Crib Notes

Longtime Atlanta music scene fixture Adam Bruneau has created videos for two songs from Deerhunter’s third full-length, Microcastle.

Bruneau has served in the local music community performing as an auxiliary member of dozens of local groups, including a short stint with Deerhunter, the Kiwis and Phonepunk; although it’s been a few years since Phonepunk made any appearances… Sadly.

The videos, for “Microcastle” and “Cover Me (slowly)” are posted on Adam’s blog, Rabbits Full of Magic.

Deerhunter – Cover Me Slowly from Adam Bruneau on Vimeo.

These are videos for songs from Deerhunter’s new album Microcastle, which has just come out on Kranky and 4AD records, and which is flawless and wonderful. I had talked to Bradford about doing some video and I knew this was a fall/winter record, so upon finding myself going up Borestone mountain in Maine in the middle of October at peak season for color-changing leaves, I captured the footage that ended up in these videos. Cover Me (Slowly) kept making me think of the beginning of Twin Peaks so when I found a waterfall at the foothills of the mountain I knew it was meant to be. I changed the tint to match some of the cover art, a pink picture of someone with a skull in their eye. I played with how the video synced to the audio a number of different ways before trying random alignments and finding parts in the original unedited footage that would line up with cues in the music. I find this to be a much more natural way of scoring video to audio and usually you end up with something nice you wouldn’t have thought of consciously. I really like Agoraphobia but didn’t want to make a video to that unless the band members were included in it.

Deerhunter – Microcastle from Adam Bruneau on Vimeo.

I was in the back seat of my aunt’s car going up Borestone mountain and riding to the spot where you get out before you hike up it, and playing with the video camera as it was zoomed in really far into the trees, which gave me the idea for the Microcastle video. The speed and variety of colors flying by reminded me of the rush you get at the end of this song, which is a soaring coda after a very peaceful and reserved verse section. For the beginning I wanted some kind of fall still life that shimmered with the sound of the song. The shimmering effect was pulled off by syncing the audio amplitude directly to the opacity of the image, and I ended up using footage from the top of the mountain. Climbing Mount Borestone was like a standard hike until the last couple hundred feet, which was pretty much a vertical climb up the face of the mountain and felt like an epic task. So once we got to the very top, and you could see all over Maine, everything got very still and quiet, and I found a little pool of water with a few plants growing around it. When I went through my footage to pick out what to use for Microcastle, it felt perfect; on top of that mountain on a bright fall day, it was a timeless, concrete, physical manifestation of the song.

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This week’s episode of Haveyouheard.net (this year’s Best of Atlanta Readers’ Pick for Best Locally Produced Podcast) features commentary by our very own staff music writer Chad Radford. Topics discussed include Deerhunter, Larkin Grimm, George Michael, Neil Young’s causes, the guy from Death Cab getting stung by a scorpion and more.

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Hot on the heels of a September/October North American tour stint opening up for Stereolab, Atlas Sound (a.k.a. Bradford Cox of Deerhunter) has perpetrated a cool and crystalline remix of “Neonbeanbag” from Stereolab’s latest full-length Chemical Chords.

The so-called “Southern Baptist Remix” isn’t a huge departure from the song’s original version. The tweaks and vibrant textures that Cox adds to the song are used more to flesh out the parts of the song that already exists, rather than turn it into something new.

To listen to Atlas Sound’s remix of Stereolab’s “Neon Beanbag” click here.

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Two shows over the weekend delved into equal but opposite ends of the outer reaches of vivid, noisy and arty psychedelic rock, yielding vastly different and equally distinctive sounds.

On Halloween night I hid out in the balcony during the Deerhunter record release party for their third album, Microcastle. Times New Viking opened with a crackly, noise-afflicted pop dirge of brain-teasing hooks swimming in ugly but beautiful overdrive. Jay Reatard followed with a face full of hair-thrashing, shot-gun punk energy, playing a little longer than his typical 20-minute set, but not by too much.

From a smaller stage it’s much easier to get swept into the moment of sheer, cathartic punk rock release during Jay’s shows. But from the safety of my perch in the balcony high above Variety’s stage, Jay’s typically sped-up tirades did the songs a bit of a disservice. He peeled through dozens of songs, spanning his “solo” singles pre-Blood Visions all the way through his recent spate of Matador 7-inches, but he just couldn’t get through them fast enough. Songs like “Hammer I Miss You,” “My Shadow” and “Screaming Hand” were played so fast that the delivery felt cartoonish… Intense to be sure, but they could definitely benefit from a dose of Xanax.

