwriting, yet amazingly enough the album is quite accessible. Experimental music that everyone can enjoy. Wonderful. This record is perfection.
MPEG Stream: "The Magnificent Bird Will Rise"
MPEG Stream: "Punch Buggy Valves"

DEERHOOF Reveille (Global Buddy) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally on vinyl in cool hand screened sleeves!!
Gosh. What can I say? This is absolutely the finest moment of Deerhoof's recorded output. At 34 minutes, there is absolutely no filler on Reveille: it is an astonishingly precise and accomplished half hour of some of the most challenging, interesting avant-rock we've heard in a long long time. Jeff loves this album so much he almost started a record label just to put it out! The local trio of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich and Greg Saunier are old school; you can hear in their music the lessons they learned from vintage Bay Area weirdos like Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Caroliner, and from the famously avant garde Mills College music program -- all of which have resulted in a great, eccentric band whose aesthetic is fully formed, mature and confident. Satomi's light, singsong vocal delivery (similar to Boredoms' Yoshimi, Blonde Redhead, Yoko Ono) careens from stereo left to stereo right, a dose of melody and almost j-pop sweetness that plays perfectly against the macabre repeating guitar lines and the great, unpredictable, muscular drumming. Sudden stops and starts punctuate eight minute songs against one minute collages of noisy audio squiggles. Much like the Thinking Fellers did, Deerhoof juxtaposes melodic passages against weighty, distorted guitar a la Sonic Youth; they rarely descend to all-too-easy verse/chorus/verse trad songwriting, yet amazingly enough the album is quite accessible. Experimental music that everyone can enjoy. Wonderful. This record is perfection.
RealAudio clip: "This Magnificent Bird Will Rise"
RealAudio clip: "Our Angel's Ululu"
RealAudio clip: "Frenzied Handsome, Hello!"
RealAudio clip: "Punch Buggy Valves"

DEERHOOF s/t (Insignificant) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First single from the beloved SF trio, back when they were a quartet, and before their new guitarist, who now plays bass... Heavy art sludge that retains elements of their Nitre Pit roots. The left and right channels are separate songs that can be listened to separately or combined. Plus, there's amazing etched art that covers the entire record -- you can even see it across the grooves, but, amazingly, it doesn't affect the sound.

DEERHOOF Se Piangi, Se Ridi / Strawberry Bananas (333) 7" 7.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In delicious kool-aid orange vinyl! The title of Deerhoof's first track on this 7", "Se Piangi, Se Ridi" -- translation: "If You Cry, If You Laugh", is a sparse number, with delicate but damaged vocals and an intermittant drum hit recorded so it sounds like someone's getting hit with a hammer. Almost like this song is more about the process than the final piece, which is nice, but it made me want to cry. Apparently, it's a collage-ish interpretation of an old Italian pop-song by MINA. On the flip side, "Strawberry Bananas" is a like a Turkish pop tune, Deerhoof style! It's pretty amazing. Like, a beautiful scoop of joy that sadly melts away like strawberry-banana flavoured ice cream...

DEERHOOF The Man, The King, The Girl (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Amazing blend of Caroliner sludge, and Melvins slop from this local groop. (Includes members of the late great Nitre Pit.)

DEERHOOF The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
This record is so much fun! It makes us feel as though we were eating mochi ice cream and then swinging from the monkey bars with long lost friends. The Runners Four starts off a bit slooower than some earlier Deerhoof material, but that's not to say it's lacking at all...just less, how you say, hyperactive and chaotic. The Runners Four still has the child-like candy-bright sheen that you come to expect from Deerhoof, and it comes across as refreshing and lively. There is beauty in their animated quirkiness and their unique method of coloring/scribbling -- with passionate and precocious disorganization and wonderful semi-sensical flourishes -- a little outside the lines with every crayon in the box. Not as bold in its musical hopscotching as their previous Reveille album, but definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Twin Killers"
MPEG Stream: "After Me the Deluge"
MPEG Stream: "You're Our Two"

