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July 7, 2008

New Deerhunter Live Video - "Never Stops" & "Nothing Ever Happened"

thumbnail icon: New Deerhunter Live Video - "Never Stops" & "Nothing Ever Happened"

After working through the leaked tracks and those posted to MySpace earlier this summer, pretty much all of us agreed: there's less swoony catharsis at play in this newest crop of Deerhunter songs, but not at the expense of swoon-worthy songwriting. I've heard the relatively dialed down emotionalism and detachment of Microcastles (or whatever iteration of it the net possesses) stated as a complaint, and maybe even a misstep, but this fantastic performance of new tunes for Manchester's Guardian Media owned Channel M proves a couple of things:

  1. You may think it a misstep, but as this footage shows, the style shift is at least a well conceived and intentional move, and one in which Bradford has total confidence. A month ago I said "I don't imagine him screeching on top of amps in dresses (as much) this time," but obviously the shift runs deeper: check B's haircut and Baltimore Orioles t-shirt, painting him as less the troubled kid in your school who had serious issues at home, more the All American boy next door with the killer CD collection and dad who bought him great music gear to enable him to win the Best Musician superlative. This is Bradford exploring the mechanics of the songwriting he so clearly and vocally admires in conversation, collaboration, and blogpost alike. And if you think Cox's visual aesthetic doesn't factor into his musical intention in the slightest ... please.
  2. Anyone who thinks it's a misstep hasn't spent enough time with the lockstepping awesomeness of "Never Stops," which straight kills it here.


(via deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com)

"Never Stops" is so awesome. OK, not so boys 'n' girls next door, with that creative duct tape usage, and that suits me just great. Stream the studio versions of "Never Stops" and "Nothing Ever Happened" at MySpace. Microcastle is due out some time this year on Kranky.

Posted at 9:45 AM by amrit in
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10 Comments

I didn't like the Microcastle songs at first at all, but something's clicked now, and I don't care how little they sound like Cryptograms. They DO kill! Great bands grow up eventually, and that's what makes people remember them. People like to crap on bands like No Age, Deerhunter and Liars today, but I say those people will be eating their shit in a matter of years...

Posted by: mouchette1 profile link at 07/07/08 10:19 AM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

grrrnd zero live video is ten times better thant this. You can see it there : WWW.GRRRNDZERO.ORG
It is a Deerhunter's free donation show happening in the living room of Grnd Zero. The video countains the full show.

Posted by: pounchos at 07/07/08 12:03 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down
douglas martin

i think people have probably thought that deerhunter was incapable of creating a killer pop record. microcastle is it. it may not be a genre-defining masterpiece, but sometimes, merely having an awesome pop record is just as rewarding.

Posted by: douglas martin profile link at 07/07/08 12:50 PM | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

the instrumental jam at the end of nothing ever happened was pretty killer

Posted by: wandering ghost at 07/07/08 1:24 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

yeah, microcastle is fucking sick. can't wait for the official release.

Posted by: McG at 07/07/08 3:31 PM | Reply
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microcastles is mind-blowing. i've listened to it non-stop since it leaked and i'm still discovering new yummies mixed in. my fave songs off the album keep changing, too. i love when that happens. i'm totally digging the duct tape bit, too.

Posted by: JAMBAJIM at 07/07/08 3:41 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

woowowowow thank you POUNCHOS for the GRRRND ZERO link, this is great footage !!!!
I had already saw your Animal collective Brother Sport video and it was awesome !
this deerhunter video is much better than this, i think you're right !
thank you !
T.

Posted by: Takahiko at 07/07/08 3:58 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

at first i was like yesss.... then i was like YES! (from the top of a mountain)
deerhunter brings much happiness to my world, and also awesomeness in the form of microcastle. and the urge to eat venison.

Posted by: @meli@ at 07/07/08 6:31 PM | Reply
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omg the end of nothing ever happened fucking slays me every single time

Posted by: corey at 07/08/08 12:22 AM | Reply
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does the drummer get off (especially in the beginning) or is that just the video getting skippy ? it sounds retarded.

Posted by: hobo A at 07/23/08 2:53 PM | Reply
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