Deerhoof (US)

Oh, how the time goes by. Deerhoof has become a veteran and a living legend of the alternative scene. Such acts as Sleigh Bells, The Flaming Lips, and Sufjan Stevens have admitted to looking for inspiration in the band’s music. The rest just don’t admit it. It thus comes as a surprise that the group’s latest album, Deerhoof vs. Evil, is stocked with enough energy and ideas to fuel ten of the year’s best debut records. They are one of the rare acts to successfully combine bold experimentation, perhaps even avant-garde art, with a love (and talent) for writing slick, catchy songs. You’ll find all of that on the al-bums, but to witness Greg Saunier play the drums live — alongside the expressive Satomi Matsuzaki — is priceless.