DEERHOOF The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars) 2lp 21.00
NOW ON VINYL!
This record is so much fun! It makes us feel as though we were eating mochi ice cream and then swinging from the monkey bars with long lost friends. The Runners Four starts off a bit slooower than some earlier Deerhoof material, but that's not to say it's lacking at all...just less, how you say, hyperactive and chaotic. The Runners Four still has the child-like candy-bright sheen that you come to expect from Deerhoof, and it comes across as refreshing and lively. There is beauty in their animated quirkiness and their unique method of coloring/scribbling -- with passionate and precocious disorganization and wonderful semi-sensical flourishes -- a little outside the lines with every crayon in the box. Not as bold in its musical hopscotching as their previous Reveille album, but definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Twin Killers"
MPEG Stream: "After Me the Deluge"
MPEG Stream: "You're Our Two"

DEERHOOF Vs. Evil (Polyvinyl) cd 13.98
How do you make a record that is your most unique, ambitious and weird, but also your most accessible at the same time? How, after ten albums are you still able to create an album that sounds so damn refreshing, creative and full of new ideas? There aren't really answers to these questions, except for the fact that you are Deerhoof. How after all these years they've maintained their artistic creativity, yet been able to explore new avenues, techniques and approaches along the way, still boggles themind. With their first non Kill Rock Stars full length in almost a decade, Deerhoof make Polyvinyl proud with one of the most far reaching, exciting and enjoyable albums we've heard in ages.
Further pushing their love of sounds and music from across the globe, Vs. Evil finds Deerhoof taking those sounds and with them exploring an awesome psychedelic spy soundtrack vibe, as well as a twisted take on sparkling teenage pop music, all of which displays a band at their most sensual, surprising and innovative.
Deerhoof most deserve all the love and adoration they seem to be receiving, and we are hoping this is the record that will push them to that next level, alongside folks like The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, etc., as we can't think of a more creative or exciting band that has paid their dues and stayed true to their mission of all out creativity and sonic excellence!
MPEG Stream: "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia"
MPEG Stream: "Behold A Marvel In The Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "The Merry Barracks"

DEERHOOF Vs. Evil (Polyvinyl) lp 15.98
How do you make a record that is your most unique, ambitious and weird, but also your most accessible at the same time? How, after ten albums are you still able to create an album that sounds so damn refreshing, creative and full of new ideas? There aren't really answers to these questions, except for the fact that you are Deerhoof. How after all these years they've maintained their artistic creativity, yet been able to explore new avenues, techniques and approaches along the way, still boggles themind. With their first non Kill Rock Stars full length in almost a decade, Deerhoof make Polyvinyl proud with one of the most far reaching, exciting and enjoyable albums we've heard in ages.
Further pushing their love of sounds and music from across the globe, Vs. Evil finds Deerhoof taking those sounds and with them exploring an awesome psychedelic spy soundtrack vibe, as well as a twisted take on sparkling teenage pop music, all of which displays a band at their most sensual, surprising and innovative.
Deerhoof most deserve all the love and adoration they seem to be receiving, and we are hoping this is the record that will push them to that next level, alongside folks like The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, etc., as we can't think of a more creative or exciting band that has paid their dues and stayed true to their mission of all out creativity and sonic excellence!
MPEG Stream: "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia"
MPEG Stream: "Behold A Marvel In The Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "The Merry Barracks"

DEERHOOF / KIT Buddy Series #2 (Narnack) 7" 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super limited 7" from AQ faves Deerhoof and the new to us Kit. Deerhoof's two tracks are simple lo-fi noodle-y pop experiments, glitched out noise and instrument buzz give way to simple nursery rhyme melodies and stumbling chaotic indie pop. Throbbing bass, fuzzy organ, shouted vocals and BIG simple drums. Kit's three tracks are even more lo-fi, super distorted vocals buried under a hiss-heavy production, wild smears of feeding back guitars, pounding basement drums and indistinct white-noise riffs. Super limited. On purty green vinyl!

DEERHOOF / NORTH HAVEN COMMUNITY SCHOOL Deerhoof's Milk Man - A Ballet dvd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
BACK IN STOCK! Whoa, who has the hippest teachers in the universe? North Haven Community School! This sure wasn't a part of normal elementary school curriculum back when we were all whipper snappers, was it? Last year out in Maine, the kids at this small kindergarten to grade 12 school presented a ballet set to the music of Deerhoof's Milk Man album! Music and drama teacher Courtney Naliboff came up with the idea and transcribed the music and conducted the orchestra, while art and P.E. teacher Ken Jones took care of the choreography (which involves a rolling bowling ball among other things). Yes, it's adorable. Yes, the music is perfect for this age group. And yes, please allow a loose definition of the term 'ballet'. Think: more freely interpretive body movements than en pointe, plies and pirouettes. What an amazing way to take inspiration from the endlessly creative sounds of one of our favorite bands. Delightful for kids of all ages! This dvd is professionally shot and edited (or looks like it), looks great, sounds great, and is definitely fun to watch. The folks in Deerhoof must have been waaay stoked when they first saw this!!

