Two members of the same band each give L.A. Record their favorite albums of the Aughties! Which albums will overlap? Which will cancel each other out? Is the inclusion of “Ex Models” a vicious personal swipe at someone? And will L.A. Record EVER run out of top ten lists of the Aughties? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion…

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Dan, maybe the Coltrane one’s too old, even though it’s got the only complete live version? If so, please substitute w/ Petra Haden’s “Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out,” ok?

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Swiss punk lady Marlene Marder of Liliput joins Deerhoof for their cover of “Hitch-Hike.” Deerhoof’s Greg reports that she showed up during sound-check at a Switzerland show, corrected their wrong lyrics, and played the song with them to close their set that night. She hasn’t played live in years because she’s been traveling the world [...]

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People trying to dig a little deeper to find a decent description of Deerhoof’s sound have come up with adjectives like “melodically skewed” and “bombastically schizophrenic.” Impervious to the limitations of monikers, their DIY sonic aura has set them apart from most current bands. And that is exactly what Deerhoof fans witnessed Friday, July 31st, at the Echoplex in Los Angeles.

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photography by beth stirnaman

Deerhoof performing at The Echoplex on July 31, 2009.

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We met up with Busdriver at a coffee shop in Silverlake to discuss the future, the present, and the bits of past that stick around like gum on the bottom of your shoes. His newest Jhelli Beam is out now on Anti-. This interview by Daiana Feuer.

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Sunset Rubdown began as a solo project for Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug but quickly evolved into a full band . The music veers from carnival-esque grandeur to pin-drop-quiet beauty. They are currently touring in support of their newest album, Dragonslayer. Tom Child interviews multi-instrumentalist Michael Doerksen.

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Everything on Jhelli Beam makes sense. Every word is a picture. Every sentence pushes over the one before it the way dominos fall when they’re lined up in a row. The music badmintons with his cadence, provided by some of Busdriver’s far-out friends Daedelus and Nobody, as well as Nosaj Thing, Free the Robots, Omid, and Greg Saunier and John Dietrich from Deerhoof. Opening track “Split Seconds (Between Nannies and Swamis)” may be my favorite. An invitation to dip into Busdriver’s “saffron soy dip.” Are you dressed for the occasion? Then take off your clothes and relish in call and response chorus: “(call) Be yourself—(response) But I’m too embarrassed!” Hello, Existential Crisis Thesis. Welcome to your life.

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dan monick
L.A. RECORD cover alum Busdriver—interviewed here, and also playing our SXSW showcase Thursday at the Independent!—has just announced the release of his newest album Jhelli Beam on June 9 on Anti, which will feature Nocando, Mykah 9 and members of Deerhoof and Islands. Expect something pretty spectactular to coincide with Low End Theory [...]

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