Deerhunter
An Atlanta band led by Bradford Cox, whose album Halcyon Digest appeared in 2010 and was ranked third among Pitchfork's albums of the year.
- Origin
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Years active
- 2001-2019
- Genres
- indie rock, experimental rock, psychedelic pop, noise rock, garage rock, art rock
- Labels
- Kranky, 4AD, Sub Pop
Atlanta
Deerhunter formed in Atlanta in 2001 around vocalist and guitarist Bradford Cox and drummer Moses Archuleta, with bassist Paul Harper. The name was picked by an early drummer, Dan Walton, and Cox has often said he dislikes it. Guitarist Colin Mee joined early on. He and Cox bonded over Dada, the composers Olivier Messiaen and Gyorgy Ligeti, and British bands such as The Fall, The Raincoats and Cabaret Voltaire. Josh Fauver took over on bass, and after the first album, Turn It Up Faggot, in 2005, Cox asked his old high-school friend Lockett Pundt to join as a second guitarist, writing partner and occasional lead singer.
The band calls its music "ambient punk", though it has taken in noise, garage rock, art rock and pop. Live shows have been described as much more savage than the records. Cox has worn sundresses on stage and said that plain jeans and a T-shirt would feel anticlimactic.
Cryptograms and Microcastle
A first attempt at a second album, in New York in 2005, produced nothing the band could use. They went back to the rural Georgia studio where they had made their debut, and in two day-long sessions, months apart, recorded Cryptograms. Kranky released it on 29 January 2007. The first half is ambient and the second half is pop, and Pitchfork described the later songs as vastly more accessible. The four-track EP Fluorescent Grey followed in May.
In April 2008 the band spent a week at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn with Nicolas Vernhes, recording Microcastle. It leaked in May, so they recorded a second album, Weird Era Cont., as a reward for fans who waited, and the two came out together on 27 October 2008. Pitchfork called the result a singular-sounding call-to-arms and ranked it fifth among the albums of the year. Its first single, Nothing Ever Happened, was written largely by Fauver. The album debuted at number 123 on the Billboard 200, a first for the band. In September 2009, at All Tomorrow's Parties, Cox announced a break from the band, and during the break Cox continued his solo project Atlas Sound while Pundt released an album as Lotus Plaza.
Halcyon Digest
The band came back in 2010, opening for Spoon and playing Coachella. New songs, among them Revival, Helicopter and Fountain Stairs, appeared on stage before they were recorded. In June they made Halcyon Digest at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia, with engineer David Barbe, and mixed it with Ben H. Allen. Cox said the title was about memories, some of them invented, that we edit into a digest of what we want to remember.
The album was announced with a photocopied flyer that fans were asked to put up in their towns and photograph. Those who did received the track list and the single Revival. Pitchfork gave the album 9.2 and placed it alongside Microcastle as the band's most exhilarating work to date. The Guardian picked out Desire Lines, written and sung by Pundt, as the standout. Other highlights are Helicopter, Coronado and the closer He Would Have Laughed. The album reached number 37 on the Billboard 200 and number 8 on the UK independent chart.
Later records
Fauver left in 2012. Monomania (2013), made with Vernhes and with Josh McKay on bass and Frankie Broyles on guitar, turned to raw garage rock, which Pitchfork noted as a move away from the dreamy ambience of earlier records. In June 2013 the band curated All Tomorrow's Parties at Camber Sands and played Cryptograms, Microcastle and Halcyon Digest in full.
Fading Frontier came out on 4AD in October 2015, produced by Ben H. Allen and the band, and Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? followed in January 2019, co-produced by Cate Le Bon. Its title came from a Jean Baudrillard book, and Cox called it a science fiction album about the present. The band has been inactive since the end of its tour in November 2019.
Members
- Bradford Cox vocals, guitar (2001-2019)
- Moses Archuleta drums (2001-2019)
- Lockett Pundt guitar, keyboards, vocals (2005-2019)
- Josh Fauver bass (2004-2012)
- Colin Mee guitar (until 2008)
- Josh McKay bass (2012-2019)
Records
- Cryptograms 2007 · Kranky
The second Deerhunter album, recorded in two day-long sessions months apart, ambient in its first half and pop in its second.
- Microcastle 2008 · Kranky (US), 4AD (Europe)
The third Deerhunter album, recorded in a week, with a bonus disc, Weird Era Cont., made after it leaked.
- Halcyon Digest 2010 · 4AD
A Deerhunter album that Bradford Cox described as a set of short dispatches about memory, and the last with bassist Josh Fauver.
- Monomania 2013 · 4AD
A Deerhunter album that turned to raw garage rock, with a new bassist and guitarist.
Songs
- Desire Lines Halcyon Digest · 2010
The six-minute song on Halcyon Digest that guitarist Lockett Pundt wrote and sings.
- Helicopter Halcyon Digest · 2010
A Halcyon Digest song that the band played live before the record and released as a single with a video.
- Revival Halcyon Digest · 2010
The first single from Halcyon Digest, given away to fans who put up the band's flyers.
- Coronado Halcyon Digest · 2010
A 3:19 Halcyon Digest track with saxophone that Bradford Cox said was inspired by the Rolling Stones.
- He Would Have Laughed Halcyon Digest · 2010
The 7:29 closer of Halcyon Digest, a tribute to Jay Reatard.
- Nothing Ever Happened Microcastle · 2008
The first single from Microcastle, a 5:50 song written largely by bassist Josh Fauver.
Related artists
Atlas Sound, Lotus Plaza, Black Lips, Liars
Where to go next
Official
- Deerhunter on 4AD The band's page at its label.
Reference
- Deerhunter The band's history from formation to the 2019 tour.
- Halcyon Digest Concept, artwork, promotion, track list, personnel and chart positions.
- Microcastle Recording, vinyl versions, reception and track list.
- Cryptograms The failed first session and the two day-long sessions that made the album.
- Monomania Background, recording and reception.
- Fading Frontier The 2015 album, its singles and reception.
- Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? The 2019 album and the book behind its title.
Writing and criticism
- Pitchfork review of Halcyon Digest Marc Hogan's long review, song by song.
- Pitchfork review of Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. A track-by-track review of both discs.
- Pitchfork review of Cryptograms A detailed review of the second album.
- Pitchfork review of Monomania Ian Cohen on the garage-rock turn.
- Guardian review of Halcyon Digest A short four-star review by Michael Hann.
Sources
- Deerhunter, Wikipedia
- Halcyon Digest, Wikipedia
- Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest, Pitchfork (2010-09-27)
- Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest, The Guardian (2010-09-23)
- Deerhunter: Microcastle / Weird Era Cont., Pitchfork (2008-10-27)
- Deerhunter, 4AD