Deerhoof – “I Will Spite Survive” (Feat. Jenn Wasner)

Deerhoof – “I Will Spite Survive” (Feat. Jenn Wasner)

As Joyful Noise Recordings’ current artist in residence, Deerhoof and various Deerhoof side projects are releasing five new LPs over the course of this year. We’ve already gotten two split-LPs from Deerhoof-adjacent bands like Nervous Cop and Murmurer, and now, barely a year after last year’s The Magic, Deerhoof themselves have announced a new album called Mountain Moves. The LP will include covers of songs by Bob Marley, Violeta Parra, and the Staple Singers and feature guests like Juana Molina, Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier, and Awkwafina.

Lead single “I Will Spite Survive” is another winner from the veteran art-rockers, a Bee Gees- and Gloria Gaynor-referencing jam that features vocals from Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner. It premiered this morning on Democracy Now! Hear it below.

Deerhoof issued this detailed explanation along with the song:

In this world of tyrants and CEOs seemingly hellbent on achieving the termination of our species, perhaps the most rebellious thing we could do is not die. Should we survive the global warming, the lack of healthcare, and the bombs, a more humane future may await us. Maligned for shirking their capitalist duty, it is the younger generations we center. Safeguarding our consciences is only part of the daily challenge, since we also need to navigate corporate-owned electronic media which both aids and saps our energies. Fans of Wye Oak will be thrilled (as we were) to hear Jenn Wasner harmonize with Deerhoof singer Satomi Matsuzaki, while fans of Gloria Gaynor, Bee Gees, or The Bobby Fuller Four may detect homage in the lyrics:

“I Will Spite Survive”
You could outlive your executioners but you’re on tv.

You’re expendable.
Sleep at night, if you can stay alive.
Stay alive, if you can sleep at night.
City breaks, if you can stay awake.
Let her dance, all night long!

The voices of reason and humanity are puzzlingly but systematically iced out of our national conversation by politicians and media bought by large corporations. Whether we’re talking about money in politics, trade deals, surveillance, bank bailouts, healthcare, climate change, Middle Eastern wars, or wealth equality, the mainstream popular view is dismissed as unrealistically “far left,” while the views of a small dissenting minority are advanced as acceptably “conservative,” “centrist,” or “liberal.” That’s why news outlets NOT owned by large corporations are so lovable, and Democracy Now! may be the most lovable of them all.

Mountain Moves tracklist:

01 “Slow Motion Detonation” (Feat. Juana Molina)
02 “Con Sordino”
03 “I Will Spite Survive” (Feat. Jenn Wasner)
04 “Come Down Here And Say That” (Feat. Lætitia Sadier)
05 “Gracias A La Vida” (Violeta Parra Cover)
06 “Begin Countdown”
07 “Your Dystopic Creation Doesn’t Fear You” (Feat. Awkwafina)
08 “Ay That’s Me”
09 “Palace Of The Governors”
10 “Singalong Junk” (Feat. Xenia Rubinos)
11 “Mountain Moves” (Feat. Matana Roberts)
12 “Freedom Highway” (The Staple Singers Cover)
13 “Sea Moves (Feat. Chad Popple & Devin Hoff)
14 “Kokoye”
15 “Small Axe (Bob Marley Cover)

Mountain Moves is out 9/8 via Joyful Noise. Pre-order it here.

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