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Deerhunter

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For the film, see The Deer Hunter.
Deerhunter

Deerhunter is a five-piece self-described "ambient punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt. Colin Mee left the band, but has since returned. On November 19, the band announced that they are to go on hiatus in order to sort out their personal lives.[1]

Members

  • Bradford Cox - vocals, electronics, tapes, drum, acoustic slide guitar, bell set, accordion, electric guitar, piano, bass drum, gong
  • Moses Archuleta – drums/percussion, synth/pads, electronics, treatments
  • Josh Fauver - bass, piano, percussion, reverse guitar, vocals
  • Lockett Pundt - synth bells, guitar, acoustic slide guitar, hammond organ, vocals
  • Colin Mee - guitar

History

Formation and "Turn It Up Faggot" (2001-2005)

The band was co-founded in 2001 by vocalist Bradford Cox and drummer/keyboardist Moses Archuleta.[2] The name Deerhunter came from the band's first drummer, Dan Walton, who was asked to leave the band early in its career.[3] The band were joined by Colin Mee, whom Cox met while Mee was living at the Atlanta label Die Slaughterhaus Records with members of Black Lips. In 2004 the group's first bassist, Justin Bosworth, died of head injuries suffered in a skateboarding accident. He appeared on only one Deerhunter release, the Deerhunter/Alphabets Split, issued before their debut album. Joshua Fauver, of Atlanta punk band Electrosleep International, then took up the position as bassist. Bosworth's death influenced the sound of Deerhunter's first album, "Turn It Up Faggot", which was "the result of a lot of negativity".[4] After the band finished the album, in an indication of how difficult it was to record in the wake of his bandmate's death, Cox said "I don't ever want to make this album again".[4] The album's liner notes are dedicated to Bosworth. After the release of "Turn It Up Faggot", Cox asked his best friend from high school, Lockett Pundt, to join the band solidifying the current line up.

Cryptograms and Fluorescent Grey EP (2005 - 2007)

The band, now featuring Pundt's reverb-saturated guitar sound, began to hone their song writing skills. They went on tour, playing shows with the likes of Lightning Bolt and Gang Gang Dance. This tour culminated in a recording session, engineered by acclaimed folk musician Samara Lubleski at Rare Book Room, New York.[5] This session failed to produce anything that could be used, due to Cox’s mental and physical state at the time, as well as disagreements that emerged with Samara Lubleski.[5] Cox has kept a copy of the sessions on "a scratched CD-R under my bed" and has stated that "nobody will ever hear them".[5] The band returned to the same studio where they recorded their first album outside Athens, Georgia and decided to give recording their second album another attempt. This was partly due to advice received from the band Liars, who encouraged them to re-record it.[5]

It took only two days in November 2005 for the band to record their second album, entitled Cryptograms. In 2006, before its release, Pitchfork Media added "Spring Hall Convert", a song from record, to its "Infinite Mix Tape series". It was the 51st entry.[6] Deerhunter's second album was released by Kranky in January of 2007. The album revealed a more "subdued and introverted"[7] sound for the band. In explaining the ambient sounds on the record Cox has said, "what I needed when we were doing Cryptograms was to be comfortable with these warm, lulling, droning kinds of things. And that's what made me comfortable at that time..."[5] Upon release, their CD garnered the title of "Best New Music" from Pitchfork Media. As with their first album, Cryptograms also had a dedication inside the album's liner notes, this time to a friend of Cox's, Bradley Ira Harris. Harris was a heroin addict who passed away in 2005. Cox identified with Harris, because he too was an "outsider".[5]

On May 8, 2007, the group released the Fluorescent Grey EP, which was recorded in July of 2006. This EP also garnered the title of "Best New Music" from Pitchfork Media. In the same month, the band released the Whirlyball 7" single, which was available at only one store in Georgia, Atlanta: Criminal Records. The single also acted as a ticket to a show, which featured the band along with The Carbonas, Selmanaries and The Coathangers. The single was available online for a limited time after the show due to popular demand, but only 100 black vinyls and 100 clear vinyls were pressed.[8]

On the 29th of August 2007, the group became a quartet with the loss of guitarist Colin Mee. Mee departed because he "...couldn't make it to a couple of shows we had booked next weekend and that was unacceptable to certain bandmates".[9] In addition to this reason, Mee felt that the band "were receiving (and creating) too much press that had nothing to do with any new music being created".[10] This comment was in reference to the band's blog, which had been the object of increased media attention due to certain posts, "I don't want to be overexposed. I don't want the world to know what our excrement looks like or what we are selling on eBay or whether we got robbed".[10] He added that "I have nothing against anyone and I'm sure things will work out fine".[9] However, Mee returned to the fold for their autumn 2007 European tour.

