Deerhunter’s willowy singer-guitarist and stand-up comic in the making Bradford Cox entered the 2Ser studios to trade words with Static’s Chris Berkley about all things in the Deerhunter-verse.
Having caught them a few weeks earlier in London, it was like witnessing an entirely different band in the throes of conquering new territory and playing to new audiences.
I’d be surprised if the majority in attendance were familiar at all with Atlas Sound, but the crammed in masses of which Webcuts was one of the last to make the cut, were calling out requests that even Cox felt too obscure and unplayable.
Webcuts delivers the verdict on Deerhunter’s recent Australian assault with reviews of Brisbane, Sydney and also the secret Atlas Sound Sydney show. Let the hunting begin.
Deerhunter Scala, London 18th May 2009 Palpable expectation, a sold out crowd, a critically received album, a loud northerner standing beside me naively exclaiming “I hope they play something off Turn It Up, Faggot” and an unlikely intro tape of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”. This is how it begins. Four boys from Atlanta, Georgia [...]
Dear Deerhunter, Hey, you guys read our off-hand plea for you to tour Down Under! Well, naturally we’re thrilled to bits and it’s refreshing to think that even since the whole Deerhunter thing (including your Atlas Sound and Lotus Plaza off-shoots) blew up, which in a small way we hope we contributed to, you still take [...]
of Montreal The Zoo, Brisbane 4 March 2009 It’s just before the encore that things start getting really weird: Two guys in animal masks start playing — Mr Fish is on drums while Mr Lion roars into the microphone, garnering the requisite response from the crowd necessary in encore type situations — leading me to [...]
Mint Records, 2008 Vancouver’s The Organ shared that same shadowy intellectual existence that made them sound like a darker version of The Smiths, without Johnny Marr’s trademark flair and Morrissey’s veiled humour. Helmed by singer/lyricist Katie Sketch, they created a delicate sound that brooded and pined, Sketch’s lyrics reading like private diary entries turned into [...]
“Take my hand and pray with me”, and how we’ve prayed, patiently awaiting the arrival of Deerhunter’s 4th album Halcyon Digest. For the dimly remembering, the monumental Microcastle was Webcuts album of the year for 2008, and expections have already been set. “Helicopter” is the second track to be previewed from the album and it’s a loop-based, plink-plonk synth-led Deerhunter meets The Littlest Mermaid undersea adventure with Bradford Cox revisiting his usual themes of isolation and escapism, and well you know the rest, drugs and paranoia. Unlike those ‘slacker’ bands out there like Wavves and Best Coast who talk about getting stoned and making music, Deerhunter is the real fuck-with-your-head deal. The collage of visuals for the clip (Deerhunter’s first ever video) is unsurprising for them, but there’s something about “Helicopter” that feels like it will have its greatest effect while being paranoid, trapped and on drugs.