DEERHOOF / PHYSICAL FORMS Hoofdriver (Polyvinyl) 7" 5.50
After leaving their longtime home at Kill Rock Stars, and ending up on Polyvinyl, this new split finds Deerhoof trying out some new ideas as they team up with the rapper Busdriver, for what could be a whole new project they are calling Hoofdriver. Interesting concept: inviting guest vocalist to add lyrics to some of their instrumental songs, which is what they do here with Reagan Farquhar aka Busdriver. The flipside is a new jam from a new band featuring members of the Mai Shi, called Physical Forms, and whose track is a very '90s indie rock/post punk throwback, while the Deerhoof (Hoofdriver) side doesn't sound much like anything we've heard from them before. Busdriver definitely brought in his own aesthetic and vision, which in its own weird way was a pretty good match for the twisted minimal art rock of Deerhoof... Curious to see where this project and future collaborations go!

DEERHOOF / SICBAY split (Modern Radio Record Label) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A little somethin' to accompany your new Deerhoof Green Cosmos cdep! This split record delivers two suitably unpredictable tunes from that Bay Area band as well as a single more conventional guitar-driven song from Minneapolis based trio Sicbay. Deerhoof's music has always been heavy on the sharp angles and tightly knotted rhythms, and these songs are no exception if a bit moodier than we've come to expect from them. Pretty darn great!

DEERHOOF / WOOM Woom On Hoof (Polyvinyl) 7" 5.50
The latest in Deerhoof's new 7" series where they invite up and coming artists to use one of their instrumental tracks as a backing track for their own vocals and lyrics, while the B side allows Deerhoof to remix one of their guests' tracks. This time out it's a group called Woom who get to create their own special something inside the magical landscape of Deerhoof's imagination. Woom, who are on the great Ba Da Bing label, have a very stripped down, and quirky approach to pop, sitting somewhere between Young Marble Giants and Tune-Yards. We think its really cool of Deerhoof to lend their name and presence to help lesser known bands get a wider audience, but in all reality this is much more a Woom 7" than it is a Deerhoof one.
All previous 7"s in this Deerhoof series have already gone out of print, so best to act fast if you want this one. Pressed on clear vinyl and includes a digital download.

DEERHUNTER Cryptograms (Kranky) cd 14.98
This band from Atlanta is sure to create quite a stir this year with their sophomore release and their first outing for Kranky. Don't be expecting the usual Kranky fare with this one, as Deerhunter posses a distinct flair for taking their music in all sorts of directions. As influenced by blissed out and spacey drones as they are rocking momentum and pop sensibility, it's kind of like an early Factory band doing covers of songs from the first couple U2 records. We could see this creating the same kind of refreshing splash that Broken Social Scene did a few years back as this is a record with enough texture to reel in more experimental minded folks but with enough pizzaz and sleek rock moments to win over the indie-rock crowd. Really good!
MPEG Stream: "Cryptograms"
MPEG Stream: "Red Ink"

DEERHUNTER Cryptograms / Fluorescent Grey (Kranky) 2lp 16.98
The popular Cryptograms record from Deerhunter is now available on vinyl as a double LP with includes their new 4-song EP Fluorescent Grey (the cd version of which is now available separately, we just got it in today so we'll give it listen and list it next time)!! But here's the review of Cryptograms if you missed it:
This band from Atlanta is sure to create quite a stir this year with Cryptograms, their sophomore release and their first outing for Kranky. Don't be expecting the usual Kranky fare with this one, as Deerhunter possess a distinct flair for taking their music in all sorts of directions. As influenced by blissed out and spacey drones as they are rocking momentum and pop sensibility, Deerhunter's kind of like an early Factory band doing covers of songs from the first couple U2 and R.E.M. records. We could see this creating the same kind of refreshing splash that Broken Social Scene did a few years back as this is a record with enough texture to reel in more experimental minded folks, but with enough sleek pizzazz and edgy rock moments to win over the indie-rock crowd. For fans of Trans Am, the sadly short-lived Beautiful Skin, and the much more earthbound late Man Or Astro-Man? Really good!

