deerblog | creative director - deer god productions | recording | mixing | engineering | filming | video editing | live sound

"DEER GOD RADIO 139: MATADOR RECORDS" NOW AVAILABLE

10/14/2021

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO focused on the eclectic AMERICAN independent label MATADOR RECORDS!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

"DEER GOD RADIO 143: KIM DEAL" LIVE TONIGHT AT 10PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

10/10/2021

parodies by nacrowe

join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the amazing INDIE ROCK music of KIM DEAL!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

SPOTLIGHT | LIVE @ 885FM

10/3/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

i am always on the hunt for live music series online. it probably comes from attempting to initiate one myself. i recently came across LIVE @ 885FM which showcases live performances by upcoming as well as established INDIE ROCK acts in their studio out of CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. notable participants during pre-pandemic times include that of JOHNNY MARR, BOB MOULD, NADA SURF, BEST COAST, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER, JENNY LEWIS, INARA GEORGE (of BIRD & THE BEE), KURT VILE, BLITZEN TRAPPER and FIRST AID KIT.

obviously this is a take on the model spearheaded and popularized by the longstanding live performance series out of KEXP in SEATTLE, but honestly who cares? i love the fact that there are a multitude of radio stations (including KCRW in SANTA MONICA) providing quality, professionally recorded and mixed content of bands playing live.

we all win. especially when legacy radio stations have the pull to draw in first-rate talent, as is the case with 88.5FM.

enjoy.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | THE HOLY KNIVES

10/1/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

THE HOLY KNIVES are a noirish LOS ANGELES-by-way-of-SAN ANTONIO INDIE ROCK outfit and the musical creative outlet of brothers KYLE and KODY VALENTINE. we had the pleasure during pre-pandemic times of filming and recording them play "STRAY DOG" and "SWITCHBLADE HEART" as part of our KREISCHER MANSION SESSIONS live performance series.

from the start their sparse, reverb-drenched, plodding sound gave me DAVID LYNCH vibes, as if they these songs were written with TWIN PEAKS and BLUE VELVET on repeat in the background while muted. the deep baritone of KODY and the angular, haunting guitar lead lines of KYLE is quite the combination, giving them a unique cinematic sound. it all kind of makes sense when you know that their name is partially derived from the transgressive art film HOLY MOUNTAIN by ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY. in my mind's eye, their music evokes a complex narrative. if only in my imagination.

we had nothing but a pleasure collaborating with the VALENTINE brothers and we wish them nothing but the best as they are currently recording their new record in LOS ANGELES. we are looking forward to hearing what they cook up.

THE HOLY KNIVES are definitely worth checking out, specifically their previous YEAR OF THE BLACK DOG record.

FILM REVIEW | WHEN NIRVANA CAME TO BRITAIN

9/28/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

its funny how there is the psychic cultural connection between the UNITED STATES and the UNITED KINGDOM, whereby both influence the other in and out of context. it is a dynamic that i have found endlessly fascinating. you can see it in all the great BRITISH INVASION bands taking CHICAGO and DELTA BLUES and making it there own, or in PUNK ROCK initiating a mutual admiration society of artists turn musicians that flourished on both sides in POST PUNK, HARDCORE and INDIE ROCK of the 1980s and ALTERNATIVE ROCK in the 1990s.

so NIRVANA was a continuation of that push and pull across the pond. what is interesting about the recent WHEN NIRVANA CAME TO BRITAIN (BBC, 2021) documentary is that it focuses on the influence of NIRVANA by those who roadied, booked and attended those early shows. also interviewed are surviving members KRIST NOVOSELIC and DAVE GROHL as well as members of the BRITISH music press and members of THE RAINCOATS and THE VASELINES, whom KURT COBAIN famously championed.

what comes across is the organic embrace of the band pre-fame by the BRITISH public as well as an open-minded set of outsider and working-class booking agents and support staff. NIRVANA to these people represented a conscious break from the austere conservatism of THATCHERISM and a peak into a more inclusive and freeing future. NOVOSELIC makes the point that NIRVANA was a "feminized" band that consciously rejected the hollow machismo and outright misogyny of ROCK N ROLL during that period. COBAIN is the very archetype of a more enlightened, progressive and ultimately inclusive form of a modern-day MASCULINITY. the fact that within a BRITISH context he cultivated that sort of reaction by an outsider culture he so deeply felt aligned with is heartwarming. because i dont believe he ever felt that way stateside at any point during his life, pre or post-fame.

