Dan Bejar started Destroyer as a solo home-recording project in the early to mid-nineties. In 1996, he released his debut full length of stripped-down, lo-fi electric folk, We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge. Soon the Destroyer template expanded to include a rhythm section, and Bejar was compelled to head into a proper studio to record City of Daughters in 1998. It was with Daughters that Bejar began to develop his own unique lyrical voice, a voice that continued to evolve and refine itself over the course of his next two records, Thief and Streethawk: A Seduction. Destroyer seemingly had produced its masterwork with Streethawk, a highly refined send-up and condemnation of popular culture, an idea honed to razor-sharp precision. The album became one of the most acclaimed recordings of 2001, and the Destroyer mystique captured music fans and critics alike.
This Night, the Destroyer debut for Merge, is an epic full of indulgences and flights of fancy-the perfect foil to the sleek and streamlined approach of earlier recordings. This Night both baffles and seduces, leaving jaws on the floor and confounding both fans and critics. Bejar took another turn towards the unexpected with Your Blues, his second recording for Merge, wherein he stripped Destroyer down to its barest essentials once again, with MIDI-synthesizer symphonies that explored what Bejar dubbed "European Blues," a vainglorious retreat from American rock traditions, celebrating an exercise in old-world excess within limited means. Those who had been pining for a new Streethawk were left shaking their heads, forced to admit that the last thing Destroyer was ever going to give them was anything close to what they expected (or hoped for). Bejar had everyone right where he wanted: dazed, confused, and not knowing what was to come next.
What came next was yet another triumph. Destroyer's Rubies was hailed as the second coming by many longtime fans and firmly established Destroyer as a critical and commercial success without ever having compromised Bejar's vision at any point along the way. On its March 2006 cover, The Fader proclaimed him "Rock's Exiled King" and we could not agree more. But it was a case of self-imposed exile, as Bejar and company have never had much use for the trappings of indie-rock "fame."
Trouble in Dreams (2008) continued Dan Bejar's lyrical and musical assault on all that is stagnant in modern, popular music. His is a body of work that consistently flouts convention in favor of musical leaps of faith, statements of purpose cloaked in subterfuge, and the joyous refrain of an optimist's heart cloaked in cynicism. Anthems sprawl with shifting layers of guitar and piano, spinning just to the edge of chaos and back, while referencing fantastical realms and mysterious women who may or may not approve of our interloping voyeurism.
Written during an extended stay in Spain during the spring and summer of 2007, Trouble in Dreams is both soothing and jarring, sparing us neither his lyrical bite nor pulling any punches. Trouble in Dreams is yet another brilliant entry in the astonishing Destroyer canon.
Over the course of his career as Destroyer, Dan Bejar has established himself and his band as one of the most unpredictable success stories in modern, popular music. As a songwriter, Bejar is recognized as having few peers. As a musician, he is like the court jester, waiting in the wings, poking fun at those who take themselves too seriously and skewering those who would celebrate commerce as art.
www.destroyersongs.com
This Night, the Destroyer debut for Merge, is an epic full of indulgences and flights of fancy-the perfect foil to the sleek and streamlined approach of earlier recordings. This Night both baffles and seduces, leaving jaws on the floor and confounding both fans and critics. Bejar took another turn towards the unexpected with Your Blues, his second recording for Merge, wherein he stripped Destroyer down to its barest essentials once again, with MIDI-synthesizer symphonies that explored what Bejar dubbed "European Blues," a vainglorious retreat from American rock traditions, celebrating an exercise in old-world excess within limited means. Those who had been pining for a new Streethawk were left shaking their heads, forced to admit that the last thing Destroyer was ever going to give them was anything close to what they expected (or hoped for). Bejar had everyone right where he wanted: dazed, confused, and not knowing what was to come next.
What came next was yet another triumph. Destroyer's Rubies was hailed as the second coming by many longtime fans and firmly established Destroyer as a critical and commercial success without ever having compromised Bejar's vision at any point along the way. On its March 2006 cover, The Fader proclaimed him "Rock's Exiled King" and we could not agree more. But it was a case of self-imposed exile, as Bejar and company have never had much use for the trappings of indie-rock "fame."
Trouble in Dreams (2008) continued Dan Bejar's lyrical and musical assault on all that is stagnant in modern, popular music. His is a body of work that consistently flouts convention in favor of musical leaps of faith, statements of purpose cloaked in subterfuge, and the joyous refrain of an optimist's heart cloaked in cynicism. Anthems sprawl with shifting layers of guitar and piano, spinning just to the edge of chaos and back, while referencing fantastical realms and mysterious women who may or may not approve of our interloping voyeurism.