*Update: We've listened to the Fluorescent Grey EP. Here's the review we wrote for that one:
Here we have the newest EP from Atlanta based Deerhunter (which is also available on lp, along with their previous highly praised full length album Cryptograms). Deerhunter have two lines of thought diverging in their music that has and will continue to afford them acclaim from across the board. The EP's opener and namesake "Fluorescent Grey" starts out a deeply textural indie rock song trudging along with a simple piano line and nearly over-annunciated boy/girl vocals that would make their junior-high chorus director smile until he or she realizes that the subject of the song is that of a body decomposing. Halfway through the song, the structured pitter-patter converges into the psych-drone noise rock madness people raved about when first hear on the band's previous release. The EP's other tracks build in the same pattern with one only hinting at eruption, while the other's noised out bliss explodes in a way that suggests they've embraced the comparisons to Sonic Youth. The third track stands alone as the second line of thought the band seems to be toying with - experimental shoe-gaze in the style of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless saturated in all manner of ethereal noise. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Cryptograms"
MPEG Stream: "Red Ink"

DEERHUNTER Fluorescent Grey (Kranky) cd ep 9.98
Here we have the newest EP from Atlanta based Deerhunter (which is also available on lp, along with their previous highly praised full length album Cryptograms). Deerhunter have two lines of thought diverging in their music that has and will continue to afford them acclaim from across the board. The EP's opener and namesake "Fluorescent Grey" starts out a deeply textural indie rock song trudging along with a simple piano line and nearly over-annunciated boy/girl vocals that would make their junior-high chorus director smile until he or she realizes that the subject of the song is that of a body decomposing. Halfway through the song, the structured pitter-patter converges into the psych-drone noise rock madness people raved about when first heard on the band's previous release. The EP's other tracks build in the same pattern with one only hinting at eruption, while the other's noised out bliss explodes in a way that suggests they've embraced comparisons to Sonic Youth. The third track stands alone as the second line of thought the band seems to be toying with - experimental shoe-gaze in the style of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless saturated in all manner of ethereal noise. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Fluorescent Grey"
MPEG Stream: "Like New"

DEERHUNTER Halcyon Digest (4AD) cd 14.98
As the opening sun soaked moments of Halcyon Digest begin, we kind of immediately knew we were in for a special outing by Deerhunter. They really haven't made a misstep yet, but this is a record that finds them reaching new levels of excellence. They have found this incredible way of crafting songs that can transport you into a daydream, whisk you into a bubbly underwater world of warm sound, and then hit you so spot on with timeless pop melodies, which swirl with an effortless delight. The record is paced so perfectly that just when you think you're going to get all dazed and wasted a new song will come up with rushing hooks and irresistible melodies, but then once you're afraid of getting a sonic sweet tooth cavity, new layers and textures come and take you to a breezier and more haunting destination. Feels like they've been digging lots of Velvet Underground, Chapterhouse, and the most stoney moments of Built To Spill. The album flows so fantastically from beginning to end that we've found ourselves deeply hooked. Our favorite Deerhunter record yet!
MPEG Stream: "Earthquake"
MPEG Stream: "Basement Scene"
MPEG Stream: "Revival"

DEERHUNTER Halcyon Digest (4AD) lp 14.98
As the opening sun soaked moments of Halcyon Digest begin, we kind of immediately knew we were in for a special outing by Deerhunter. They really haven't made a misstep yet, but this is a record that finds them reaching new levels of excellence. They have found this incredible way of crafting songs that can transport you into a daydream, whisk you into a bubbly underwater world of warm sound, and then hit you so spot on with timeless pop melodies, which swirl with an effortless delight. The record is paced so perfectly that just when you think you're going to get all dazed and wasted a new song will come up with rushing hooks and irresistible melodies, but then once you're afraid of getting a sonic sweet tooth cavity, new layers and textures come and take you to a breezier and more haunting destination. Feels like they've been digging lots of Velvet Underground, Chapterhouse, and the most stoney moments of Built To Spill. The album flows so fantastically from beginning to end that we've found ourselves deeply hooked. Our favorite Deerhunter record yet!
MPEG Stream: "Earthquake"
MPEG Stream: "Basement Scene"
MPEG Stream: "Revival"

