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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Sonic Youth for the 'Guitar Hero' generation" --Variety
Deerhoof's songs make plenty of sense in their own fractured way, at least for those willing to follow the band's logic (or take a lucky guess at it). One catchy and mystifying bit crashes into another, and everyone goes home a little crazier and a little happier. Then again, that discounts the purposeful tightness of the band's adventures. It's a lot easier to credit them for that after hearing Offend Maggie. Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals push into the lead more than ever before, helping each phase of a song muscle over into the next. The album-opening ''The Tears And Music Of Love'' has the feeling of a band charging forward in unison despite its love of playful tangents. Not that they've left those behind: A flickering acoustic guitar figure at first seems like the most whimsical part of ''Offend Maggie,'' but holds the song together as the band thickens up the noise atop breezy hooks. On ''Buck And Judy,'' the tuneful passages and deconstructed instrumental bits don't just coexist they bleed into each other, giving the song time to build up a conflicted swirl of moods. In fact, nearly all the songs on Offend Maggie find different ways to achieve a surprisingly full, evocative union of Deerhoof's pop sense and experimental whims, whether they're tossing and turning in gleeful anticipation (''Snoopy Waves'') or in anxiety (''My Purple Past''). --The Onion A.V. Club
Deerhoof has always been a band that simultaneously simplifies and complicates. On the one hand, they use a simple language of melody, noise and beat with the basic rock instrumentation drums, guitar and voice. On the other hand, they combine these building blocks into crazy and disorienting constructions of sound. Offend Maggie finds them in a slightly expanded sonic territory compared with their past albums, but it seems that inside of this expansion, Deerhoof s sophisticated innocence has mellowed somewhat. Just somewhat...
Offend Maggie's mellowness is not a lessening of Deerhoof s strangeness. In fact, the emotional intensity of these songs may be even more pronounced than in songs from the past. But the noises here avoid aggression: There are challenging disharmonies, but the overall feeling is one of peace. This is the sunny side of surreal. --Prefix Magazine
Deerhoof's songs make plenty of sense in their own fractured way, at least for those willing to follow the band's logic (or take a lucky guess at it). One catchy and mystifying bit crashes into another, and everyone goes home a little crazier and a little happier. Then again, that discounts the purposeful tightness of the band's adventures. It's a lot easier to credit them for that after hearing Offend Maggie. Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals push into the lead more than ever before, helping each phase of a song muscle over into the next. The album-opening ''The Tears And Music Of Love'' has the feeling of a band charging forward in unison despite its love of playful tangents. Not that they've left those behind: A flickering acoustic guitar figure at first seems like the most whimsical part of ''Offend Maggie,'' but holds the song together as the band thickens up the noise atop breezy hooks. On ''Buck And Judy,'' the tuneful passages and deconstructed instrumental bits don't just coexist they bleed into each other, giving the song time to build up a conflicted swirl of moods. In fact, nearly all the songs on Offend Maggie find different ways to achieve a surprisingly full, evocative union of Deerhoof's pop sense and experimental whims, whether they're tossing and turning in gleeful anticipation (''Snoopy Waves'') or in anxiety (''My Purple Past''). --The Onion A.V. Club
Deerhoof has always been a band that simultaneously simplifies and complicates. On the one hand, they use a simple language of melody, noise and beat with the basic rock instrumentation drums, guitar and voice. On the other hand, they combine these building blocks into crazy and disorienting constructions of sound. Offend Maggie finds them in a slightly expanded sonic territory compared with their past albums, but it seems that inside of this expansion, Deerhoof s sophisticated innocence has mellowed somewhat. Just somewhat...
Offend Maggie's mellowness is not a lessening of Deerhoof s strangeness. In fact, the emotional intensity of these songs may be even more pronounced than in songs from the past. But the noises here avoid aggression: There are challenging disharmonies, but the overall feeling is one of peace. This is the sunny side of surreal. --Prefix Magazine
Product Description
Say what you will about Deerhoof, but they know how to write a beautiful song. And ''Offend Maggie'' is all the more beautiful for the fact that it seems to come out of nowhere. For all its sparkling musicanship, it sounds casually tossed off like it was nothing at all. It's a new sound for the band as much as it's a new sound for pop music.
