#Greg Saunier

[nofatclips]

Our Philosophy Is Fiction by Deerhoof from the album Actually, You Can

[triumph-of-adaptation]

Deerhoof at Milk Bar, Boorloo/Perth 16/06/24

[dustedmagazine]

Greg Saunier — We Sang, Therefore We Were (Joyful Noise)

Photo by Sophie Daws

As ¼ of noisy indie-rockers Deerhoof, drummer Greg Saunier has decades' worth of experience in frenetic music as fun as it is difficult (if not more so). Across hundreds of other recordings, he's hidden himself away joyfully. Now, with the encouragement of his bandmates, he finally has his own solo outing, We Sang, Therefore We Were. Deerhoof fans won't be surprised by the sound here — it plays much like you'd expect a side project from the band to do — but they will likely be taken by Saunier's multi-instrumental prowess and songwriting glee.

The album comes from restlessness and anger, but more than anything, Saunier's wry playfulness comes through. He's witty and funny and while some of these lyrics may push toward the absurd, there's a deep seriousness running through the album, which stops just short of being a full-on concept record. Much of the record considers our relationship to the earth, or how we think about either ourselves or the natural world. Single “Grow Like a Plant” takes a somewhat comical look at the topic, suggesting that humans (and animals) aren't inherently more special than plant life. Saunier sings, “Meate only thinks it thinks” [sic], highlighting the feeling that we don't really know what we know.

As much as the album can sound wild at times, Saunier's deep thoughtfulness (unless he only thinks he thinks) repeatedly comes through. In “Not for Mating, Not for Pleasure, Not for Territory,” Saunier sets himself up as “the 500-celled creature, 500-celled creature / I am not, I am not / No 499 creature, no 501 creature.” With that phrase, he oddly posits himself as the simplest multicellular integrated organism (happily an algae and not “meate”). At that stage of development, he can play, cry and shriek, but Saunier the artist can also undermine the whole work by adding, “Goes the song ironically.” The whole enterprise of We Sang, Therefore We Were seems to undercut any sort of epistemic stability we might think we have (in which case singing outclasses thinking, because only extent beings could have sang).

All of this destabilizing comes through a musical approach not dissimilar to Deerhoof's, which makes sense. There's a manic sense of time and jagged guitars, but clear melodies run through the songs. He plays with classical music to end the record and digs into musical theory elsewhere. His own comments suggest a mix of Nirvana and Captain Beefheart, a goal he achieved. Ultimately, though, the record isn't only about theory or deconstruction, but about the joy of playing this music and of the epiphanies art can lead us to. “Playing Tunes of Victory on the Instruments of Our Defeat,” before swinging toward classical, challenges us to pause in the chaos and take stock of how we live (whether animal or vegetable). Saunier may play with irony and misdirection, but he sounds earnest when he sings, “So when you say goodbye to someone / Do you ramp down your love till the adieu? / Or, do you treasure every last moment? / Doing things healthy, fun, and rewarding?” You might not want to be meat, and you might not know if you can think what you think, but you can always sing, and you can always find the rewards in whatever this life is. Saunier blasts along to help his listeners do just that.

Justin Cober-Lake

[dougwallen]

Deerhoof feature for The Big Issue Australia

[onryou-onryou]

Greg Saunier - Grow Like a Plant (Official Video)

[senorboombastic]

'Celebrate' - Listen to the ninth episode of ’60 Minutes or less’, the new podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – featuring HALO MAUD!

Words: Andy Hughes Bonjour! For the ninth episode of ’60 Minutes or less’ – the new podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – it’s an honour to welcome our first European guest! If we were still in the EU we would have ticked this off the list two episodes in, but since we fucked that when the UK voted to leave the EU, we look to France and our European friends with an interview with HALO…

[grandmayardsale]

The four of us if we were members of Deerhoof

[parkerbombshell]