Written during an extended stay in Spain during the spring and summer of 2007, Trouble in Dreams is both soothing and jarring, sparing us neither his lyrical bite nor pulling any punches. Trouble in Dreams is yet another brilliant entry in the astonishing Destroyer canon.
Over the course of his career as Destroyer, Dan Bejar has established himself and his band as one of the most unpredictable success stories in modern, popular music. As a songwriter, Bejar is recognized as having few peers. As a musician, he is like the court jester, waiting in the wings, poking fun at those who take themselves too seriously and skewering those who would celebrate commerce as art.
www.destroyersongs.com
08/31/11
Directed by David Galloway, Destroyer‘s new music video takes you on a nerve-wracking ride through the streets of Vancouver and is the first that features Dan Bejar in the clip! Go to Pitchfork.tv to view, or watch below.
Kaputt is in stores on CD, double-LP, and digital download now!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Kaputt is in stores on CD, double-LP, and digital download now!
Click here to view the embedded video.
07/26/11
Dan Bejar was interviewed by Numerocero for this mini-documentary, filmed during Destroyer‘s recent appearance at the Día de la Música Festival in Madrid.
Kaputt is available on CD, double-LP, and digital download in the Merge store.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Kaputt is available on CD, double-LP, and digital download in the Merge store.
Click here to view the embedded video.
07/06/11
Destroyer‘s Kaputt and Arcade Fire‘s The Suburbs have both been included on the Polaris Music Prize’s Short List of Canada’s 10 best albums.
The Polaris Music Prize gala will be held Monday, September 19, at Toronto’s Masonic Temple and will feature live performances by this year’s Short List nominees. It will be webcast live on MuchMusic.com and broadcast on MuchMusic on Saturday, September 24, at 10 p.m. and midnight EST. The gala will also air on MusiquePlus at a date and time to be announced.
Previous Polaris winners have been Final Fantasy, Patrick Watson, Caribou, Fucked Up, and Karkwa.
The Suburbs Deluxe Edition CD+DVD is in stores on August 2 and available for pre-order from Merge now. Destroyer will play the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, IL on Saturday, July 16.
The Polaris Music Prize gala will be held Monday, September 19, at Toronto’s Masonic Temple and will feature live performances by this year’s Short List nominees. It will be webcast live on MuchMusic.com and broadcast on MuchMusic on Saturday, September 24, at 10 p.m. and midnight EST. The gala will also air on MusiquePlus at a date and time to be announced.
Previous Polaris winners have been Final Fantasy, Patrick Watson, Caribou, Fucked Up, and Karkwa.
The Suburbs Deluxe Edition CD+DVD is in stores on August 2 and available for pre-order from Merge now. Destroyer will play the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, IL on Saturday, July 16.
02/22/11
Destroyer will make their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight! The full 8-piece band will take the stage to perform a song from their new album Kaputt. Tune in to NBC at 12:35 AM or set your DVR!
Destroyer will hit the road beginning March 17 in Vancouver and wind their way across the US and Canada finishing up April 16 in Calgary. Don’t miss them!
Destroyer on tour:
All dates with The War on Drugs
Mar 17 Vancouver BC – The Commodore Ballroom
Mar 18 Seattle WA – The Crocodile
Mar 19 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 21 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
Mar 23 Tucson AZ – Club Congress
Mar 25 Austin TX – The Mohawk
Mar 26 Dallas TX – The Loft
Mar 27 Little Rock AR – Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack
Mar 28 St Louis MO – The Luminary Center for the Arts
Mar 29 Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 30 Pontiac MI – The Pike Room at the Crofoot
Mar 31 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
Apr 01 Montreal QC – La Cabaret du Mile End
Apr 02 Cambridge MA – Middle East Downstairs
Apr 03 New York NY – Webster Hall
Apr 04 Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Apr 05 Washington DC – Black Cat
Apr 06 Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
Apr 07 Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 08 Atlanta GA – The Earl
Apr 09 Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
Apr 11 Madison WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 12 Minneapolis MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
Apr 13 Winnipeg MB – West End Cultural Center
Apr 15 Edmonton AB – Starlite Room
Apr 16 Calgary AB – #1 Royal Canadian Legion
Destroyer will hit the road beginning March 17 in Vancouver and wind their way across the US and Canada finishing up April 16 in Calgary. Don’t miss them!