While John Dieterich's acoustic guitar seems to channel Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, Ed Rodriguez's electric conjures classic Townsend. Singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki (with drummer Greg Saunier on harmony vocal) tells a plaintive story in which telemarketing calls are a metaphor for unrequited love. The bittersweet magic of this short song promises a major thrill ride when its 14-track namesake is released next month.
For those who have been following their remarkable career, ''Offend Maggie'' represents another Deerhoofian high-water mark, even as it shows another abrupt shift in direction. With these master gamesters, you can never guess their next move, but once they've made it, it somehow seems inevitable. One listen and you'll know ''Offend Maggie'' could only be Deerhoof. Two listens and you'll be in love.
While John Dieterich's acoustic guitar seems to channel Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, Ed Rodriguez's electric conjures classic Townsend. Singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki (with drummer Greg Saunier on harmony vocal) tells a plaintive story in which telemarketing calls are a metaphor for unrequited love. The bittersweet magic of this short song promises a major thrill ride when its 14-track namesake is released next month.
For those who have been following their remarkable career, ''Offend Maggie'' represents another Deerhoofian high-water mark, even as it shows another abrupt shift in direction. With these master gamesters, you can never guess their next move, but once they've made it, it somehow seems inevitable. One listen and you'll know ''Offend Maggie'' could only be Deerhoof. Two listens and you'll be in love.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By P. Cusick
Format:Audio CD
Some Indie acts languish just below the line thanks to any number of clichés: bad luck, bad timing, bad manager - the list goes on. But some bands hover below the radar because, quite frankly, theirs is an acquired taste that precious few will ever discover to become part of a daily, nutritious, musical breakfast. For those who do not, it is indeed their loss.
Enter Deerhoof. While theirs would not be characterized as traditional fare like pancakes, it is no less comforting. Imagine tamago kake gohan with a side of corned beef hash and topped with Hollandaise from scratch. Sounds a bit avant garde? Such has been Deerhoof's approach to music since its inception; most notably in choosing bassist/lead vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki, who, at the time she joined the band, had no musical experience upon arriving in the U.S. via Japan to study film. Contrasted by drummer Greg Saunier, who sports a Master's Degree in composition, Deerhoof are an exotic spread indeed.
Recruiting such a novice to front the band has necessitated a collective approach to song writing, explains guitarist Edward Rodriguez, "We all have such different likes, dislikes and backgrounds, but we all trust each other and respect each others' input, so by the time the songs are recorded, they've gone through countless stages. When we reach a point where everyone is happy, we feel like we've arrived at something special."
Their newest offering, Offend Maggie, must have enjoyed emphatic approval from each of its members. Like a chef transforming contrasting, raw ingredients into a balanced, complex entrée, Deerhoof have crafted each song from raw elements into beautifully layered compositions. Satomi's delicate Japanese lilt is contrasted by Rodriguez's and John Dietrich's assertive guitars and Saunier's melodic, thundering drums. But don't expect a concept album on Offend Maggie, explains Rodriguez, "...not really so much a concept album but a concept to create the album. It's not really like a story from beginning to end," he continues, "but a reflection of how we're feeling right now, how we're seeing things right now."
Some might say Deerhoof are feeling slightly scattered, as are most of us these days. But it is Deerhoof's ability to articulate their present state of mind in each song with such clarity that makes them simultaneously calming and disarming, much like a great meal. Each song has its own flavor; some elemental, some playful, with others complex and robust. Combined, Offend Maggie's humble ingredients and street food charm transcend to gourmet heights, culminating in a rich concoction sure to sate even the most jaded musical palate.
Enter Deerhoof. While theirs would not be characterized as traditional fare like pancakes, it is no less comforting. Imagine tamago kake gohan with a side of corned beef hash and topped with Hollandaise from scratch. Sounds a bit avant garde? Such has been Deerhoof's approach to music since its inception; most notably in choosing bassist/lead vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki, who, at the time she joined the band, had no musical experience upon arriving in the U.S. via Japan to study film. Contrasted by drummer Greg Saunier, who sports a Master's Degree in composition, Deerhoof are an exotic spread indeed.