Strange Fruit May 12

Strange Fruit 10pm EST bombshellradio.com Archival Shows available on bombshellradiopodcasts.com Strange Fruit (10-midnight EST) offers up a Big Album that would have amazed the lead vocalist who sang a few of his favourite songs into a cassette years ago. Rescued in charity store, the cassette had an unimaginable second life leading to a makeover and album release this year, elsewhere a reggae pioneer, ambient techno masters, and, erm, Bing Crosby. Not exactly the way an algorithm would prescribe your listening, then. Join us: https://bombshellradio.com/ #independent radio #outsidermusic #newmusic Poppycock: Magic Mothers An Alien Called Harmony: Fighting the Atom Michel Moers (feat. Claudia Brucken): Microwaves Howl in the Typewriter: It’s Four in the Morning Howl in the Typewriter: Music, Maestro, Please! Yosa Peit: Shelly Nicholas Goldin feat. Cola Boyy: The Foundation Mara Simpson feat. Her Ensemble: Echo Prince Far i: Deck of Cards Zaiko Langa Langa: Femme ne Pleure Pas Sarah/Shaun: Keep your Eyes Closed Charlie Risso: By the Lake Howl in the Typewriter: My Way Howl in the Typewriter: I’m Stepping out with a Memory The Rain Parade: Angel Sister Sami Galbi: Dakchi Hani John Grant: It’s a Bit Disconcerting Jon Anderson: Hold on to Love Qwalia: Omega The Orb: Majestic Gagarin: Saeta Halo Maud (feat. Greg Saunier): You Float Jethro Tull: Only Solitaire Howl in the Typewriter: Don’t Laugh at me Cos I’m a Fool Howl in the Typewriter: With my Eyes Wide Open Bing Crosby: At my Time of Life Mazz Swift: Eye Woke Up David Crosby: I’d Swear there was Somebody Here                           Read the full article

[nofatclips]

Be Unbarred, O Ye Gates of Hell by Deerhoof from the album Actually, You Can - Director/Animator: Geoff Hoskinson

[noloveforned]

i'm (hopefully) at home recovering from a minor heart procedure earlier this week but there's a new show set to air on wlur at 8pm tonight with two hours of (mostly broken) heart related songs. last week's show is also streaming on mixcloud and will air at 10pm tonight after the new show.

we also wrapped up our 'song quotes' theme last week. all semester long we've been starting shows off with a song that quotes lyrically from another song. we heard from: built to spill allo darlin, spiritualized, jeanines, okkervil river, hootie and the blowfish, car seat headrest, tori amos, uncle tupelo, vampire weekend, martha, the spinanes, destroyer, and u2.

no love for ned on wlur – april 12th, 2024 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label u2 // god, part ii // rattle and hum // island bodega // dedicated to the dedicated // our brand could be yr life // chrysalis armin // academic genius // armin cassette // lost sound tapes the real losers // beat your heart out // good clean fun // total punk macho boys // dinosaur // macho boys // dirt cult cowtown // tweak // paranormal romance // happy happy birthday to me hound // holding out // some days were good cassette // gold mold s:bahn // you could be mine // love songs // noiseland lung leg // krayola // maid to minx // last night from glasgow majesty crush // seles // love 15 // numero group drop nineteens // white dress // white dress ep // wharf cat nervous twitch // this song about ya // odd socks // (self-released) guided by voices // jabberstroker // sunfish holy breakfast ep // matador still house plants // sticky // if i don't make it, i love u // bison tam lin // snooping animals // tam lin cassette // discontinuous innovations titanic // circulo perfecto // vidrio // unheard of hope patrick shiroishi // the light is not afraid // a sparrow in a swallow's nest 7" // sub pop caroline davis and wendy eisenberg featuring greg saunier // concrete // accept when // astral spirits shabaka hutchings featuring saul williams // managing my breath, what fear had become // perceive its beauty, acknowledge its grace // impulse! tyshawn sorey, aaron diehl and matt brewer // reincarnation blues // continuing // pi harold land // one second, please // the fox (remastered) // contemporary akai solo // demonslayer // spirit roaming // backwoodz studioz serengeti // lou canela // kenny dennis iv // othar tha god fahim and oh no featuring your old droog // cobbler // berserko // nature sounds estee nack and futurewave // oscar de la renta // stone temple pyrex // wav god music valee and harry fraud featuring saba and mavi // watermelon automobile // virtuoso // fake shore drive beyoncé featuring linda martell and shaboozey // spaghettii // cowboy carter // parkwood entertainment the hit parade // apple tree // under the bridge, volume two compilation // skep wax haha same // calling it a night // guess what to do 7" // sub pop the ladybug transistor // always on the saxophone // can't wait another day // merge the flaming stars // ten feet tall // john peel session on october 17th, 1996 ep // precious club 8 // sunny // sunny digital single // golden islands the reds, pinks and purples // learning to love a band // unwishing well // slumberland

[dustedmagazine]

Deerhoof — Miracle-Level (Joyful Noise)

Photo by Mike Bridavsky

Miracle-Level by Deerhoof

Though they’ve been at it for nearly 30 years, Deerhoof are still finding ways to stay fresh. Miracle-Level is, amazingly, their first album to be fully made in a studio with a producer. Plus, it’s also their first album sung entirely in vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki’s native Japanese. These circumstances pull the band in competing directions, on the one hand making the music a little more palatable in terms of the sounds, while on the other hand making it more disorientating due to the fact that the words are sung in a different language (unless you speak Japanese, that is). Seeing as the band had to hone and tighten their songs before heading into the studio, the performances are some of the most articulate and explosive in the band’s enviable catalogue, while also making room for moments of exquisite tenderness.

