5 Faves - Deerhunter

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There are bands that come along that defy convention. They don't get swept under the rug of "rock" or "rap" or any other genre but are viewed as unique without any distinct peer. Deerhunter is a perfect example.

Listening back to their discography, the band is all over the place. Their most recent album, Monomania, is a lo-fi Marhshall amp blasting decibels of fuzz and distortion. Before Monomania was their amazing (and my favorite) Halcyon Digest from 2010, a roller coaster of an album wrapped in a warped beauty. The opening track, "Earthquake," is unforgettable and the rest of the album outshines the opener in depth and originality. "Helicopter" sounds like a spaceage Ambien lullaby and "Desire Lines" is basically Part 2 to "Nothing Ever Happened."

As we go further back in time, the band is finding itself, rummaging around for a sense of identity while wearing masks of sounds to experiment with. My favorite track Deerhunter has ever made, "Nothing Ever Happened," is from 2008's Microcastle. It's six minutes of fucking rock, solos, and a bridge that never really ends. This track will determine whether these guys are for you - and admittedly, they're not for everyone!

I'm doing my 5 Faves for Deerhunter because they have just released their first single off of their new album, Fading Frontier, set to release in October of this year. As appears to be status quo for these guys, "Snakeskin" is just a bit different than their other stuff - a bit funkier, a bit more upbeat, a bit of all the other bits in their discography. Super pumped for the album! 

5 Faves - Tame Impala

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Parker dropped a few interesting tidbits, including:

  • Michael Jackson is his favorite artist ever;
  • Parker and the band were pretty drunk at their Coachella set (which I got to see), and he says he started drinking right after the show "to wash away the sorrow" of what he thought was a poor performance. For the record, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as their ACL set or show at The Fox last year;
  • Currents was written entirely on tour and is the kind of album Parker thought "indie snobs would turn up their nose at." The truth is now Parker has hit that Messiah Complex where everything he does will be loved by critics because he's made so much flawless music, so when he shifts gears and goes a bit poppier, all is forgiven because he's a genius. We'll see what I think of the new album, I will definitely have a review!
  • "Let It Happen" is basically about evolving as a person and musician, from his introverted ways as a musician on his first two albums to what he describes as being more extroverted these days;
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5 Faves - Ghostface Killah

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This a sandstorm created from original thought
I bust boundaries son, you just do what you're taught.
My vocab is powerful, spit shit subliminal
slang therapist, my whole style is criminal.
Bugged like Bob Digital, fly visual
Mind body and soul, I'm a strong individual
Come through in the final hour, with gun showers
Stand the fuck up like Flav to fight the power.
I'm an activist, socialist, deadly ass poetrist
Supreme Clientele, I'm a goddamn vocalist.
My thoughts are so heavy I could change a generation
The x-factor, we puttin' ho's through inflation.

- Ghostface Killah, "Gunshowers"

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5 Faves - Patrick Watson

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Cutting Patrick Watson down to five tracks is a difficult task. Listening to him is like listening to the symphony. It's lush, atmospheric, and rains on you from all directions. Watson is one of my favorite singer/songwriters of the past few years, and he seems to have Andrew Bird's cerebral talents yet with a more distinct and at times Jeff Buckley-esque (for proof - see his wailing on "Luscious Life") voice. He has an ability to make his songs speak and gravitate more and more towards your soul. He's a special one. 

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5 Faves - Best Coast

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In light of the speculation that a new album is coming out somewhat soon (UPDATE: May 5!), I thought I'd highlight five of my favorite tracks by Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno's duo Best Coast.  I've seen them live a couple times, the most recent being at The Fillmore in SF, and I was really blown away by Cosentino's voice. It's a bit reminiscent of Stevie Nicks, and I don't think any band encapsulates the SoCal beach vibe better.  Cosentino's ability to turn three to five chord songs into catchy tracks is all based on her melodies. Love that voice. 

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5 Faves - The Underachievers

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I love to hear when artists' influences broach the wide realm of music. The Underachievers have a near and dear place to my heart because they told Complex Magazine, "We love Local Natives ridiculously," and Issa said that his favorite band of all time is Fleet Foxes and favorite artist is John Mayer!! So cool to hear that since each of those bands have been so instrumental in my love of music. 

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5 Faves - Banks

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The sultry and smokey voiced beauty Banks overwhelmed my ears for about two weeks straight. Her songs are sedate and the production is sparse as her voice controls the majority of tracks. 

"Under the Table" is definitively simple and gorgeous. "Fuck Em Only We Know" is probably the best track name of the year, and "Beggin For Thread" easily her most accessible and catchy. 

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