Destroyer on tour:
All dates with The War on Drugs
Mar 17 Vancouver BC – The Commodore Ballroom
Mar 18 Seattle WA – The Crocodile
Mar 19 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 21 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
Mar 23 Tucson AZ – Club Congress
Mar 25 Austin TX – The Mohawk
Mar 26 Dallas TX – The Loft
Mar 27 Little Rock AR – Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack
Mar 28 St Louis MO – The Luminary Center for the Arts
Mar 29 Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 30 Pontiac MI – The Pike Room at the Crofoot
Mar 31 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
Apr 01 Montreal QC – La Cabaret du Mile End
Apr 02 Cambridge MA – Middle East Downstairs
Apr 03 New York NY – Webster Hall
Apr 04 Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Apr 05 Washington DC – Black Cat
Apr 06 Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
Apr 07 Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 08 Atlanta GA – The Earl
Apr 09 Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
Apr 11 Madison WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 12 Minneapolis MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
Apr 13 Winnipeg MB – West End Cultural Center
Apr 15 Edmonton AB – Starlite Room
Apr 16 Calgary AB – #1 Royal Canadian Legion
01/06/11
On January 25th, Destroyer’s ninth LP, Kaputt will be in stores. Dan Bejar and his eight-piece “orchestra” will tour in support of the release with North American dates beginning in March.
Pitchfork premiered the video for the title track “Kaputt.” Featuring flying whales, desert ladies, and a geeky teenager, the “Kaputt” video will delight and confuse you. Watch it now!
Pre-order Kaputt now on CD and dbl-LP in the Merge store.
Destroyer on tour:
All dates with The War on Drugs
Mar 17 Vancouver BC – The Commodore Ballroom
Mar 18 Seattle WA – The Crocodile
Mar 19 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 21 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
Mar 23 Tucson AZ – Club Congress
Mar 25 Austin TX – The Mohawk
Mar 26 Dallas TX – The Loft
Mar 27 Little Rock AR – Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack
Mar 28 St Louis MO – The Luminary Center for the Arts
Mar 29 Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 30 Pontiac MI – The Pike Room at the Crofoot
Mar 31 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
Apr 01 Montreal QC – La Cabaret du Mile End
Apr 02 Cambridge MA – Middle East Downstairs
Apr 03 New York NY – Webster Hall
Apr 04 Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Apr 05 Washington DC – Black Cat
Apr 06 Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
Apr 07 Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 08 Atlanta GA – The Earl
Apr 09 Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
Apr 11 Madison WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 12 Minneapolis MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
Apr 13 Winnipeg MB – West End Cultural Center
Apr 15 Edmonton AB – Starlite Room
Apr 16 Calgary AB – #1 Royal Canadian Legion
Pitchfork premiered the video for the title track “Kaputt.” Featuring flying whales, desert ladies, and a geeky teenager, the “Kaputt” video will delight and confuse you. Watch it now!
Pre-order Kaputt now on CD and dbl-LP in the Merge store.
Destroyer on tour:
All dates with The War on Drugs
Mar 17 Vancouver BC – The Commodore Ballroom
Mar 18 Seattle WA – The Crocodile
Mar 19 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 21 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
Mar 23 Tucson AZ – Club Congress
Mar 25 Austin TX – The Mohawk
Mar 26 Dallas TX – The Loft
Mar 27 Little Rock AR – Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack
Mar 28 St Louis MO – The Luminary Center for the Arts
Mar 29 Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 30 Pontiac MI – The Pike Room at the Crofoot
Mar 31 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
Apr 01 Montreal QC – La Cabaret du Mile End
Apr 02 Cambridge MA – Middle East Downstairs
Apr 03 New York NY – Webster Hall
Apr 04 Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Apr 05 Washington DC – Black Cat
Apr 06 Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
Apr 07 Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 08 Atlanta GA – The Earl
Apr 09 Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
Apr 11 Madison WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 12 Minneapolis MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
Apr 13 Winnipeg MB – West End Cultural Center
Apr 15 Edmonton AB – Starlite Room
Apr 16 Calgary AB – #1 Royal Canadian Legion
12/14/10
Specially priced for this holiday season! Get more bang for your buck when you purchase these items together:
Spoon: Transference + “Written in Reverse” 7-inch
She & Him: Volume One + Volume Two (CD and LP)
Superchunk: Majesty Shredding + On the Mouth + No Pocky for Kitty (CD and LP)
Destroyer: reissues of City of Daughters + Thief + Streethawk: A Seduction (CD only)
Telekinesis: Parallel Seismic Conspiracies EP + Record Store Day 7-inch
The Love Language: Libraries + Record Store Day split 7-inch
Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s + Record Store Day split 7-inch
The Love Language/Let’s Wrestle + Telekinesis Record Store Day limited-edition 7-inches
Each full-length from Merge freshmen Telekinesis, Wye Oak, The Love Language, and Let’s Wrestle
All orders in the Merge store include free shipping and it’s not too late to use our Holiday Coupon and all orders over $150 get a free tote bag designed by The Clientele’s Alasdair Maclean!