DEERHUNTER Microcastle / Weird Era Continued (Kranky) 2cd 14.98
Due to a little thing called the interwebs (we've never heard of it), the tracks for Deerhunter's long-awaited follow-up to last years much loved Cryptograms were prematurely leaked. So to give us cd buyers more bang for their buck, they recorded an EXTRA full length, called Weird Era Continued, and released the two discs together for a single disc price. Very nice of them! This time around they fused their pop sensibilities and their more experimental hazy dronescape leanings together into songs that recall the best of classic 4AD shimmer with sixties wall of sound pop. There isn't too much difference between the two records, but the song-writing is strong enough and the production nuanced enough to keep our attention through both. While we might have liked some more spacier instrumental moments like the ones found on Cryptograms, it seems Bradford Cox has begun to channel his more experimental side into his other project, Atlas Sound, where it is actually better suited. Still this is pretty damn solid!
MPEG Stream: "Agoraphobia"
MPEG Stream: "Neither of Us, Uncertainly"
MPEG Stream: "Dot Gain"
MPEG Stream: "Calvary Scars II / Aux Out"

DEERHUNTER Microcastle / Weird Era Continued (Kranky) 2lp 17.98
Newly repressed on -double- vinyl with the original cd artwork!
Due to a little thing called the interwebs (we've never heard of it), the tracks for Deerhunter's long-awaited follow-up to last years much loved Cryptograms were prematurely leaked. So to give those of us who still like their music packaged in physical formats more bang for their buck, they recorded an EXTRA full length, called Weird Era Continued, and included it now on vinyl as an added bonus. Very nice of them! This time around they fused their pop sensibilities and their more experimental hazy dronescape leanings together into songs that recall the best of classic 4AD shimmer with sixties wall of sound pop. There isn't too much difference between the two records, but the song-writing is strong enough and the production nuanced enough to keep our attention through both. While we might have liked some more spacier instrumental moments like the ones found on Cryptograms, it seems Bradford Cox has begun to channel his more experimental side into his other project, Atlas Sound, where it is actually better suited. Still this is pretty damn solid!
MPEG Stream: "Agoraphobia"
MPEG Stream: "Neither of Us, Uncertainly"
MPEG Stream: "Dot Gain"
MPEG Stream: "Calvary Scars II / Aux Out"

DEERHUNTER Microcastle / Weird Era Continued (4AD) lp+cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl!!
Due to a little thing called the interwebs (we've never heard of it), the tracks for Deerhunter's long-awaited follow-up to last years much loved Cryptograms were prematurely leaked. So to give those of us who still like their music packaged in physical formats more bang for their buck, they recorded an EXTRA full length, called Weird Era Continued, and included it (in cd form) with the vinyl as an added bonus. Very nice of them! This time around they fused their pop sensibilities and their more experimental hazy dronescape leanings together into songs that recall the best of classic 4AD shimmer with sixties wall of sound pop. There isn't too much difference between the two records, but the song-writing is strong enough and the production nuanced enough to keep our attention through both. While we might have liked some more spacier instrumental moments like the ones found on Cryptograms, it seems Bradford Cox has begun to channel his more experimental side into his other project, Atlas Sound, where it is actually better suited. Still this is pretty damn solid!
MPEG Stream: "Agoraphobia"
MPEG Stream: "Neither of Us, Uncertainly"
MPEG Stream: "Dot Gain"
MPEG Stream: "Calvary Scars II / Aux Out"

DEERHUNTER Rainwater Cassette Exchange (Kranky) 12" 9.98
Now on Vinyl!
If two albums released at the same time (Microcastle/Weird Era Continued) wasn't enough Deerhunter for you, then here are five more hazy gliding pop gems for your pleasure! More rocking with less sheen, Bradford Cox and the boys seem to be channeling classic-era Breeders with sharp songwriting and satisfyingly shimmering pop hooks. Perfect Summer Listening!
MPEG Stream: "Rainwater Cassette Exchange"
MPEG Stream: "Circulation"

