So it’s official. The album is coming out in October on Kranky and before then, we can look forward to a limited 7″ of “Nothing Ever Happened.” And by the look of the track list, there aren’t too many differences from the leak.
I don’t mean to continuously post about the same artists/ musical genres, but I couldn’t help writing simply because of Jay Reatard’s new 7″ single’s artwork. Jay Reatard, prolific garage punk artist who has formally fronted bands like the Reatards and Lost Sounds, signed with Matador Records earlier this year. The plan has been to release a series of six 7″ singles leading up to a compilation LP of all 6 at the end of 2008. So far, each of the first 3 have immediately sold out from Matador’s web store and various independent record shops. Number 4 looks to be no different.
I’m going to have to rank the cover artwork right near the top on my list of Most Ridiculous Album Covers of 2008, which includes Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Weezer’s Red Album. Here, Jay Reatard is joined by his apparent bedfellow, Bradford Cox (Deerhunter/Atlas Sound). The two of them are embracing in the most gentle manner that is both endearing and disturbing at the same time. To put it mildly, Jay and Bradford are not the most handsome men in the indie-rock universe. And sharing some of their intimate moments together certain makes for a unique cover.
Besides the interesting artwork, these singles are some of the best work that Jay Reatard has put out. Songs fly by, rarely passing the 2 minute mark, but during that time we hear an explosion of catchy lo-fi punk sound. Two records you need to listen to right now are his 2006 LP, Blood Visions and the recently released Singles 06-07. And while I haven’t seen him live, if you pick up Singles 06-07, a DVD is included that has complete footage from his concerts.
So I’ve decided to abandon focusing solely on photos as opposed to posting my thoughts and opinions about things simply because it is too hard to come up with interesting photos to post. I can, however, write about all sorts of interesting things. Like the new Deerhunter album!
It was announced a few months back that Deerhunter would be recording a new album, Microcastle, despite rumors of a breakup. And in April, the band performed the album in it’s entirety at a Todd P show in Brooklyn.
Fast forward to the beginning of June, when the album leaks to the internet months ahead of schedule, before any release date had even been set. Many listeners were afraid of what they might hear, not because of the actual songs, but because of the fact that it was such an early leak, which may be indicative of a lower quality or incomplete recording.
I’ve listened to the album and I can say whole heartedly that it is some of the best material I have listened to this year. Microcastle is definitely a step in a different direction than Cryptograms and the excellent Fluorescent Grey EP. But these differences don’t necessarily mean a change in what we should expect. Bradford Cox has essentially shown us what he is capable of, with his solo/side project Atlas Sound. The ambient noises and effects have largely been turned down, but not completely off. What we have now is more of a focus on Deerhunter being a rock band on their record. Fuzzy guitars continue to swirl, but Cox’s voice takes a much larger role. He has said “he was sick of using effects pedals and found himself turning more and more to a clean guitar,” which is definitely noticeable on tracks like “Agoraphobia” and the beginning of the album’s standout track “Never Stops.” Fans of their old sound don’t have to worry for very long into this song however, as Deerhunter’s shoegazing sound burns its way through the gentle pop vocals and guitar.
Overall, this album feels both familiar and completely fresh to someone who has enjoyed, but not fallen in love with, their previous works. I can now say that I’m entirely enamored with Bradford Cox’s talent and his somewhat nonsensical methods. By releasing songs on his blog at a rate that rivals Lil’ Wayne’s mixtape output, he has allowed himself the creative freedom to explore every type of sound, while in the process, collecting the cream of that material to channel through Deerhunter.
Since this is an extremely early leak, I expect certain aspects to change by the release date, but overall the majority of the work can be heard. This is absolutely one album that I expect to not only purchase, but pre-order, once it is available.