Spoon: Transference + “Written in Reverse” 7-inch
She & Him: Volume One + Volume Two (CD and LP)
Superchunk: Majesty Shredding + On the Mouth + No Pocky for Kitty (CD and LP)
Destroyer: reissues of City of Daughters + Thief + Streethawk: A Seduction (CD only)
Telekinesis: Parallel Seismic Conspiracies EP + Record Store Day 7-inch
The Love Language: Libraries + Record Store Day split 7-inch
Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s + Record Store Day split 7-inch
The Love Language/Let’s Wrestle + Telekinesis Record Store Day limited-edition 7-inches
Each full-length from Merge freshmen Telekinesis, Wye Oak, The Love Language, and Let’s Wrestle
All orders in the Merge store include free shipping and it’s not too late to use our Holiday Coupon and all orders over $150 get a free tote bag designed by The Clientele’s Alasdair Maclean!
12/02/10
It’s easy to miss out on some of the digital-only releases we throw your way—the Internet is a pretty crowded place these days! Here’s a quick summary of what you may have missed:
The limited-edition Destroyer 12-inch “Archer on the Beach” is out-of-print in the Merge store, but you can now buy the songs via digital download!
Don’t miss out on Swim Remixes—Caribou’s answer to what happens when you put one of the year’s hottest dance records in the hands of some of the world’s best DJs! With reworks of some of Swim’s hottest cuts by Junior Boys, Fuck Buttons, Nite Jewel, DJ Koze, Walls, Gold Panda, Gavin Russom, and more, Swim Remixes contains over an hour-and-a-half of new, fresh takes on Caribou’s latest opus.
Let’s Wrestle bring us a tasty piece of next year’s sophomore record with the “Getting Rest”/“When I Was In Hospital” digital single. Be warned: these young Londoners are not to be missed.
Shout Out Louds’ Fall Hard EP expands upon Work’s catchy first single with non-album cuts “Fall Hard Pt. 2” and “Can’t Explain.”
Lou Barlow + the missingmen’s = Sentridoh III is Lou’s first recorded output with new backing band the missingmen. Described by the band as “an almost live representation of the Lou Barlow + the missingmen live show,” this mini-album breathes new, rocking life into Sebadoh and Sentridoh classics, Lou’s solo material, and even a haunting cover of the timeless Skip James song “I’m So Glad.”
Tracey Thorn followed up this year’s gorgeous Love and Its Opposite with a pair of digital EPs, Why Does the Wind? and Opposites, that offer up wildly creative remixes of some of the album’s most-loved songs. Why Does the Wind? pairs the album track of the same name with remixes by Morgan Geist, Michel Clies, and André Lodemann, along with a radio edit and dub version. As for the Opposites EP, Tracey herself probably says it best: “If the remixes for the last single ‘Why Does the Wind?’ were aimed at the dancefloor, these are perhaps aimed more at the head.” Visionquest (“Swimming”), Walls (“Kentish Town”), and Blue Daisy (“Late in the Afternoon”) provide penetrating new takes presented alongside the originals.
Let’s also revisit Lambchop’s magnetic Live at XX Merge performance; Portastatic’s Make It Sound In Tune EP; digital reissues of Richard Buckner’s landmark albums Impasse, The Hill, and Bloomed; and The Ladybug Transistor’s fantastic Here Comes the Rain covers EP.
Our Holiday Coupon applies to digital releases, too, so download away!
The limited-edition Destroyer 12-inch “Archer on the Beach” is out-of-print in the Merge store, but you can now buy the songs via digital download!
Don’t miss out on Swim Remixes—Caribou’s answer to what happens when you put one of the year’s hottest dance records in the hands of some of the world’s best DJs! With reworks of some of Swim’s hottest cuts by Junior Boys, Fuck Buttons, Nite Jewel, DJ Koze, Walls, Gold Panda, Gavin Russom, and more, Swim Remixes contains over an hour-and-a-half of new, fresh takes on Caribou’s latest opus.
Let’s Wrestle bring us a tasty piece of next year’s sophomore record with the “Getting Rest”/“When I Was In Hospital” digital single. Be warned: these young Londoners are not to be missed.
Shout Out Louds’ Fall Hard EP expands upon Work’s catchy first single with non-album cuts “Fall Hard Pt. 2” and “Can’t Explain.”
Lou Barlow + the missingmen’s = Sentridoh III is Lou’s first recorded output with new backing band the missingmen. Described by the band as “an almost live representation of the Lou Barlow + the missingmen live show,” this mini-album breathes new, rocking life into Sebadoh and Sentridoh classics, Lou’s solo material, and even a haunting cover of the timeless Skip James song “I’m So Glad.”