DEERHUNTER Rainwater Cassette Exchange (Kranky) cd ep 9.98
If two albums released at the same time (Microcastle/Weird Era Continued) wasn't enough Deerhunter for you, then here are five more hazy gliding pop gems for your pleasure! More rocking with less sheen, Bradford Cox and the boys seem to be channeling classic-era Breeders with sharp songwriting and satisfyingly shimmering pop hooks. Perfect Summer Listening!
MPEG Stream: "Rainwater Cassette Exchange"
MPEG Stream: "Circulation"

DEF LEPPARD On Through The Night (Mercury) cd 11.98
"No, Def Leppard don't suck. Their first few albums are pretty great." So we said in a postscript to our review of Savage's Loose 'N Lethal last time. Well let's put our money where our mouth is, and do what we do here, which is write about music we like, dammit. So, here's Def Leppard's 1980 debut, On Through The Night. Despite the most ridiculous "space truckin'" cover art, and Def Leppard's eventual commercial hair metal success-to-excess trajectory, this is a kick ass album. A bona fide NWOBHM classic. Not over produced and over cheesed like some of their later million sellers. Though definitely pro and polished, heavier than you'd expect, and full on rockin', right out of the gate with the anthemic call to arms "Rock Brigade". Next up is the prescient "Hello America", Def Leppard dreaming big, some keyboard synths creeping in... but they're just an embellishment on that one song alone, as there's plenty of guitar riffage to go around on this disc! Lotsa snakey licks, some slide on the big beat of "It Don't Matter". Yeah, on and on through the night you'll hear Def Lep's six stringers Steve Clark (R.I.P.) and Pete Willis duking it out over Rick Savage's bass lines and the solid (two-armed, at the time) drumming of Rick Allen. While wailing over it all are the distinctive, nasally pipes of Joe Elliott (hmm, he's credited here with "throat" just like HR in the Bad Brains).
As the NWOBHM did, Def Leppard take the '70s sounds of British arena rockers like Led Zep and UFO and inject some new vitality and purpose. Youthful energy and all that. And they had learned their lessons well. (It took a few albums into the '80s before they fully fumbled the torch they'd been passed.) There's some mellower, melancholic moments (parts of "Sorrow Is A Woman", of course, ferinstance) but nothing like a ballad, this is mostly a headbanging good time with flashes of royal majesty.
A few further comments on this record: the Leps continue to prophesize their own impending fame with the cheering crowd mixed in on the urgent "Rocks Off". And "Answer To The Master" is just a classic heavy metal song title ain't it? As is (another prophecy?) "Wasted"...
MPEG Stream: "It Could Be You"
MPEG Stream: "Answer To The Master"

DEFAULT JAMERSON I Think I'm Starting To Let Go (Diagnosis... Don't!) 3" cd-r 12.98
We found a handful of titles, maybe only 5 or 6 of each, from Aussie label DiagnosisÉ Don't! We've had these for ages, and odds are these are long gone as they were pretty limited to begin with, but for a few of you, here's your chance to grab one (or all) of these super limited 3" cd-r's.
Default Jamerson is a one man noise making machine from Australia, who crafts a lush and billowy low end, all deep whirling tones, thick speaker shredding dronemusic, even with the bass dialed all the way back, this single 20 minute track was sending seismic waves into the room, causing everything to vibrate gloriously. Lots of shifting textures, haunting melodies buried in the mix, the sound murky and muddy and underwater, woozy and warbly and totally hypnotic. Definitely bummed we slept on this. And bummed that only a handful of you will get to hear it. But what can you do? Heavy low end drone freaks should try to snag one while they can...
Packaged in thick cardstock mini 3" sleeves, with a printed (band name, label info, liner notes) Japanese style obi. And again, we only have a VERY FEW of these....
MPEG Stream: "I Think I'm Starting To Let Go (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "I Think I'm Starting To Let Go (excerpt 2)"

DEFCON, GENE Come Party With Me 2000 (K) cd 13.98
Love him or hate him, you've gotta admire Gene Defcon's full-on party mission. Really! 47 songs (71 minutes total) for and about whooping it up with your pals! At times, sounding like songs that could have been on the Revenge Of The Nerds soundtrack. Indeed, Gene Defcon Olympia's party king seems determined to get all the sullen indie kids out of their Barlow lows, and into their boogie shoes.

