Deerhoof

I can't understand how I didn't get into Deerhoof long ago. I'd heard them gushed about all over the shop but must have sampled the wrong songs or sumting. Anyway, my girlfriend Gem suggested we check them out at ATP and despite cack sound we were soon enchanted.

They manage to get away with being great technical musicians without for a second coming across indulgent. Drummer Greg Saunier is classically trained but you'd never guess it. The Deerhoof sound is just so raw and energetic that it hides any showy virtuosity. Impossible to pin-point too. No two songs are the same. There is a common aesthetic but there are bastardised elements of rock n roll, post rock, post punk, jazz, etc etc and on and on until you reach the sun.

Basically, crazy Japanese girly vocals, firecracker drumming, super innovative guitars, and synth flourishes. That's the closest I can get. The best thing is that they give away so much free stuff. On their site there are links to loads of cool stuff, especially this free mp3 sample site (with tons more than just Deerhoof).

Mp3:
Deerhoof - Wrong Time Capsule (free EP version)

Buy some Deerhoof here.

Friday On My Mind

This song seems particularly appropriate now that i'm working full time right over Christmas and New Year. It's a cracking old song with some great guitar lines. The Easybeats were one of the first Australian bands to have an International hit and this was the song that did it. Bowie later covered it on Pinups, but I won't post it. It's a bit wrong.

Mp3:
Easybeats - Friday On My Mind

Buy it here.

Dinosaur Jr at ATP

It's been a little while since my last confession. I just started full time work at Paperchase and it has raped my personal time. We came straight back from All Tomorrow's Parties and I leapt straight into the bowels of a stationer's stockroom.

However I had been fuelled by the roar of J Mascis' earth shattering amp wall the previous friday night. The ringing in my ears dulling the Paperchase playlist and the smash of fancy baubles. I have never before witnessed such an awesome guitar sound. And the sight of an old stoner wookie ripping into a Jazzmaster will stay with me forever.

Here's a short clip of 'Feel the Pain' (the first CD single I ever owned) taken by my girlfriend. Somehow her tiny camera managed to cope with the volume.



And for those of you who don't know the song:

Mp3:
Dinosaur Jr - 'Feel The Pain'

Buy it here.

ATP!!!

Just a quickie because me n m'lady are packing for All Tomorrow's Parties and i'm really quite excited. Mum says it's just mmmagical!

So i'm actually going to get to see Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr before the whole world melts into the sea. Not to mention IGGY FUCKING POP!!! I can't believe it. I'll brag about the whole ordeal next week but for now here's a great little understated nugget from SY's latest album Rather Ripped.

Mp3:
Sonic Youth - Reena

Buy it here.

Dr Gonzo on film.

I often trawl YouTube in the hope that one day someone will post some decent footage of a youngish Hunter S Thompson. Finally, today, I found some.

Thompson has been a hero for a while now. I even bastardised his alterego 'Raoul Duke' for my own band name. I don't particularly condone the heavy drug usage or relate to him in any real way, but I strongly envy the way he threw himself into the situations he documented, often stearing them out of control. To let go like that and be taken in any direction by the slightest urge must generate an incredible wave of freedom.

If you haven't read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas you can buy it very cheap now (£0.01 as I write this). I recommend it to anyone whether I think they'll like it or not.

This clip seems to be an edited version of an 80s episode of Omnibus just before they made the first Thompson movie with Bill Murray (not as good as Terry Gilliam's film but Murray gives good Hunter).



And so as not to deviate from the whole music vibe of this blog here's a little treat for fans of Fear and Loathing.


Brewer & Shipley

Mp3:
Brewer & Shipley - One Toke Over the Line

Buy it here.

Mandatory Christmas Post

It seems I'm legally obliged to put together a Christmas post seeing as it's now technically December. So here it is (Merry Christmas). I heard this first track on the fantastic Not Your Usual Bollocks podcast what must be about a year ago. It's great on it's own, but when it becomes apparent that it's actually a really subtle Christmas cover it becomes even better. I'm not too familiar with Nathan Fake but I hope to be in the near future. This little electronica/shoegaze gem was available from his site but I hear the album is very good too.

Mp3:
Nathan Fake - 'Silent Night'

Buy his debut album here.




And if that isn't your bag, the wonderful Zombina and the Skeletones have just released a free Christmas EP via their Zombina Army MySpace page. Free artwork and everything. How many bands are that generous and hardworking?

Personally I prefer last year's (?) festive giveaway which I don't think you can buy so I'm going to post it. If any Skeletones can inform me otherwise I'll remove it, but it's so good it needs to be heard.

Mp3:
Zombina & the Skeletones - Transylvanian Xmas.

You can buy their albums and loads of high camp merchandise from their website.