Tracey Thorn followed up this year’s gorgeous Love and Its Opposite with a pair of digital EPs, Why Does the Wind? and Opposites, that offer up wildly creative remixes of some of the album’s most-loved songs. Why Does the Wind? pairs the album track of the same name with remixes by Morgan Geist, Michel Clies, and André Lodemann, along with a radio edit and dub version. As for the Opposites EP, Tracey herself probably says it best: “If the remixes for the last single ‘Why Does the Wind?’ were aimed at the dancefloor, these are perhaps aimed more at the head.” Visionquest (“Swimming”), Walls (“Kentish Town”), and Blue Daisy (“Late in the Afternoon”) provide penetrating new takes presented alongside the originals.
Let’s also revisit Lambchop’s magnetic Live at XX Merge performance; Portastatic’s Make It Sound In Tune EP; digital reissues of Richard Buckner’s landmark albums Impasse, The Hill, and Bloomed; and The Ladybug Transistor’s fantastic Here Comes the Rain covers EP.
Our Holiday Coupon applies to digital releases, too, so download away!
11/02/10
Destroyer’s limited-edition 12-inch “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point” is available in stores today! The 12-inch is limited to a pressing of 1,000 copies that include a digital download coupon.
This release is inspired by the music of Kranky recording artists Tim Hecker and Loscil and achieved through their full collaboration.
Preview “Archer on the Beach,” now streaming at Stereogum!
“‘Archer on the Beach’ is promising evidence that Bejar is, conceptually, continuing to do what he does best: destroying.” ~Pitchfork
This release is inspired by the music of Kranky recording artists Tim Hecker and Loscil and achieved through their full collaboration.
Preview “Archer on the Beach,” now streaming at Stereogum!
“‘Archer on the Beach’ is promising evidence that Bejar is, conceptually, continuing to do what he does best: destroying.” ~Pitchfork
10/18/10
On January 25, Destroyer will release their ninth LP, Kaputt on CD, LP and digital download.
Dan Bejar sent us some of the themes alluded to or avoided in the album Kaputt, in absolutely no linear order:
Kaputt by Malaparte, which Bejar has never read… Kara Walker, specifically the lyrics she contributed to the song “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker”… Chinatown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar’s… Baby blue eyes… 80s Miles Davis… 90s Gil Evans… Last Tango in Paris… Nic Bragg, who played lead guitar on every song, again… Fretless bass… The hopelessness of the future of music… The pointlessness of writing songs for today… V-Drums… The superiority of poetry and plays… And what’s to become of film?… The Cocaine Addict… American Communism… Downtown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar’s… The LinnDrum… Avalon and, more specifically, Boys and Girls… The devastated mind of JC/DC, who recorded, produced and mixed this record from fall of 2008 to spring of 2010… The back-up vocals of certain Roy Ayers and Long John Baldry tours… Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence…
Track listing:
1. Chinatown
2. Blue Eyes
3. Savage Night at the Opera
4. Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
5. Poor in Love
6. Kaputt
7. Downtown
8. Song for America
9. Bay Of Pigs (Detail)
Dan Bejar sent us some of the themes alluded to or avoided in the album Kaputt, in absolutely no linear order:
Kaputt by Malaparte, which Bejar has never read… Kara Walker, specifically the lyrics she contributed to the song “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker”… Chinatown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar’s… Baby blue eyes… 80s Miles Davis… 90s Gil Evans… Last Tango in Paris… Nic Bragg, who played lead guitar on every song, again… Fretless bass… The hopelessness of the future of music… The pointlessness of writing songs for today… V-Drums… The superiority of poetry and plays… And what’s to become of film?… The Cocaine Addict… American Communism… Downtown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar’s… The LinnDrum… Avalon and, more specifically, Boys and Girls… The devastated mind of JC/DC, who recorded, produced and mixed this record from fall of 2008 to spring of 2010… The back-up vocals of certain Roy Ayers and Long John Baldry tours… Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence…
Track listing:
1. Chinatown
2. Blue Eyes
3. Savage Night at the Opera
4. Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
5. Poor in Love
6. Kaputt
7. Downtown
8. Song for America
9. Bay Of Pigs (Detail)
08/23/10
On November 2, Destroyer will release the limited-edition 12-inch “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point.” This release is inspired by the music of Kranky recording artists Tim Hecker and Loscil and achieved through their full collaboration.
Destroyer mastermind Dan Bejar says, “The reason why this has to be seen as a collaboration, rather than strictly a Destroyer release, is that, for the first time, I’m not responsible for any of the music contained on this EP aside from the vocals, the general chord progression of ‘Archer on the Beach,’ and maybe a couple of the sound effects.”
“Archer on the Beach” is a meditation on the need to grapple with the 20th century in one’s own special way and with style, this time through singing quietly, through repetition, and through leaving lots of space between words, as well as finally learning to love crowds and nature.