Though Deerhoof have always done a great job with their largely DIY recordings, on Miracle-Level there’s an astonishing depth to Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich’s guitars, each part complementing the other with unusual voicings. There’s the usual barrage of blistering riffs, plus slide guitar, organ and piano cropping up here and there. From a production perspective, Mike Bridavsky has done a sterling job; the three-dimensional quality of this record is truly striking and exciting, whether on headphones or blasted on speakers. Hard-hitting drummer Greg Saunier is, if anything, a tad subdued here compared to some of his more unhinged playing, but he does get a couple of star turns at the mic: the slashingly dissonant “Everybody, Marvel,” and poignant finale “Wedding, March, Flower.” Befitting their exclamation points, “My Lovely Cat!” and “Momentary Art of Soul!” have a couple of the most punishingly intense and repetitive codas on the entire record, while “And the Moon Laughs” foregrounds a hilariously over-the-top glam-rock riff. In contrast, mellower cuts “The Poignant Melody,” “Miracle-Level” and “The Little Maker” provide some welcome respite from the chaos. 

The album in Deerhoof’s discography that Miracle-Level is closest to in feel is probably 2008’s Offend Maggie, where the band effectively balances ferocity with sweetness, dissonance with anthemic melody. At this stage in their career it feels miraculous that Deerhoof keep on releasing music that’s quite this vital and inventive. 

Tim Clarke

[mxdwn]

Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier Announces New Album We Sang, Therefore We Were For April 2024 Release, Shares New Single & Video “Grow Like A Plant”

https://music.mxdwn.com/2024/04/08/news/deerhoofs-greg-saunier-announces-new-album-we-sang-therefore-we-were-for-april-2024-release-shares-new-single-video-grow-like-a-plant/

[onryou-onryou]

Brian Chippendale Greg Saunier Side B

[theam-cjsw]

The AM: April 8, 2024

Tune into hour three for a mini-tribute to the Solar Eclipse (which is as close as I'll get to seeing one for the next few decades, most likely). Plus unexpected new music from Cindy Lee, a throwback to Sandro Perri, alphabetical ambiance from Kilometre Club, and other sounds for a sunny Monday morning in Calgary.

Listen on CJSW, or pick one of the platforms below. Full playlist is also after the break.

Track List:

Hour One

Dancer Polynomials Kelly Moran • Moves in the Field

A Royal Statement Anne Nikitin, Hannah Peel • Scoop - OST

So Far So Good Michael Peter Olsen • Narrative Of A Nervous System

Veritas (Tristan de Liège Rework) Gregory Allison • Single

Airliner Kilometre Club, featuring Hollie Kenniff • An Alphabet Of Distance

Kayla Asleep Jilk • Welcome Lies

Joe Shabason, Krgovich, Sage • Shabason, Krgovich, Sage

teacozy 3 Zeta II Reticulli • the teacozy sessions

Emerge (The Hardy Tree Remix) Apta • Submerge

Dream State Kamasi Washington, featuring André 3000 • Fearless Movement

Fifteen Fifty-Three Khruangbin • A La Sala

Mahal Glass Beams • Mahal

La Pulpa Valebol • Valebol

Hour Two

Family Tree Sandro Perri • Tiny Mirrors

Love is Real Sandro Perri • Tiny Mirrors

Slither Raf Wilcot • Single

On My Way to You Loving • Any Light

Jona Penny Arcade • Backwater Collage

Sun Girl Julia Holter • Something in the Room She Moves

Hour Three

When There Is No Sun The Sun Ra Quartet, featuring John Gilmore • New Steps

Invisible When the Sun Leaves Shana Cleveland • Night of the Worm Moon

Eclipse Jacco Gardner • Somnium

Dance of the Eclipse Possum • Lunar Gardens

Golden Seeds Daisy Rickman • Howl

Government Cheque Cindy Lee • Diamond Jubilee

Black Holes, the Stars and You A. Savage • Single

Ines Alena Spanger • Fire Escape

Parc de Beauvoir Bibi Club • Feu de garde

Outrun the Sun La Force • XO Skeleton

You Float Halo Maud, featuring Greg Saunier • Celebrate

Shine the Light Inside Astral Swans, featuring Jairus Sharif • Split EP