the narrative of NIRVANA and COBAIN has been retread so many times in books, tv shows, documentaries and articles since his passing 27 years ago that the topic itself seems completely barren of surprise or insight. i think the BBC here did an interesting job of presenting a new angle on NIRVANA by focusing on their work ethic, determination and innocence and how that touched a nerve with a small public and working-class support staff at a formative stage in their career.

WHEN NIRVANA CAME TO BRITAIN is a very touching and ultimately productive documentary worthy of investigation.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | MEN I TRUST

9/24/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

when i listen to the music of MONTREAL DREAM POP/INDIE ROCK band MEN I TRUST i catch glimpses of MAZZY STAR, THE CARPENTERS, FEIST and maybe even a little THIEVERY CORPORATION thrown in the mix. they have a hazy bed of light keyboards and gentle guitar chords that breathe in and out of one another that provides the perfect sonic bed for singer JESSY CARON's whispered and softly sung incantations.

its an intoxicating mix and i recommend it to anyone interested in modern INDIE POP. definitely worth checking out.

FILM REVIEW | BREADCRUMB TRAIL

9/21/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

when i first came across SLINT's second record SPIDERLAND (TOUCH AND GO, 1991) record years ago, i remember how it had a visceral and immediate quality yet somehow simultaneously seemed opaque and inaccessible, almost like MARK ROTHKO painting. ROTHKO paintings hit you on an emotional level, for me at least, and leave you attempt to meet it on an intellectual level before you give up and just acquiesce to the art itself. that was how i felt about that album in general. much like JAZZ, it is a sublime moment in time with no discernible narrative or entry point other than the seduction of the music itself.

in the intervening years since its release the album and the band have manifest a cult following and a certain mystique, probably because by the time of its release the band had broken up and never toured it. BREADCRUMB TRAIL (2014) is a film that attempts to explore the band , the HARDCORE scene they came out of in KENTUCKY and of course the record itself. interviews with peers such as DAVID YOW (THE JESUS LIZARD), IAN MCKAYE (MINOR THREAT / FUGAZI) and JAMES MURPHY (LCD SOUNDSYSTEM), producers STEVE ALBINI and BRIAN PAULSON as well as TOUCH AND GO RECORD founder COREY RUSK and the band members themselves (BRITT WALFORD, BRIAN MCMAHAN, DAVID PAJO, TODD BRASHEAR and ETHAN BUCKLER.

as much as these interviews are conducted with an eye towards transparency, its interesting to hear the band members discuss the creative process. if anything, the process is in-keeping with the dual DIY ethic of being prepared and putting your time into the craft while also recognizing the importance of being in the moment. there is a looseness to the record that comes with establishing a chemistry between players. again, it is almost like a great JAZZ combo, that unspoken connection. it was interesting listening to the members struggle to identify the spark or reason behind the record coming out the way it did. it just did. they had a weekend to record, they were prepared and just went for it. lightning in a bottle.

and then just left it, purity intact.

for me this documentary doesnt really affect my appreciation for the record. it just provides context to scene that helped influence it, bands such as KILLDOZER, BIG BLACK and THE JESUS LIZARD. that SPIDERLAND sounds nothing like such only further cements its uniqueness. that members of SLINT previously played in a straight-up METAL band as teenagers who opened for SAMHAIN on tour of all things was a pretty unexpected surprise as well.

if you are a fan of INDIE ROCK or appreciate its influence on 90s ALTERNATIVE ROCK, then this documentary is well worth your time.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTIST | KING KRULE

9/17/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

sometimes you come across a musician that is hard to pin down on first listen and seem wholly original yet strangely an extension of what you are familiar with beforehand. im thinking of songwriters and performers like BJORK and TRICKY who had antecedents in experimental ELECTRONIC MUSIC and HIP HOP, but took such influences to another new terrain.

thats kind of how i feel about KING KRULE, the creative project of ARCHY IVAN MARSHALL, that incorporates everything from TRIP HOP and INDIE ROCK to JAZZ FUSION and POST PUNK. its a heady eclectic mix but is cohesive through his unique persona and reflective yet opaque lyrics.