“Grief Point” is the first recording Bejar made after deciding never to record again. It is a one-time exploration of the self-explanatory world, recorded in an office and on the street. Inspired by the writings of Michael Herr and the production design of Dean Tavoularis, the words occasionally obsess over the need to make certain things that don’t need to be made, while the music—written, played, and produced in its entirety by Loscil, aka Scott Morgan—tackles wholly separate issues. “Grief Point” was, at one point, the working title of a song called “Bay of Pigs.”
The artists’ intentions can best be illuminated by this fragment of email correspondence from Bejar to Hecker: “Shit, just give it that Michael Mann-meets-Thomas Mann sound that you do!”
The “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point” 12-inch will be limited to an edition of 1,000 copies that include a digital download coupon. Pre-order your copy now in the Merge store!
Destroyer mastermind Dan Bejar says, “The reason why this has to be seen as a collaboration, rather than strictly a Destroyer release, is that, for the first time, I’m not responsible for any of the music contained on this EP aside from the vocals, the general chord progression of ‘Archer on the Beach,’ and maybe a couple of the sound effects.”
“Archer on the Beach” is a meditation on the need to grapple with the 20th century in one’s own special way and with style, this time through singing quietly, through repetition, and through leaving lots of space between words, as well as finally learning to love crowds and nature.
“Grief Point” is the first recording Bejar made after deciding never to record again. It is a one-time exploration of the self-explanatory world, recorded in an office and on the street. Inspired by the writings of Michael Herr and the production design of Dean Tavoularis, the words occasionally obsess over the need to make certain things that don’t need to be made, while the music—written, played, and produced in its entirety by Loscil, aka Scott Morgan—tackles wholly separate issues. “Grief Point” was, at one point, the working title of a song called “Bay of Pigs.”
The artists’ intentions can best be illuminated by this fragment of email correspondence from Bejar to Hecker: “Shit, just give it that Michael Mann-meets-Thomas Mann sound that you do!”
The “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point” 12-inch will be limited to an edition of 1,000 copies that include a digital download coupon. Pre-order your copy now in the Merge store!
05/04/10
Spring has sprung and it is time for a new free Merge sampler! Featuring hit songs from the latest albums of Radar Brothers, Spoon, Let’s Wrestle, She & Him and more, visit amazon.com now to download all fourteen free songs with special cover art by Let’s Wrestle’s Wesley Patrick Gonzalez!
As always, you can find new albums from all of these artists and more in our handy Merge store.
Free Merge 2010 digital sampler track listing:
1. Radar Brothers – Horses Warriors (from The Illustrated Garden)
2. Let’s Wrestle – I Won’t Lie to You (from In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s)
3. Destroyer – The Very Modern Dance (from Streethawk: A Seduction)
4. Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard (from Work)
5. Spoon – Written in Reverse (from Transference)
6. Lou Barlow – Don’t Apologize (from Goodnight Unknown)
7. She & Him – Thieves (from Volume Two)
8. Superchunk – Learned to Surf (from Leaves in the Gutter)
9. Alec Bathgate – Glide (from Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox)
10. The Clientele – I Wonder Who We Are (from Bonfires on the Heath)
11. Caribou – Odessa (from Swim)
12. The Clean – In the Dreamlife U Need a Rubber Soul (from Mister Pop)
13. Wye Oak – I Hope You Die (from My Neighbor / My Creator)
14. Lambchop – Give It (from Live at XX Merge)
As always, you can find new albums from all of these artists and more in our handy Merge store.
Free Merge 2010 digital sampler track listing:
1. Radar Brothers – Horses Warriors (from The Illustrated Garden)
2. Let’s Wrestle – I Won’t Lie to You (from In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s)
3. Destroyer – The Very Modern Dance (from Streethawk: A Seduction)
4. Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard (from Work)
5. Spoon – Written in Reverse (from Transference)
6. Lou Barlow – Don’t Apologize (from Goodnight Unknown)
7. She & Him – Thieves (from Volume Two)
8. Superchunk – Learned to Surf (from Leaves in the Gutter)
9. Alec Bathgate – Glide (from Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox)
10. The Clientele – I Wonder Who We Are (from Bonfires on the Heath)
11. Caribou – Odessa (from Swim)
12. The Clean – In the Dreamlife U Need a Rubber Soul (from Mister Pop)
13. Wye Oak – I Hope You Die (from My Neighbor / My Creator)
14. Lambchop – Give It (from Live at XX Merge)
02/26/10
On April 20, we will reissue Destroyer’s City of Daughters and Thief on CD and Streethawk: A Seduction on CD and LP. All three releases have been remastered and the CDs will feature shiny new packaging.
