Deerhoof - My Pal Foot Foot

Deerhoof just announced via Facebook that they have recorded a four-song session for Daytrotter, which you can download for free here. This has put me in fine mood for listening to some old Deerhoof records. I've got a few that I've had for years, but not gotten around to playing, so let's try...



...Uh-oh. Deerhoof covering the Shaggs. Already having a tendency to go off into tuneless but twee meanderings, Deerhoof, unfettered of any noise or alt.rock bent, could be about to deliver the ultimate in cutesy pain to my ears.

Well, Deerhoof's 'My Pal Foot Foot' is pretty much unlistenable. No tune, rhythm, meter, just Satomi drivelling on and on about 'Foot Foot' over some sporadic drum beats, scratchy gee-tar and splodgey synth sounds. It's got a charm of it's own, though, with Satomi breaking out into a laugh at the end of the song. Seems like the band are just having some fun, but it sounds like they must have totally deconstructed the original. Right? I am familiar with the Shaggs, and I know this is their most notorious song, although I've never actually had the pleasure of...

...Egad. Just listened to it on YouTube. I can't believe that's from 1969, since it sounds a lot like the sort of stuff you might hear on a Kill Rocks Stars compilation. Now, I'm all for indie-pop. I love Beat Happening. Daniel Johnston is good by me. I value creativity and expression of ideas and feelings above technical prowess. Yet while this song made me smile, its atonality rivaled Merzbow for most grating sounds ever thrust upon this listener's brain. But you know what? I kind of liked it.



Now, YouTube is typically a dumping ground for some of the most uninformed, ludicrous, aggressive and downright banal comments, so while I am loathe to reproduce any quotes from there I feel this gent has summed up the general consensus in rather an astute manner:

"Foot Foot probably died after listening to this pile of aural excrement."

A bit harsh, but then certainly more considered than some of the other comments, which would make a fishwife blush.

There's plenty of people bleating about how amazing this music is in its naivety and authenticity of expression, but what these people fail to acknowledge in their nice, little, tied-up-with-a-bow world is that the girls didn't want to be writing or playing this music and were only forced into it by their domineering and pushy father; confirmed by the fact that they didn't break up until the day he died. This isn't the sound of freedom and innocence - it's the sound of untalented musicians trying to make music with a gun to their head. I suppose that's also some of the appeal; although it is outwardly friendly, sincere, child-like etc. it is also unsettling, awkward and so in some ways, dark.

Anyway, I should be gassing on about the Deerhoof version and having now heard the original I can see where they're coming from. It's actually a fairly faithful cover and it's the Shaggs and not Deerhoof that are responsible for the weirdness that is 'My Pal Foot Foot'. Makes you wonder why they bothered? Probably because it was originally commissioned for a Shaggs tribute album, Better Than the Beatles.

Some people may be underwhelmed by the artwork, but I quite like the hand-made look. It's just a plain red sleeve with 'DEERHOOF MY PAL FOOT FOOT' hand stamped on, with the song titles upside side and backwards ("TOOF TOOF LAP YM," anyone?) The label has some drawings of geometric shapes and what-not and that, sirs, is it.



The B-sides are 'Sunny Forty Fours' and 'Aho-Bomb'. 'Sunny Forty Fours' is a lush guitar-driven track with flute accompaniment, leading to occasional electronic and keyboard embellishments before the songs cascades away. 'Aho-Bomb' starts with a repeating chiming guitar refrain and slowly builds in sound and atmosphere, before it bursts into a blast of bassy, all-out rock. Pretty cool and certainly the best track on the single.

Either song sounds like it would fit nicely on the Reveille album (in fact, I think they may be bonus tracks on the Japanese version). Other than that, I believe that this is the only place to get both songs, and would make for a nice addition to your stack of Deerhoof LPs.

(Edit: Turns out 'Aho-Bomb' was included on the 2006 download-only E.P. +81. Damn these downloads).

Deerhoof - The Perfect Me

Cool! A picture disc. Let’s take this out of the sleeve and give it a OHMYGODWHATTHEFUCKISTHAT!? Is it the famed ‘Beast with Two Backs’ that everyone at uni spoke of seeing at parties, while I was staying in and alphabeticising my CD collection? Whatever it is, ATP and Deerhoof went to great lengths to ensure the strengths of the picture disc format were fully exploited by asking the awesome David Shrigley to provide the artwork. Deerhoof have a history of working with cutting edge illustrators (teaming with Ken Kagami during the Milk Man period and, more recently, Tomoo Gokita for 2008’s Offend Maggie) and roped in Shrigley to create the Friend Opportunity artwork (of which there are apparently twelve variations on the cover sleeve).



‘The Perfect Me’ was the first taste of that album and displayed the poptastic heights Friend Opportunity would scale. Although instantly catchy and memorable, there is enough off-kilter stuff going on to keep you coming back play after play. The angular guitar squall and free improvisation of their earliest releases have all but been eradicated, replaced with keyboards, Satomi’s endearing childlike vocals and an emphasis on melody. However, bat-shit crazy drummer Greg Saunier brings spasmodic rhythms and there are more time-signature shifts than you can shake a metronome at. Throw in some satisfyingly crunchy guitar playing and you have something that is certainly not your ordinary pop song. It’s as if there about five songs all in one here, though not in a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ kind of way – it’s all going on at once, which is probably what makes the song so exciting. Overall, the whole thing is just a gloriously free-willed, spirited, uplifting, unique and downright fun track to listen to.



What with this single coming out at the tail end of 2006, the B-side is the semi-seasonal ‘The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill Continuing into The Little Drummer Boy.’ Having gushed all over the A-side, I couldn’t wait to hear a similar treatment of The Beatles’ ‘Bungalow Bill,’ but as with many Deerhoof covers I was left a little disappointed. Deerhoof exercise their more experimental sensibilities and produce a fairly sparse and strangely calypso-flavoured version. Quite nice, but somewhat slight. The same can be said of ‘The Little Drummer Boy,’ which is a fairly faithful rendition, all sweet and twinkly and chiming; but it’s over almost as soon as it begins.

Well, there were only 350 copies of this released, so if you want one it’ll probably cost you a pretty penny now. Personally, I’d recommend saving the money and getting yourself a copy of Friend Opportunity and The Beatles’ White Album instead!