Send "Destroyer " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Mergerecords |
 In the hallowed Destroyer discography, the early trinity of City Of Daughters / Thief / Streethawk: A Seduction holds an important place; for 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 that was only just getting started. Because the following year brought us Streethawk: A Seduction. And every last inch -- and I don't mean this hyperbolically -- EVERY. LAST. INCH. of Streethawk is a true classic....full text |
| Pitchfork |
| "Find something difficult to do and do it," says Destroyer's Dan Bejar a few tracks into Streethawk: A Seduction. Which is more or less the story of Bejar's early albums, now reissued-- City of Daughters, Thief, and Streethawk. In a few years, the tentative bedroom auteur grew into one of indie rock's most distinctive voices, and these three records laid the groundwork for his career. The extravagant glam-pop that would become Bejar's trademark is hinted at, whittled down, and then perfected over the course of these albums. Every record since Streethawk has felt like either an extension of its successes or an outright rejection of its excesses. City of Daughters found Bejar playing with others for the first time, but it's still plenty homespun; its songs are rough around the edges and not always sure what to do with themselves. Most of these tracks are simple and occasionally quite direct, but with less drama and fewer of the flashes of brilliance Bejar's often built songs from and around. Still finding his voice as a singer, Bejar alternates between sounding meek and going in just a tad harder than the songs seem to deserve. The wordiness that would become something of a trademark is in full effect, but he was only just starting to get the sloganeering thing down; unlike much of what came later, not every line is worthy of examination. His work with the band, too, results in some fairly perfunctory arrangements; in hindsight, it's easy to see where a big crescendo might have gone had they had the means to pull one off at the time. The bouncy synth-pop breakdown in "The Space Race" is the first real evidence of his penchant for throwing a lot of unexpected elements into a song and making them stick. But the most successful tune here is one of its most bare; "You Were So Cruel" describes some manner of abuse, and while the specifics aren't crystal clear, Bejar's delivery is devastating. A good writer can explain themselves in any number of words; a great writer needs only a couple. With a few dozen words, the song drags you through about as many emotions. It's possibly his first masterpiece, though more would follow....full text |
| Popheadwound |
| Merge has recently re-released Destroyer’s second album, 1998’s acclaimed City of Daughters. If you are a fan of Dan Bejar’s more recent work - including PHW’s favorite album of 2006 Destroyer’s Rubies, or his contributions to The New Pornographers (I mean he only wrote the best song on Challengers) - than check out Bejar’s first attempts at recording outside of the confines of his bedroom. It’s full of the madcap genius that is so evident in his fully realized, current incarnation. It’s because of this that City of Daughters feels out of time - a revisionist’s dream that is easier to appreciate today than when it was released because we hear it as a starting point....full text |
| Consequenceofsound |
| For me, it was perfect timing that CoS posted the 13 Best Canadian Indie bands List this week. A surprisingly high percentage of the bands mentioned have albums coming out in the months ahead, including The Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade, and Stars. Beating them all to the punchbowl and sure to reap from the massive hype this feature has likely stirred is Plants and Animals. Though not one of the top 13, the young group had two shout-outs in the comment field, declaring them worthy of Canadian rock immortality. I don’t get it. Unless they are judging the band solely on the first song from their debut Park Avenue, I see nothing in the recorded music of Plants and Animals that would warrant placement on the best of anything. On their new album La La Land, the Montreal-based three-piece commit even a greater sin than falling victim to the sophomore slump and creating a poor second album; they made a bore of a record that made you forget the first one even exists. Let me clarify, La La Land is not a horrible album. A few complete stinkers aside, most of the songs stay in the listenable but forgettable realm. But the bad ones do tilt the graces away from giving the mundane numbers the benefit of the doubt. Basically, Plants and Animals should not go up-tempo. “The Mama Papa” tries to be a fun rocker, but with lyrics that are distractingly dumb, a unforgivable moment that features one of those Ferris Bueller chick-a-chicha’s, and an overall sound that is a country off and 40 years late, the song thuds like a body rolling down stairs. But it nowhere nears the realm of “American Idol”, one of the worst songs I have heard in a long time. Keep in mind that they are not American (maybe that is the funny irony? haha?), but do you really think anyone wants to sing along to a chorus that should have been written for Kid Rock?...full text |
| Straight |
| Tim Hortons, affordable healthcare, and Neil Young are all reasons one should be proud to be Canadian. Seriously, who can say the advent of Timbits hasn’t helped them out of a jam at one point or another? Well, you can add one more thing to the list: the Montreal band Plants and Animals. The band—made up of all-Canadian boys Warren Spicer (guitar, vocals), Matthew Woodley (drums, vocals), and Nicolas Basque (guitar, bass, keys)—is the recipient of the Juno’s 2009 “Best New Band” award and is one to look out for in 2010. The homegrown three-piece is releasing La La Land, its second full-length album, on April 20 this year. But with slow, surfer-rock type riffs, Plants and Animals sounds more like it came off of a beach in Tofino rather than out of poutine’s birth place. The kickoff song, “Tom Cruz”, opens up an album full of easy-on-the-ears melodies and a rhythm you’ll be unconsciously bobbing your head to. It’s not hard to deduce that the album’s material is a critique of today’s popular culture with tracks like “Game Shows” and “American Idol”, which features a jazzed-out fanfare that’s reminiscent of David Letterman’s in-house band....full text |
Destroyer lyrics
