I discovered Dan Deacon on the radio, playing at 2 in the morning, in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere–aka the dark deep recesses of San Bernardino county, composed of dirt roads and giant red ants. The song was Wham City and my first impression of it was Kindergarten on Crack! It reminded me of high school band, when I used to play different chords on the marimba and xylophone, just to see what sounds they made, and I never got tired of it. Listening to Dan Deacon, I get the same kind of repetitive gratification, I spend a lot of time just trying to absorb all of the sounds that are packed in densely–a lot of his songs doesn’t have lyrics, but when they do, it’s chanty, sing-along, it’s distorted, it’s nostalgic for childhood, it’s celebratory, and it’s very soulfully constructed.
The songs I’m posting are from one of his earlier CDs, Spiderman of the Rings. Wham City mp3 was my first introduction to Dan Deacon, and I consider it his classic song. I just remember hearing it for the first time with this huge smile on my face. The lyrics and the music build accordingly to the finale: a round of the happy chant without music, “There IS a mountain of snow up past a BIG GLEN!”, is like holding your breath, and then “MY MY MY MY!” is immediately blasted by the return of the huge sound of Dan Deacon’s arsenal.
Pink Batman mp3 reminds me of “The Never Ending Story “. I’m listening to this song and I’m flying on Falkor, and I’m visiting David Bowie in the Labyrinth, I’m waving “Hi” at Rainbow Brite, and I’m flying over Oz, but the scarier version in “Return to Oz”. This song kicks so much ass, it makes me forget that I didn’t even grow up in the ’80s!
Oh! If you have the chance to go see Dan Deacon live, DO IT! I saw him in at the Troubadour in Hollywood on his “Bromst Tour” last April, complete with his 13-piece ensemble. It was probably the most fun I have ever had at a concert. The energy Dan Deacon cultivates is very addictive. He’s like the pied-piper who leads the children to the land where you’re free to be… you and me!
