Color 5.1 Buy This Issue Now

• 
• 

MISFIT MAGIC: DEERHOOF REINVENTS ROCK, AGAIN.

wordsby saelan twerdy illustrationby jonathan paulsen

Deerhoof is magic, and for the last decade the prolific San Francisco band has been charming everyone lucky enough to get in range. Over nine albums, their spazzy art-pop has remained consistently surprising, unpredictable, and dizzyingly creative. Careening between extremes of cute, sugary J-pop and explosive blasts of violently catchy noise, the band has never stopped reinventing itself, and that’s included shifts in personnel: founded in 1995 by guitarist Rob Fisk and drummer Greg Saunier (a tall man who plays a very small drum kit with legendary force), they picked up vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki (now married to Saunier) in time for their first album. Fisk left the band shortly after that, and was replaced by guitarist John Deiterich. In 2003, Deerhoof recruited bassist Chris Cohen. Recently, however, Cohen…