Future and Microcastle (2007-present)

Deerhunter are set to make an appearance on Living Bridge, a compilation put together by Rare Book Room Records. The song that will appear on the compilation is entitled "After Class" and was recorded in the same place where they attempted to record their second album, the Rare Book Room studios. It will be released in February of 2008.

The quartet's third album, slated to come out in 2008, will be titled Microcastle. One of the songs from the record, whose title has been confirmed as "Twilight at Carbon Lake", has been described by Cox as "doo-wop, 50s/early 60s, Everly Brothers".[11]

Cox is also working on a solo project under the name Atlas Sound.

Influences

Lead singer Bradford Cox has cited many musical influences that contribute to Deerhunter's sound, some of which include The Clean, The Fall, The Flying Lizards, Kompakt records, The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, and Liars. However, if their influences had to be "narrowed down",[12] Cox would note their "defining influences" as Echo & The Bunnymen, Brian Eno, David Bowie and My Bloody Valentine.[12]

Discography

Albums

Year Title
2005: "Turn It Up Faggot"/Deerhunter
2007: Cryptograms
2008: Microcastle

EPs

Year Title
2005: Deerhunter/Alphabets Split
2006: Deerhunter/Hubcap City Split
Deerhunter 7"
2007: Fluorescent Grey EP
Whirlyball 7"

Compilation appearances

Year Song Compilation
2007: "Hazel St." The Believer: Cue the Bugle Turbulent
"Spring Break" Musicfest NW Vol. 2
2008: "After Class" Living Bridge

Touring

Deerhunter have garnered a reputation for their intense live shows. Cox has worn sundresses and has performed with fake blood smeared over his face and hands, their live show being "much more savage" than their albums.[13] In his explanation of the sundresses Cox has said, "I don't like the idea of going around stage in just jeans and a t-shirt. It seems anticlimactic."[11]

Past touring

  • Deerhunter played with TV on the Radio at the Spring Fling outside Connecticut's Wesleyan University.
  • They supported the Liars during a portion of their American tour in May 2006, playing in Georgia and a host of other places like California and Texas.
  • They supported the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on their tour of Georgia. Lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and professed fan, Karen O, has hailed Deerhunter's live shows as a "religious experience".[14]
  • They were scheduled to support The Smashing Pumpkins for two dates in Asheville, North Carolina, but left after playing only one, due to a confrontation between Cox and Smashing Pumpkins's lead singer Billy Corgan, during which Cox was allegedly manhandled by a stage manager. The Smashing Pumpkin's management apologized, and the issue was resolved.
  • In July 2007 the band supported The Fiery Furnaces on their tour of Georgia.
  • They also performed with the reunited Ex-Models at the Bowery Ballroom in July, before making an appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival.
  • They supported Battles on part of their American tour.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Deerhunter To Go On Hiatus". Strange Glue. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  2. ^ "Don't Quit Your Day Job". Stereogum. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
  3. ^ "Deerhunter Images". Stereogum. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  4. ^ a b "Youth Gone Wild: Deerhunter's young punks try to fight off adulthood". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Interview: Deerhunter". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  6. ^ "Infinite Mixtape #51: Deerhunter: "Spring Hall Convert"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  7. ^ "Interview: Deerhunter". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  8. ^ "Deerhunter Whirlyball 7" Single". Chunklet. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  9. ^ a b "stereogum: Colin Mee Leaves Deerhunter". Stereogum. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  10. ^ a b "Guitarist Colin Mee Explains Why He Left Deerhunter". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  11. ^ a b "Deerhunter's Cox Talks LP3, Atlas Sound, Dresses". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  12. ^ a b "yo yo yo". Deerhunter Blog. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  13. ^ "Hazy Clouds of Sound, Halfway Intelligible Vocals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  14. ^ "Fun Fact". Deerhunter at Eventful. Retrieved 2007-06-10.

See also external

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