KING KRULE is definitely worth check out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 139: MATADOR RECORDS" LIVE TONIGHT AT 10PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

9/12/2021

parodies by nacrowe

join us TONIGHT at 10PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the pioneering AMERICAN independent label MATADOR RECORDS.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | YOUNG PRISMS

8/27/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

as ive mentioned before at length, i am a unabashedly a huge sucker for anything SHOEGAZE adjacent. just thinking about SLOWDIVE makes me emotional. i absolutely adore the hazy textures, lilting single-note guitar melodies and just the pure swathing indulgence of reverb and delay that come with that immense layered sound.

and VANCOUVER INDIE ROCK band YOUNG PRISMS hits that sweet spot. can't recommend them enough. they are very much worth checking out.

CHECK OUT THIS ARIST | FAZERDAZE

8/20/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

KIWI INDIE ROCK singer-songwriter AMELIA MURRAY, a.k.a. FAZERDAZE, has a relaxed, reverb-drenched, fuzzed-out, hazy sound reminiscent of BROADCAST, FEIST and even SLOWDIVE. like those bands listening to her evocatively somber songs makes me swim through past memories sweet and bitter. i wouldnt call her music nostalgic but it definitely has a cinematic, reflective quality that is quite engrossing.

FAZERDAZE is definitely worth checking out.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTIST | RENTBOY

8/6/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

RENTBOY is the transgressive and expansive musical outlet of the talented PHILADELPHIA songwriter BOBBY BROWN. we were lucky enough to record and film a live incarnation of the band at the NYC venue TRANS-PECOS back in those halcyon pre-pandemic days as part of our OFF THE M live performance series.

what made them standout was the compositional cohesiveness and complexity of their off-kilter time signatures and experimental electronic sonic textures. it all added up to a sound that was kinetic, bouncy and distinctively POP. and i mean POP in the best tradition of artists like PRINCE that push their audience to accept a wider variation of acceptable sounds. in RENTBOY's case that includes electronically manipulated vocals. during our filming at the venue over several weeks this was the first band i encountered were i thought "okay, i havent heard that before."

RENTBOY is definitely worth checking out, especially their new HEAD IN UNLIT HOMES EP set for release later this month. also please check out BROWN's recent MAGNET MAGAZINE article (linked HERE) where he wrote about the process of writing and recording during the pandemic.

RECORD REVIEW | "MONSTER" BY R.E.M.

7/31/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

i dont believe MONSTER (WARNER BROS, 1994) is the best or even the most consequential record by seminal INDIE ROCK band R.E.M., but it was the one that had the most effect on me during my time growing up in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. OUT OF TIME (WARNER BROS, 1994) reminds me of my time in early elementary school and very much got me into playing guitar (which is ironic because that was a mandolin-heavy record written by guitarist PETER BUCK after being temporarily bored by his instrument), while MONSTER for me was a much more emotionally heavier affair.

originally conceived as a possible venue for collaboration with NIRVANA frontman KURT COBAIN, his unfortunate passing earlier in 1994 is sonically and spiritually all over this record. with its more muscular production and riff-heavy sonic textures and opaque lyrics that referenced and challenged notions of VIOLENCE, IDENTITY and SEXUALITY, MONSTER very much felt like a contemporary ALTERNATIVE ROCK record of the period. or at least as close as R.E.M. would ever venture.

i was 10 when COBAIN passed and it was a shock to me and my friends. my grandmother passed away around that period and between the two it was basically my introduction to the concept of DEATH. in particular i remember hearing "BANG AND BLAME" on 106.7FM KROQ all the time and how that song invoked (to me) the pain of being left behind and sorting out the emotional carnage in the wake of such an event. im almost certain that is not what singer/lyricist MICHAEL STIPE intended, but that was my interpretation. that was definitely a big song during my youth. ive read that "LET ME IN" was explicitly about COBAIN and written shortly after his passing. emotionally there is a sense of catharsis in STIPE's vocals on that track, which almost has a GOSPEL-tinge to it, as if you can imagine him singing it in front of a choral ensemble. the droning, guitars are lifted by a solemn lilting melody sung to great effect.