In the hallowed Destroyer discography, the early trinity of City of Daughters / Thief / Streethawk: A Seduction holds an important place; not only does it document Dan Bejar’s evolution from lo-fi bedroom tyro to bona fide master of the rock album, it also contains a massive percentage of superlative Destroyer “classics.” 1998’s City of Daughters features some of the first steps out of the demo-tapey experimentation of earlier recordings, with songs like “Comments on the World as Will” refining the sound of that stripped-down earlier work, and the seminal “No Cease Fires!” offering us the first taste of just what a full-band Destroyer might conjure. 2000’s Thief naturally went further down that road, and from the opening strums of “The Temple” to the arty quirk of “Queen of Languages” to the gentle, jagged comedown of the title track, it soon became clear that Dan Bejar was master of a singular songcraft—and one who was only just getting started, because the following year brought us Streethawk: A Seduction. And every last inch—and we don’t mean this hyperbolically: EVERY. LAST. INCH.—of Streethawk is a true classic.
City of Daughters, Thief, and Streethawk: A Seduction are available now for preview and pre-order in the Merge store. Pre-order all three of these releases on CD in the Merge store for a special “bundle” price of $29.98 until release date. All pre-orders will ship to arrive on or around the April 20 release date.
In the hallowed Destroyer discography, the early trinity of City of Daughters / Thief / Streethawk: A Seduction holds an important place; not only does it document Dan Bejar’s evolution from lo-fi bedroom tyro to bona fide master of the rock album, it also contains a massive percentage of superlative Destroyer “classics.” 1998’s City of Daughters features some of the first steps out of the demo-tapey experimentation of earlier recordings, with songs like “Comments on the World as Will” refining the sound of that stripped-down earlier work, and the seminal “No Cease Fires!” offering us the first taste of just what a full-band Destroyer might conjure. 2000’s Thief naturally went further down that road, and from the opening strums of “The Temple” to the arty quirk of “Queen of Languages” to the gentle, jagged comedown of the title track, it soon became clear that Dan Bejar was master of a singular songcraft—and one who was only just getting started, because the following year brought us Streethawk: A Seduction. And every last inch—and we don’t mean this hyperbolically: EVERY. LAST. INCH.—of Streethawk is a true classic.
City of Daughters, Thief, and Streethawk: A Seduction are available now for preview and pre-order in the Merge store. Pre-order all three of these releases on CD in the Merge store for a special “bundle” price of $29.98 until release date. All pre-orders will ship to arrive on or around the April 20 release date.
08/19/09
Destroyer joined by Loscil will perform a rare collaborative set of original music from each artist’s catalog as part of the Wordless Music series at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York on September 12th.
Wordless Music is a series of performances devoted to the idea that the sound worlds of classical and contemporary instrumental music — in genres such as indie rock and electronica — share more in common than conventional thinking might suggest. Their goal is to bring audiences together, and to introduce listeners from both worlds to composers that they might otherwise not encounter, for a completely new concert experience.
Wordless Music
September 12, 2009
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
2960 Broadway (at 116th Street)
DESTROYER
LOSCIL
JACK QUARTET
Doors open at 7:30pm, show at 8pm. Tickets on sale via the Miller Theatre box office and Web site.
Wordless Music is a series of performances devoted to the idea that the sound worlds of classical and contemporary instrumental music — in genres such as indie rock and electronica — share more in common than conventional thinking might suggest. Their goal is to bring audiences together, and to introduce listeners from both worlds to composers that they might otherwise not encounter, for a completely new concert experience.
Wordless Music
September 12, 2009
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
2960 Broadway (at 116th Street)
DESTROYER
LOSCIL
JACK QUARTET
Doors open at 7:30pm, show at 8pm. Tickets on sale via the Miller Theatre box office and Web site.