DEFEVER, WARN I Want You To Live 100 Years (Lo Recordings) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
About two hundred miles north east of Chicago lies the town of Livonia, Michigan - the home of Warn (Warren) Defever (who you may have heard in such bands as His Name Is Alive and Princess Dragon Mom). While members of the Chicago "avantgarde" have been mimicking John Fahey of late, this Livonian takes on the tradition represented by the Anthology of American Folk Music box set by writing antiquated folk songs complete with really shitty production (which is ALL treble) and an excessive amount of fake surface noise to add to the "authenticity" of the record. While DeFever's songwriting on this isn't quite at the level reached by the best of HNIA's 'pop' songs, this is still quite quite an amusingly divergent take on the alt.country phenomenon.

DEFEVER, WARN s/t (Time Stereo) cd-r 11.98
Another solo outing from the magical mind behind His Name Is Alive. This time Warn recorded in a cold garage in Livonia, MI. One can almost see him bundled up with his guitar and piano amid a mass of old rusty car parts... with some of the rust actually rubbing off on the hand-stamped and typed cd insert. Fragile, precarious melodies and some moments of rough raucousness strain through varying levels of lo-fi. Includes covers of Bad Brains' "Rock For Light" and Hendrix's "I Don't Live Today".

DEFILED Divination (Season of Mist) cd 15.98

DEFILED Ugliness Revealed (Baphomet / Necropolis) cd 14.98
Unlike the primitive American black metal ususally found on Killjoy's Baphomet label, this dometic debut from this Japanese band fits better into the technical, brutal death metal scene, a la Cryptopsy and Gorguts -- but with more of an old school, metal feel than those acts. The disc is chock full of twisting guitar riffs and chaotic changes, delivered with a biting sound. This actually reminds us a bit of long-gone Seattle speed metal coulda-been-greats Forced Entry, but with extra brutality and a Japanese accent. One thing that's strange about this disc is that each song is preceeded by its own separate ambient intro track (so you can program them out? hey, that's a good idea!). Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Uncovered Plots"

DEFINITION SANE Psychodelerium (Antinomian) cd 11.98
Only got three of these, found a little stash in the closet, pretty sure we won't be able to get more so grab one of these quick if you're into twisted Ukrainian black metal. And really how could you not be. The Ukraine has a small but killer scene that's given us bands like Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, Astrofaes, Hate Forest, Khors, Shadows Ground and Blood Of Kingu. And weirdly enough, Definition Sane features the drummer of BoK, but their sound is a whole different beast. This comp collects the group's two demos, the sound murky and moody, buzzy and black, melding depressive and ambient elements with more classic buzz and blast, and there's a definite technical death metal element too (they even cover Deicide!), but at its core, it's a fantastically twisted blackness, not sure whether it's the composition or the recording, but the sound is warped and warbly, with the sound constantly shifting into weirdly atonal and angular parts that make the sound more ugly and damaged and 'difficult' than most black metal. It also gives the sound a sort of 'avant' vibe, which when coupled with the overall grim sound, makes for something pretty ruling.
Again, we only have three of these, and once they're gone, that's it...
MPEG Stream: "Nightmare Irrationality"
MPEG Stream: "Sometimes Normal"
MPEG Stream: "Common Human Desire To Kill"

DEFLESHED Fast Forward (Pavement) cd 16.98
Swedish thrashers Defleshed, whose previous disc Under The Blade was one of the ragin'est, catchiest, most METAL releases of '98, return with an equally fierce followup, the aptly titled Fast Forward! Energetic speed/death metal with no guitar solos. Like a buzzsaw to your skull, guaranteed to induce violent headbanging. Great songtitles abound: "The Iron And The Maiden", "Feeding Fatal Fairies", "Domination Of The Sub-Queen", "Lightning Strikes Thrice", "Snowballing Blood"...
Also includes two bonus live cuts.

