Deerhoof Release Free Live Album Online

Deerhoof scares me. The group's mix of poppy melodies and catchy hooks is often sharply contrasted with lyrical content and musical ideas that are subtly unsettling, although the darker side of the band was much more apparent in 1997's The Man, The King, The Girl and, to a slightly lesser degree, in 2002's Reveille. However, on last year's wonderful Apple O, they adopted a more approachable and light-hearted (albeit still weird) approach to pop songs, and my fright had receded.

However, those original inclinations towards darkness seem to have only been lurking in the shadows, and returned full-force on 2004's Milk Man. Not only is the album's thinly sketched story about a milk man who lives in a castle in the sky and kidnaps children, but it currently has my vote for scariest album art of the year. As if the milk man's sexual ambiguity, hooded face, and black-ooze-dribbling mouth wouldn't be enough to creep you the fuck out, he's also being impaled by fruit. In the wrong places! If the band was trying to design a cover that would subversively scare the hell out of anyone who viewed it, they should be commended. Or beaten. Hard to say, really.

It's just this kind of jumping around between the sweetness of Apple O and the cracked-out horrors of Milk Man that keeps the band continually interesting, and provides a damn good reason to check them out live. They haven't come to your town, you say? Well, you're in luck, as they've just released an exclusive online-only live album entitled Bibidi Babidi Boo.

To be available at the soon-to-be-launched website of KRS5RC-- a free record label created from the special love between Kill Rock Stars and 5 Rue Christine-- and currently available at Deerhoof's own website, Bibidi Babidi Boo is completely free to all those with an open mind and access to an Internet connection. The album features live tracks from the bands last three albums played at various gigs and radio appearances across the world. According to their press release, "Deerhoof may not be the tightest live band in the history of music, but they sure could be one of the most inspired." That's a compliment, right? Anyway, check this out, 'cause it's like, free, and stuff. Nite Traxx:

01 Dog On the Sidewalk (March 31, 2004: London, UK - Resonance FM)
02 Dummy Discards A Heart (May 08, 2004: San Francisco, CA - 12 Galaxies)
03 All Rise (November 08, 2003: Los Angeles, CA - All Tomorrow's Parties)
04 Milking (May 08, 2004: San Francisco, CA - 12 Galaxies)
05 Giga Dance (April 01, 2004: London, UK - BBC Peel Session)
06 Queen Orca Wicca Wind (January 14, 2004: San Francisco, CA - Elbow Room)
7. Panda Panda Panda (April 29, 2003: New York, NY - WFMU)
8. Flower (March 24, 2004: Tokyo, Japan - NHK)
9. Satan (June 08, 2002: New York, NY - WFMU)
10. Desaparecere (April 01, 2004: London, UK - Peel Session)
11. Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Rain (March 31, 2004: London, UK - XFM)
12. The Forbidden Fruit (August 12, 2004: Emmaboda, Sweden)

As previously reported, Deerhoof recently joined forces with Daniel Smith, better known as Br. Danielson, to record a handful of songs for Smith's follow-up to this year's Brother Is to Son. Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier had a few choice things to say about it: "The recording session with Brother Danielson went so well and it was so much fun! I really think the five songs we did don't sound like Brother Danielson or Deerhoof, but some new thing, so we're feeling excited. One of the most eye-opening discoveries from our collaboration was our mutual love of snacks."

Lastly is the lovely (though also previously reported) news that Deerhoof will soon be on tour in America! Quite a few dates will be played with this little group you might have heard of called Wilco, and other guests will be appearing sporadically. Praise be:

10-25 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater *
10-26 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater *
10-27 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater *
10-28 Chicago, IL - TBA
10-29 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater *
10-30 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater *
10-31 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
11-02 Brooklyn, NY - Northsix
11-03 New York City, NY - Knitting Factory (early show)
11-03 New York City, NY - Knitting Factory (late show)
11-04 Allston, MA - International Community Church (w/ Sunburned Hand)
11-05 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church (w/ The Advantage)
11-06 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
11-07 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 (w/ Dark Inside the Sun)
11-08 Murfreesboro, TN - Red Rose Coffee House (w/ Cherry Blossoms
11-09 Columbia, MO - The Ranch

* with Wilco