Recruiting such a novice to front the band has necessitated a collective approach to song writing, explains guitarist Edward Rodriguez, "We all have such different likes, dislikes and backgrounds, but we all trust each other and respect each others' input, so by the time the songs are recorded, they've gone through countless stages. When we reach a point where everyone is happy, we feel like we've arrived at something special."
Their newest offering, Offend Maggie, must have enjoyed emphatic approval from each of its members. Like a chef transforming contrasting, raw ingredients into a balanced, complex entrée, Deerhoof have crafted each song from raw elements into beautifully layered compositions. Satomi's delicate Japanese lilt is contrasted by Rodriguez's and John Dietrich's assertive guitars and Saunier's melodic, thundering drums. But don't expect a concept album on Offend Maggie, explains Rodriguez, "...not really so much a concept album but a concept to create the album. It's not really like a story from beginning to end," he continues, "but a reflection of how we're feeling right now, how we're seeing things right now."
Some might say Deerhoof are feeling slightly scattered, as are most of us these days. But it is Deerhoof's ability to articulate their present state of mind in each song with such clarity that makes them simultaneously calming and disarming, much like a great meal. Each song has its own flavor; some elemental, some playful, with others complex and robust. Combined, Offend Maggie's humble ingredients and street food charm transcend to gourmet heights, culminating in a rich concoction sure to sate even the most jaded musical palate.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Andrew Vice
Format:Audio CD
On their latest record, Deerhoof are a band heading in the right direction, hitting a sweet spot between their characteristic experimentation and a more enjoyable, accessible kind of pop songwriting. Since 2005's The Runner's Four, the band has been moving more and more towards this kind of sound, blending unpredictable shifts with great hooks. On the opener, "The Tears of Music and Love," you can hear the band's typical style in the riff's dropped final measure, creating an unexpected jump to the beginning of the next measure. It's a great tool for the start of the record, creating interest and some unpredictability that keeps the listener engaged. "Chandelier Searchlight" and "Buck and Judy" are fun, pretty tracks that have a very J-pop oriented sound. The title track is very cool, pairing a shuffling drum beat with lilting vocals and quick guitar work.
As someone who is not a Deerhoof fan, this is a record that I would actually purchase. Where their previous work has been either too random or too pretentious for me to really get into, this album hits its stride quickly, mixing fun with a modest amount of pretentious experimentation the band is known for.
As someone who is not a Deerhoof fan, this is a record that I would actually purchase. Where their previous work has been either too random or too pretentious for me to really get into, this album hits its stride quickly, mixing fun with a modest amount of pretentious experimentation the band is known for.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By erasmus777
Format:MP3 Music
This is a great album and the best Deerhoof to date. It packages up all the best of their Yes-inspired weirdness. It's easier to listen to end-to-end than their earlier albums, but it doesn't sacrifice anything from their earlier sound. If you want to start with a Deerhoof album, this is a great choice.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Offend Maggie takes the listener to a venue where juxtaposition is...
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Recorded at Tiny Telephone by Jay and Ian Pellicci, Eli Crews,
Mixed by John Dieterich, Satomi Matsuzaki, Ed Rodriguez, and Greg Saunier... Read more
Recorded at Tiny Telephone by Jay and Ian Pellicci, Eli Crews,
Mixed by John Dieterich, Satomi Matsuzaki, Ed Rodriguez, and Greg Saunier... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Christopher Petro
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is back with more of their highly syncopated dancy art damaged post punk music and it makes me happy. Read more
Published on April 12, 2009 by Michael Simmons
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great alternative to the pop/crap we are force fed
I was looking around online at some different music sites trying to find some new music to get into. Read more
Published on April 12, 2009 by Evan
5.0 out of 5 stars
truly involving
'offend maggie' is a truly involving collection of songs. definitely, one of the best cd's of 2008.
btw, if you have a stereo system that you want to challenge relating to... Read more
btw, if you have a stereo system that you want to challenge relating to... Read more
Published on November 5, 2008 by E. T. Higgins
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