“The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Retinue” by Deerhoof

Duke Ellington once said “If it sounds good and feels good, then it is good.” I generally agree with that statement but major labels historically exploited this premise, often force feeding the public rehashed popular musical trends and uninspired sounds instead of taking risks on artists willing to challenge the listener and the status quo.

Experimental music, and more specifically experimental rock artists like The Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, fought these trends, releasing albums that tested the limits of what could be recorded and performed. They of course were not alone, and for those of us willing to seek out new sounds and musical ideas we have been rewarded.
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Deerhoof is one such group, releasing interesting music that continually challenges themselves and their fans. Some might consider their efforts pretentious and at times difficult to listen to, but you could never take away their inventiveness, artistry, and talent. I think this track is an outstanding example of these traits and I hope their 2016 release The Magic doesn’t go unnoticed.