i remember taking two friends of mine in 1994 to KNOTT'S BERRY FARM for my birthday and my recollection of that period is very much painted by PEARL JAM's VITALOGY (EPIC, 1994) and MONSTER. especially the energetic singles "CRUSH WITH EYELINER," "WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?" and "STAR 69." the waves of delayed fuzzed-out distortion on those tracks to me are still a high-water mark of BUCK's sound even though i am cognizant of how much of a departure such was from his signature clean, jangly, RICKENBACKER-based sound. to this day i cannot dissociate such from recollections of the period, at this point those tones are part of my sense of IDENTITY. i just remember going into 4th grade and having difficulty internalizing how the world was becoming more complex and my friends were changing (because of girls and puberty in retrospect). it felt like the rules were being altered and it was that moment of TRANSITION and TRANSFORMATION that this record crystallizes in my imagination. and this was all before i moved to AFRICA two years later, which was the real defining transition point of my life i can say now in retrospect. that was the rubicon after which nothing was the same.

so yeah, MONSTER to me represents a point in my youth when everything was up for grabs and the music oddly expresses such in my projected experience. to me AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (WARNER BROS, 1992) was their best record objectively, but i still hold out at times to MONSTER for emotional and sentimental reasons. it is definitely worth revisiting and further investigation, even among other standout records in their catalogue. highly recommended.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | PROTOMARTYR

7/23/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

what i love about DETROIT's standout POST PUNK-influenced INDIE ROCK band PROTOMARTYR is their ability to be genuinely weird. and by that i dont mean they are attempting to be different for the sake of being noticed, more that you get the sense that they are presenting their authentic selves. it feels too often that ROCK MUSIC is sanitized and neat around the edges. with their angular guitar riffs, love of dissonance and JOE CASEY's elegiac lyrics and vocal delivery (which brings to mind echos of IAN CURTIS), PROTOMARTYR are a unique band in today's scene.

definitely worth checking out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 123: FAT POSSUM RECORDS" NOW AVAILABLE

7/15/2021

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the independent record label FAT POSSUM RECORDS!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | BIG BLISS

7/9/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

i had the good fortune a few years back to film the POST PUNK-influenced BROOKLYN INDIE ROCK band BIG BLISS at MARKET HOTEL when we were producing our OFF THE M series. what drew me to them initially was their expansive, angular sound couple with earnest, personal lyrics and an undeniable stage presence. after filming bands night in and night out for a few weeks, it was always apparent and obvious when a band was clicking, and they definitely were capable, engaging and effective musicians.

since filming them i've kept tabs on their social media and have been more than impressed with their commitment to social justice issues in the wake of the 2020 protests in response to the murder of GEORGE FLOYD. i respect this band even more now for sticking to their guns and putting themselves out there in the streets and voicing their truth.

i know they have a new record coming out so definitely keep an eye out for that. most definitely a talented local band worth checking out.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | TOPS

7/2/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

when i recently came across MONTREAL INDIE ROCK band TOPS, they definitely reminded me of THE BIRD & THE BEE at their most CARPENTERS-esque moments. not sure if i would characterize TOPS as SOFT ROCK, but they definitely have a sophisticated INDIE POP sound that is very reminiscent of the best of the 1970s LAUREL CANYON tradition of singer-songwriters.

definitely a different sound than what i normally present in this forum, but definitely worthy of checking out for further investigation.

"DEER GOD RADIO 120: STONES THROW RECORDS" NOW AVAILABLE

7/1/2021

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO focused on the eclectic independent record label STONES THROW RECORDS owned, operated and curated by the inimitable PEANUT BUTTER WOLF.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

RECORD REVIEW | "IN UTERO" BY NIRVANA

6/23/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

up until my family moved to NIGERIA when i was 12, we basically never went on trips. the two exceptions to that was a basketball camp i went to in ARIZONA and a memorable road trip to SAN FRANCISCO that included stays in MONTERREY, SOLVANG and SAN SIMEON. its funny because since our big move in 1996, ive now been to somewhere north of 60 countries in the past 25 years. which i admit is insane. but that trip north was a pretty big deal for me.

