Deerhoof

One of the most acclaimed acts of the early 21st century, Deerhoof mix vibrant melodies, noise, and an experimental spirit into utterly distinctive music. Their approach was so singular that they could explore any style or influence -- from classic rock to classical music -- and make it sound purely Deerhoof. Throughout their long and prolific career, they rarely repeated themselves. On 1997 debut The Man, The King, The Girl, their music was noisy and full of improvisation; on their next album, 1999's Holdy Paws, it was controlled and direct. Deerhoof continued to deliver different sides of their music over the years, whether it was the ambitious sprawl of 2005's The Runners Four or 2007's compact Friend Opportunity, which nevertheless managed to touch on post-punk, jazz, and psych-rock. Their horizons only continued to broaden as they incorporated elements of Tropicalia and synth pop into 2011's Deerhoof vs. Evil and riffed on surf, disco, and punk on 2014's La Isla Bonita. However, Deerhoof's creativity wasn't limited to their music. They released a song as sheet music in 2008 (years before and embarked on like-minded projects), inspired a children's ballet with their 2004 album Milk Man, and performed at the Large Hadron Collider. As their 25th anniversary neared, Deerhoof's long-standing dedication to social justice came to the fore, and with 2020's searching Future Teenage Cave Artists and the following year's optimistic Actually, You Can, they continued to inspire and surprise listeners in their own inimitable way.