Afterward, it took Pylon a minute to reach cruising altitude with opening song “Cool,” but they hit stride soon enough. The sparseness and dub-like tension in their pop/new wave pop arrangements gives the group both strength and a timeless sense of intrigue, which was made all the more intense following Jay Reatard’s spastic energy. or whatever that’s worth, a few youngsters within my earshot grumbled that Pylon went on for too long… but the rest of the steadily building crowd seemed no worse for the wear.

Deerhunter closed with a performance that empowered songs from Microcastle with a much greater punch than anything the record offers. “Cover Me (Slowly),” “Never Stops” and “Nothing Ever Happened” unfolded behind a stunning barrage of lights as each song transformed from elegant order into chaos; culminating in a massive, all-consuming drone. When the audience demanded more, the group obliged with a menacing “Lake Somerset” stomp that bled into a few other more recent songs before segueing back into the drone and putting a cap on a weird and sensory overloading Halloween night.

The following night I made my way over to The Earl to catch “an evening with the Legendary Pink Dots.” I always forget about the gothic appeal this group holds, until I’m confronted with their audiences… That and when the door guy asked, “what’s up with all the goths here tonight?”

It’s nothing more than a coincidence as far as I’m concerned; a byproduct of the Pink Dots pairings with the members of Skinny Puppy for the Tear Garden albums… That and Edward Ka-Spel does posses a certain dark and mystical quality that doesn’t fit easily anywhere else. But I still maintain that throwing around words like psychedelic, avant-garde, post-industrial folk, experimental and just plain weird are more fitting of the group’s sound and vision. It’s an age old dilemma that has followed the group since their inception in 1980, and it’s not a bad thing.

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Hard to believe that it hasn’t even been two full years since Deerhunter unleashed Cryptograms into the world. The ensuing Pitchfork obsession, constant touring and Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound adventure have all left indelible marks on the group.

All of these things read like an impressionist’s diary entries lingering between every note, reverberating strum, and coo heard throughout the group’s third full-length, Microcastle (Kranky). From the epic, melancholy wail and fading guitar arch that opens the album in “Cover Me (Slowly),” it’s plain to see that this is not the same Deerhunter once personified by Cox masquerading in a dress.

Whereas Cryptograms propelled the group into the blogosphere with a full and confident stride, Microcastle is a world-weary album that’s somewhat damaged but not disheartened by experience. The album finds the group shedding the shoe-gazer fuzz and aggression of the past, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t come armed with some incredibly catchy pop hooks.

“Never Stops” and “Saved by Old Times” are bound by a sense of classic pop simplicity so uncomplicated that the subtleties and repeating cyclical structures of each song become addictive. Every second of the album is shrouded in a hue of ghostly and psychedelic fog, but Microcastle is not about sensory overload. It’s about nostalgia, reflection and growing up.

With its Stereolab-esque bouts of rhythms and droning, distorted harmonies, “Nothing Ever Happened” is the catchiest song on the record. It’s also the album’s most complex chapter that bridges the gap between Cryptograms and the here and now.

Despite the simplicities, the songs on Microcastle are rhythmically complex and therefore require patience. As such, the album isn’t the best place for Deehunter newcomers to start. But Microcastle is without a doubt a five-star record, and the departure from the avant-garde pop grind of Cryptograms serves the group well.

Deerhunter plays with Jay Reatard, Times New Viking and Pylon. $16. 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 31. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. 404-524-7354.

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After three years in the making Chunklet Magazine # 20 dropped this week.

Chunklet’s 20^th issue arrives on the the magazine’s 15^th anniversary, and features interviews with comedians Paul F. Tompkins and Zach Galifianakis, as well as stories on music journalists, drug appreciation and Whirlyball with Arcade Fire, the Shins, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Lips, Deerhunter, Mogwai and more.

If you order the magazine through Chunklet.com it comes with a free split 7-inch that features Zach Galifianakis and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

For his side of the record Galifianakis joined up with comedian AD Miles, producer Jon Brion and Fiona Apple to record a song, titled “Up In Them Guts.” The b-side features a Ted Leo song titled “Rock’n'Roll Dreams’ll Come Through.” The first 500 copies come as a picture disc 7-inch.

