This week Deerhoof announced their new album, La Isla Bonita, out November 4 on Polyvinyl. The first single, “Exit Only” is a raucous punk jam straight outta the Ashkenaz heyday, appropriately recorded in one take.
Link this to my love of a great cover song, but if a band I already like, in talking about their new record, cites influences that I also like a great deal, then it won’t even take a decent single to secure my pre-order. I don’t want a reviewer telling me so-and-so’s new LP sounds like post-Cars Ric Ocasek; I want the band itself to tell me it was inspired by the guy.
Sometimes I might wake up and make my bed, inspired by a Shins song echoing out of the other room. And it’s a pretty fun looking bed.
Point is, as counter-intuitive as this might sound, I don’t think any of us are looking for music that sounds just like some other music we already like. We’re all inspired by great bands and brilliant albums. What we do with that inspiration becomes worth sharing. Some of us attend festivals and fire off written nonsense into the netaether (because that’s all we can do). Others get to work making new music.
On the label’s website, La Isla Bonita is described as tribute to David Bowie, David Byrne, Radiohead, The Roots, Beck, and The Flaming Lips. Well, shit. I love all those guys. The one thing the album doesn’t seem to have, unfortunately, despite its title, is a Madonna cover tune.
Bonus song Friday: the second single off The RAA’s upcoming album. Soundcloud knows just how to kickoff my weekend. Now, on to Monterey.
Every Dragging Handclap 