Deerhunter
Deerhunter are an American indie rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia, known for their unique songwriting.
In 2005 they released Turn It Up Faggot to mostly positive reviews. They quickly dispensed with the sound because of the “negativity” surrounding the recording process, caused by the death of the original bassist, Justin Bosworth, in a freak skateboarding accident. Their next two albums faced some lukewarm to generally positive critical response, usually looking at Bradford Cox for his interesting lyrics and vocal melodies. In 2010 they released Halcyon Digest to enthusiastic reviews. It was on this album where Deerhunter picked up a folk-influenced sound.
The band's current lineup consists of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt.
Albums:
- Turn It Up Faggot (2005)
- Cryptograms (2007)
- Microcastle (2008)
- Weird Era Cont. (2008)
- Halcyon Digest (2010)
EPs:
- Fluorescent Grey (2007)
- Rainwater Cassette Exchange (2009)
- iTunes Live from SoHo (2011)
- Concept Album – The “unified theme” variation.
- Cryptograms was written, according to Bradford Cox, with the intention of "evoking a feeling of someone who's woken up after being strung out one too many nights…It's the feeling of being lovesick and very spaced-out."
- Halcyon Digest also follows this. Says Bradford Cox:
”It's supposed to be like a collection of short dispatches … It has a lot to do with the way people romanticise the past, even if it was horrific.”
- Epic Rocking – “Octet”, “Nothing Ever Happened”, “Calvary Scars II/Aux Out”, “Desire Lines”, and “He Would Have Laughed”.
- Instrumentals – “Intro”, “White Ink”, “Red Ink”, “Tape Hiss Orchid”, “Cover Me (Slowly)”.
- Intentionally Awkward Title - Turn It Up Faggot.
- Looped Lyrics – In “Octet” (“I was the corpse that spiraled out into phantom hallways”).
- New Sound Album
- Cryptograms is a lot less punk and a dreamier than Turn It Up Faggot.
- Microcastle uses less pedals and distortion than Cryptograms.
- Halcyon Digest takes a route more akin to Dream Pop than rock.
- Old Shame - Turn It Up Faggot.
- Perishing Alt Rock Voice – Due in part to Bradford Cox’s congestion.
- Shoegaze – Heavily influenced by shoegaze, anyway, most evidently on Cryptograms.
- Invisible to Gaydar - Bradford Cox, sort of. He leads a celibate lifestyle but has confessed his homosexuality in the past.
- Heterosexual Life Partners - Sort of. Lockett Pundt and Bradford Cox. According to interviews, Lockett is straight, and even though Bradford isn't they never the less are very close friends that spend a lot of time with one another with both of them staying in the same hotel rooms while on tour and the rest of the band staying in other rooms.