DEFLESHED Reclaim The Beat... An Audial Assault In Twelve Rounds (Candlelight) cd 14.98

DEFLESHED Royal Straight Flesh (Regain) cd 13.98
The hyper-caffienated trio of Swedish thrashers known as Defleshed return with this, their fourth studio effort, and again whip up a storm of headbanging heaviness -- 32 minutes of aggressive old-school metal mania. While their insidiously catchy 1998 masterpiece Under The Blade is their best release, fans may find Royal Straight Flesh a blast, more-or-less literally. This is more of a drilling grind, still bereft of time-wasting guitar solos, but mostly without the staggering hooks of Under The Blade. Yet is is every bit as energetic and powerful, which counts for something! And at points we're reminded of recent Immortal output, which is also no bad thing.
RealAudio clip: "Fire In The Soul"

DEFLESHED Under The Blade (Hammerheart) cd 11.98
One of 1998's best metal releases gets a digipak reissue with a multitude of bonus tracks! Harkening back to '80s thrash masters Destruction (whose "Curse The Gods" gets covered here), this hyper-andrenalized Swedish power trio somehow created what might really be the heaviest and catchiest disc of the decade, briming with amazing amounts of metallic energy. If you didn't get this when it first came out, get it now!! Their subsequent album, Fast Forward, was good too, but this one's their best. Sheer maniac magic. For the reissue, we get an additional nine rare live, demo, and single tracks, including a cover Sepultura's "Beneath the Remains". Fucking headbanging nirvana!!
RealAudio clip: "Walking The Moons Of Mars"

DEFTONES B-sides & Rarities (Maverick) cd + dvd 25.00
We love the Deftones. They always seem to get lumped in with all that jockish Warp Tour nu-metal, but sort of like with Tool, there's no good reason and it's so completely off the mark. So try to approach this band, and specifically this record, without all that baggage, and you will be blown away. The Deftones take churning slow burning metal pummel and stir in a healthy dose of Depeche Mode and Cure obsessed brooding moody gloom, and it's such a perfect mix. Check out their record White Pony and you'll know exactly what we mean. This one might be more for already fans, but folks into moody heaviness might really dig this. Especially as the majority of the cd is covers, and they're the sort of covers that will have your high school / outcast goth / smoking section / mixtape self all in a froth. Covers include: Cocteau Twins' "Wax And Wane", the Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want", Duran Duran's "The Chauffeur", the Cure's "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep", Sade's "No Ordinary Love", Helmet's "Sinatra", Lynrd Skynrd's "Simple Man", Jawbox's "Savory" as well as a handful of re-recorded originals. So amazing! Also includes a DVD of all the videos as well as a bunch of live stuff and weird old rare footage. Packaged in a gorgeous hardcover book-style sleeve, with tons of liner notes and photos.
MPEG Stream: "Savory"
MPEG Stream: "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
MPEG Stream: "The Chauffeur"

DEFTONES Diamond Eyes (Reprise) cd 17.98
It's still so confounding to us that anyone into heavy music doesn't love the Deftones. Sure, they may have started life as a nu-metal band, but even then, it was obvious that they were destined for more. And it didn't take long for them to make good on that potential, transforming into a seriously kick ass, brooding avant post metal juggernaut, as capable of whipping out some Slayer-esque riffage, or some downtuned drop-D crunch, as some spare moody electronica flecked slowcore or some blissed out metalgaze. And the fact that they often effortlessly did all of the above simultaneously only made us love them more. Plus you gotta love any band that covers the Cocteau Twins, the Smith, Duran Duran, the Cure, Sade, Helmet, Lynyrd Skynrd and Jawbox. And that should also give you an idea of the sort of sounds that informs the sounds these guys conjure up.
In some ways Diamond Eyes is a bit less experimental than Saturday Night Wrist. That record had some seriously weird shit going on, long tripped out electronic jams with foul mouthed female spoken word, almost like some sort of cold Teutonic electro, mixed with plenty of dark balladic dirges and chugging metallic blow outs. It could be that the proposed follow up, Eros, might have been just as far out, but that record was put on hold indefinitely, as the Deftones bassist is in a coma after an automobile accident. Even so, while the weirdness is maybe not so overt, their sound is so unique anyway, equal parts doomy gothy miserablism, epic melodic bliss pop, and metallic crunch, a combo others have definitely tried, but no one does it quite like these guys. Another killer disc of heaviness and hooks, metal and moodiness, most definitely a new favorite...
MPEG Stream: "Rocket Skates"
MPEG Stream: "Cmnd/Ctrl"
MPEG Stream: "Beauty School"
MPEG Stream: "Prince"