To celebrate 15 years of “chafing America’s ass,” Chunklet will host a two-day blow out on Sat., Oct. 11 and Sun., Oct. 12^th at the 40 Watt in Athens. The show on the 11^th features performances from Deerhunter, Twin Tigers, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, and comedian Brent Weinbach. The show on the 12^th features performances by of Mastodon, It’s Casual and comedian Brian Posehn.

The show on the 11^th starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance / $10 Day of Show. The show on the 12^th starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance / $22 Day of Show. Or you can $15 advance tickets at School Kids Records.

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I recently flew to New York City to catch the Black Lips, Deerhunter, and King Khan & the Shrines play a free show August 3, at McCarren Pool in Brooklyn.

It was worth the trip. The bands played to an insanely packed crowd of thousands of kids, young and old. It was so surreal standing onstage looking out at the wave of people covering the pool so thick you could barely see the cement floor.

The show was sweaty, loud, unpredictable, and a little bit chaotic — sounds like an Atlanta show to me.

I spent ten days in the city. This is what I saw:

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Pitchfork Media has posted a three-part video segment of Daytripping hosted by Bradford Cox of Deerhutner.

Throughout his Daytrip to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago Bradford talks to Health, Jay Reatard, King Khan, Apples in Stereo, High Places and many more.

Click here to watch part 1.

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Deerhunter’s third full-length, Microcastle (scheduled to hit the streets in the US on Oct. 27th via Kranky and the rest of the world via 4AD on the 28th) was posted for download today on iTunes today.

The release dates for the physical product remain the same, but if you want to hear the songs, they’re out there.

The physical release comes with a bonus full-length, titled Weird Era Cont., and the album’s first single, a limited edition 7-inch featuring the songs “Nothing Ever Happened” b/w “Little Kids (Demo)” should be out anytime now.

Microcastle track list:
1. Cover Me (Slowly)
2. Agoraphobia
3. Never Stops
4. Little Kids
5. Microcastle
6. Calvary Scars
7. Green Jacket
8. Activa
9. Nothing Ever Happened
10. Saved by Old Times
11. Neither of Us, Uncertainly
12. Twilight at Carbon Lake

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The nearly hour-long drive from in-town Atlanta to The Arena at Gwinnett in the thick of rush hour was probably the biggest obstacle facing Deerhunter as the group took the stage opening for Nine Inch Nails Wednesday night.

When Deerhunter started most folks were still navigating the parking lot and barking back at the God squad who guarded the driveway, screaming warnings about hellfire and eternal damnation to everyone making their way to the show.

But their cries for repentance fell on deaf ears. Even since the early ‘90s NIN has attracted an ironically meat head clientele, and hordes of rural Georgia rednecks guzzled Miller Lites from the backs of their trucks while they hooted, holler’d and gawked at herds of sour faced goth chics in spiked heels and short skirts.

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Word on the street has it that Deerhunter will play a free show at Vacation Gallery & Boutique this Friday at 7 p.m. So if you’re regretting your decision to balk at catching their opening set at the Nine Inch Nails show in Gwinnett last night, here’s a chance to catch them in a much more intimate venue. More details to come.

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When Deerhunter opens for Nine Inch Nails next Wednesday at The Arena at Gwinnett, it will be the group’s first show in Atlanta (or at least near Atlanta) with their new guitar player, Whitney Petty.

This will also be Atlanta’s first opportunity to get a substantial listen to the songs from the group’s forthcoming third release, Microcastle, which is set to hit the streets on CD and LP via Kranky in North America and 4AD for the rest of the world on October 28th.

The record release party for Microcastle will be held at The Variety Playhouse on Halloween night. Jay Reatard, Pylon and Times New Viking will open the show.

But if you can’t wait until Halloween and you don’t mind spending $30 on gas to get all the way out to Gwinett, and then spending another $39.50-$59.50 for a ticket, the Nine Inch Nails show on Wednesday looks to be pretty amazing.

By all reports the Lights in the Sky tour is one of Trent’s most insane stage shows yet; one that’s packed with visuals that surpass his 1993-’94 tour behind The Downward Spiral, which sounds too good to be true.

For a glimpse of what’s in store, take look…

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Atlanta punk metal trio Chopper crafts a heavy handed dirge that claims influences from a broad palette of many manly musics.

