Offend Maggie

Deerhoof | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kill Rock Stars
• ASIN: B001EN46G6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,937 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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

Product Description

Offend Maggie is the 2008 album by Deerhoof on Kill Rock Stars. Over the summer of 2008, the band put up sheet music for the song "Fresh Born" online, and invited fans to record their own version. Deerhoof is a San Francisco musical group, consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki (usually vocals and bass), John Dieterich (usually guitar), Ed Rodriguez (usually guitar as well) and Greg Saunier (usually drums). 14 tracks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deerhoof Treading Beautifully..., November 1, 2008

By 

P. Cusick "pc" (planet earth) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Offend Maggie (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.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Offend Maggie, October 8, 2008

By 

Andrew Vice (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Offend Maggie (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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Deerhoof to Date, May 31, 2011

By 

erasmus777 (Derm, Cackalack del Norte) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Offend Maggie (MP3 Download)

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.