it was also the trip i got NIRVANA's last record IN UTERO (DGC, 1991) along with its predecessor NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) at the former TOWER RECORDS in near FISHERMAN's WHARF on columbus avenue and bay street in SAN FRANCISCO. years later after graduating high school i got TRICKY's MAXINQUAYE (FOURTH AND BROADWAY, 1995) at that same store.

anyway, like most fans of INDIE ROCK, PUNK ROCK and ALTERNATIVE ROCK, for me NIRVANA was an important band. by the time i got the STEVE ALBINI recorded / produced IN UTERO, frontman KURT COBAIN had been deceased for a few months. what struck me about the record at the time was how raw it was compared to NEVERMIND, which stunned me. COBAIN is obviously celebrated for his preternatural sense of melody and opaque lyrics, but as a 12 year old that was beyond me at that point. really i fed off the aggression and sense of pain in his voice. specifically i am referring to songs like "TOURETTE'S", "RADIO FRIENDLY UNIT SHIFTER," "VERY APE," "SCENTLESS APPRENTICE" and especially "RAPE ME." to me that is the real power of NIRVANA in general. just that vibe of being dissatisfied with the world / yourself. in essence IN UTERO has been the soundtrack to me youth, from moving to AFRICA and visiting places like SPAIN, GHANA, ITALY and COTE D'IVOIRE. i hear the songs and i am snapped back to those trips with my family. alienation is a universal experience, but being a THIRD CULTURE KID really puts that sense of disconnect in perspective. at some point you come to feel comfortable in unfamiliar settings.

in some ways that is how i look at IN UTERO as an adult. COBAIN at that point in his life was at a point of great transition in his life, becoming a father, a generational icon and a hardcore drug addict. all that is reflected in his lyrics which i would argue the most poetic and meaningful of his career, due undoubtedly to the influence of his criminally underrated wife COURTNEY LOVE. dont believe me? read her lyrics from HOLE albums of the period and tell me they are not superior. i think it is beyond doubt that her influence, for good or ill, is indelibly reflected throughout IN UTERO. songs dealing with themes of childbirth, death and reproduction as well as the guilt, shame and lack of control associated with emotional dependence and drug addiction. i cant even begin to imagine the disorientation associated with becoming a media sensation in your mid-20s, especially given his isolated biography and inward artistic leanings. then again he feverishly chased that attention so at the very least the dude was a deeply conflicted and endlessly fascinating figure. with IN UTERO you are given a sense of his mindset post-fame with songs like "DUMB," "PENNYROYAL TEA," "HEART-SHAPED BOX" and "ALL APOLOGIES" being both intimate as well as caustically sardonic and self-lacerating. it really is quite the achievement.

this is one of those records that i feel strongly shaped my identity, worldview and even sense of masculinity from a pretty early age. because of that it is difficult for me to separate it from my own lived experience. it is easily one of my favorite records from the period, only SOUNDGARDEN's SUPERUNKNOWN (A&M, 1993), TOOL's ÆNIMA (ZOO, 1996), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (EPIC, 1992) and ALICE IN CHAINS' DIRT (COLUMBIA, 1992) are in the same ballpark in my opinion. culturally IN UTERO and NIRVANA in general represent the last impactful movement in ROCK AND ROLL.

its been 30 years and we're still waiting for someone to match it. still. waiting.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTIST | QUEEN KWONG

6/18/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

at the risk of sounding totally off-based, its been a long-held observation of mine that women are often constrained in music, especially ROCK N ROLL, with heteronormative views of FEMININITY as defined by men. that and their sound must not threaten that concept as well.

what i love about CARRE CALLAWAY and her unique brand of ALTERNATIVE ROCK / INDIE ROCK songwriting is just how brash and unfiltered she comes off. there is a real sense of abandon and CATHARSIS and just genuine EXPRESSION that comes off completely AUTHENTIC and seemingly based in REAL-EXPERIENCE. i dont sense any coy affectation or need to play submissive for the camera, and by extension a certain audience. she is playing on a different field that is very much reminiscent of PATTI SMITH.

QUEEN KWONG is definitely worth checking out.