Everything from such classic rock icons as Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zeppelin, Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix and so on, tempered with a modern hardcore/metal edge that’s sharpened by the likes of Converge, Mastodon, Entombed and Unsane fit the bill. But the music is not wihtout a sense of humor, that usually evokes something to do with wizards, Mel Gibson, mythical beats or all of the above.
The group’s debut, 10-song full-length, Born to Ride…or Die hits the streets this month on drummer Lamar George’s new label, Dark Wolf Records.

A CD release show is currently in the works and will be announced on Crib Notes very soon.

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The fourth single in Matador’s series of limited-editions by Jay Reatard is a split 7-inch with Atlanta’s Deerhunter. The A-side is Jay covering Deerhunter’s “Flourescent Grey,” and the B-side is Deerhunter covering Jay’s “Oh, It’s Such A Shame.”

The record will be in stores on July 22. Matador’s webstore preorder date and time will be Mon., July 14 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. (Bastille Day).

All six 7-inches in the series will be compiled on an LP/CD to be released this fall.

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Over the weekend Deerhunter unveiled that it was taking on a new guitarist, a young lady by the name of Whitney Petty from Marietta, GA, to round-out the five-piece lineup for the group’s forthcoming tour. Details are still coming in, but you can read more about the story here.

In the meantime there’s a video of Bradford Cox, Lockett Pundt and Petty playing an acoustic version of the song, “Winter Never Stops” on Deerhunter’s blog.

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WE FUN TRAILER: Episodic chaos

Last week Nashville filmmakers Christopher Dortch and Matthew Robison (Silver Jew) unveiled the first substantial look at their Atlanta rock scene documentary film, titled We Fun: Atlanta, Ga. Inside Out.

The film is projected for an August release date.

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SOLO DEERHUNTER: Bradford Cox does his thing at his Atlas Sound CD release performance, Tues., Feb. 19.

Click here to read Mosi Reeves’ story on Cox and his new release.

(All photos by Alan Friedman)

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HOME … HOME ON THE RANGE: At the Variety Playhouse, where the Selmanaires, Snowden, Deerhunter and the Black Lips played Friday, Nov. 30.

(photos by Perry Julien)

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PIED PIPERS OF ATLANTA: Wherever the Black Lips go, CL is sure to follow.

(all photos by Perry Julien)

Before you left-click to leave another scathing comment about how you’re sick of seeing coverage in CL on the Black Lips, Deerhunter, Snowden or the Selmanaires, you should thank your lucky stars. We’re only running photos from their latest show at the Variety Playhouse Friday, Nov. 30. (more…)

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Today, MTV.com columnist James Montgomery posted a long essay arguing that Deerhunter is the best band of the year. Noting how Bradford Cox recently announced on Deerhunter’s blog that the band is going on hiatus, Montgomery writes:

Yes, I am aware that their first album, the demurely titled Turn It Up F—-t, came out in 2005. But from January to November of 2007, no band mattered more to people like me than Deerhunter. They were divisive (primarily because they learned very early on just how to work the hype machine), they were difficult and they were much-discussed. And they knew all this, which is why it was so brilliant (and incredibly fitting) when they announced their hiatus the way they did. It was a supremely meta moment — blog band announces hiatus via blog — one that encapsulated 2007 (and to a larger extent, the entire decade) in a way that In Rainbows didn’t.

Montgomery overstates his case somewhat. When I ran into Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt at MJQ several weeks ago, he informally told me that the band would go on vacation at the end of the year, get back together several months later, and have a new album ready for release in the fall of 2008. Who knows what the future will hold?

At any rate, Deerhunter is scheduled to join the Black Lips, Snowden and the Selmanaires for Stomp and Stammer’s 11th anniversary party at the Variety Playhouse on Fri., Nov. 30. More on that later.

Meanwhile, Cox is moving forward with his Atlas Sound project. He was recently featured on the cover of the Fader (see above photo), and is preparing to release his solo debut next year. Atlas Sound’s Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel drops Feb. 19 on Kranky Records.

In a press release, Cox dedicated the album to his friend Lockett Pundt: “It has a lot to do with childhood. I wanted to make an album that was uplifting but honest, which is why it seems sad a lot of the time. I want to make music that could be ‘healing’ or therapeutic to people who relate to it.”

The track listing for Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is below.

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