Press Play: Deerhoof

There are a number of ways that we measure success. Two of those ways are longevity and notoriety.  Deerhoof can say that they have reached both of these marks since they began their musical careers in 1994. Since their genesis, Deerhoof has toured with Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, and a host of other renowned bands.

In that time, Deerhoof has released 17 albums with the most recent album being The Magic.  The band’s significant amount of recorded and released material and  their amazing references on their musical résumé make you wonder why they are not at the same level of notoriety as the mega bands that they tour with.  Is it by choice? Or does it all come back to music and style?

It’s hard to say. What is easy to distinguish is the unique

sound of the band.  That unique sound being a murky mixture of noise pop, punk rock, and avant-garde. Often, what we as listeners experience from mega bands is a four chord commonality. This is not to bash bands who can utilize four chords to appease masses of people. However, it is interesting the bands who become more widely known use the same recipe. Which begs the question is there a recipe for musical success? And what does it mean for artists like Deerhoof when they choose to create albums with strange vocals, and seemingly random time signatures?

The answer has yet to be seen. One thing is certain;Deerhoof is  a band to press play on because although they do not use the traditional recipe for musical success the music they release is sweet. In fact, it is magical.