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge :: (Tinker) 1996
Thief :: (Catsup Plate) 2000
Streethawk: A Seduction :: (Misra) 2001
This Night :: CD (Merge) 2002
Your Blues :: CD/LP (Merge) 2004
Notorious Lightning And Other Works :: (Merge) 2005
Destroyer's Rubies :: CD/LP (Merge) 2006
Trouble In Dreams :: CD/LP (Merge) 2008
Bay of Pigs :: 12" (Merge) 2009
Streethawk: A Seduction :: CD/LP (Merge) 2010
City of Daughters (reissue) :: CD (Merge) 2010
Thief (reissue) :: CD (Merge) 2010
Archer on the Beach :: 12" (Merge) 2010
Kaputt :: CD/LP (Merge) 2011
Ideas For Songs :: (Triple Crown Audio) 2011
Thief :: (Catsup Plate) 2000
Streethawk: A Seduction :: (Misra) 2001
This Night :: CD (Merge) 2002
Your Blues :: CD/LP (Merge) 2004
Notorious Lightning And Other Works :: (Merge) 2005
Destroyer's Rubies :: CD/LP (Merge) 2006
Trouble In Dreams :: CD/LP (Merge) 2008
Bay of Pigs :: 12" (Merge) 2009
Streethawk: A Seduction :: CD/LP (Merge) 2010
City of Daughters (reissue) :: CD (Merge) 2010
Thief (reissue) :: CD (Merge) 2010
Archer on the Beach :: 12" (Merge) 2010
Kaputt :: CD/LP (Merge) 2011
Ideas For Songs :: (Triple Crown Audio) 2011
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Archers of Loaf [+]
| February | ||
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| April | ||
| 26 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 27 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East - Downstairs |
| 28 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East - Downstairs |
| [see all] | ||
Richard Buckner [+]
| February | ||
| 22 | New Haven, CT | BAR |
| 24 | Lexington, KY | Cosmic Charlie's |
| 25 | Atlanta, GA | Highland Inn Ballroom |
| 27 | Easton, MD | The NightCat |
| March | ||
| 02 | Bayport, NY | The Grey Horse Tavern |
| [see all] | ||
Caribou [+]
| April | ||
| 17 | Mexico City | Foro Sol |
| 18 | Mexico City | Foro Sol |
Crooked Fingers [+]
| February | ||
| 29 | Los Angeles, CA | Hotel Cafe |
Destroyer [+]
Eleanor Friedberger [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 04 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent |
| 07 | Portland, OR | Mississippi Studios |
| 09 | Seattle, WA | The Crocodile |
Hospitality [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Brooklyn, NY | Glasslands |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 29 | Toronto, ON | Horseshoe Tavern |
| March | ||
| 02 | Boston, MA | Brighton Music Hall |
| [see all] | ||
Imperial Teen [+]
| February | ||
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | Cafe Du Nord |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Amoeba Records |
Lambchop [+]
| February | ||
| 23 | Berlin | Babylon |
| 24 | Berlin | Babylon |
| 25 | Dresden | Beatpol |
| 26 | Leipzig | Werk II |
| 27 | Vienna | Konzerthaus |
| [see all] | ||
The Love Language [+]
| March | ||
| 09 | Charlotte, NC | Visulite Theatre |
| 10 | Savannah, GA | Savannah Stopover at Ships of the Sea Museum |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | Variety Playhouse |
| 12 | Baton Rouge, LA | Red Star Bar |
| 20 | Birmingham, AL | The Bottletree |
| [see all] | ||
The Magnetic Fields [+]
| March | ||
| 06 | Hudson, NY | Helsinki Hudson |
| 07 | Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer |
| 10 | Minehead | All Tomorrow's Parties curated by Jeff Mangum |
| 18 | Vancouver | The Vogue |
| 19 | Seattle, WA | Neptune Theatre |
| [see all] | ||
Jeff Mangum [+]
| February | ||
| 04 | Minneapolis, MN | Pantages Theatre |
| 06 | Chicago, IL | Athenaeum Theater |
| 07 | Chicago, IL | Athenaeum Theater |
| 08 | Milwaukee, WI | Pabst Theater |
| 10 | Athens, GA | 40 Watt |
| [see all] | ||
the Mountain Goats [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Greensboro, NC | The Blind Tiger |
| 04 | Saxapahaw, NC | The Haw River Ballroom |
| March | ||
| 09 | Denton, TX | 35 Denton |
| 13 | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall |
| 24 | New York, NY | Merkin Hall |
Portastatic [+]
| February | ||
| 11 | Chapel Hill, NC | The Cave |
| 18 | Durham, NC | Duke Coffeehouse |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | Swedish American Hall |
Superchunk [+]
| February | ||
| 11 | Chapel Hill, NC | The Cave |
| 18 | Durham, NC | Duke Coffeehouse |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | Swedish American Hall |
Versus [+]
| March | ||
| 09 | London | The Lexington |
| April | ||
| 10 | Brooklyn, NY | The Bell House |
M. Ward [+]
| March | ||
| 20 | London | Leicester Square Theatre |
| 21 | Paris | Le Zenith |
| 22 | Lyon | Transbordeur |
| 23 | Lille | Theatre Sebastopol |
| 25 | London | Royal Albert Hall |
| [see all] | ||
Wild Flag [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Ghent | Vooruit |
| 04 | Paris | La Fleche D'Or |
| 05 | Koln | Gebaude 9 |
| 06 | Amsterdam | Melkweg |
| 07 | Hamburg | Uebel and Gefahrlich |
| [see all] | ||
Wye Oak [+]
| February | ||
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent |
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