Destroyer (band)
Encyclopedia
Destroyer is a Canadian indie pop
band fronted by singer-songwriter
Dan Bejar
.
from Vancouver
who formed Destroyer in 1995. He self-produced his first album, the lo-fi We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge
, which was recorded at his in home studio in Vancouver. As Bejar gained popularity within the Vancouver music scene, he was joined by John Collins on City of Daughters
and Destroyer formally became a band. In 2000, the band broke up and Bejar took an extended vacation in Spain
.
Following his brief break from Destroyer, he returned to Vancouver to release Thief
in 2000. Interpreted by many critics as an indictment of the music industry, this album brought Destroyer significant recognition.
Following Thiefs release, Bejar put more focus into his pop music, beginning his music contributions to The New Pornographers
. After the 2001 release of Streethawk: A Seduction
on Misra Records
, Destroyer picked up something of a cult following. Having the band Frog Eyes
play back-up for several shows inspired Notorious Lightning & Other Works
, a reworking of six tracks from the previous album Your Blues
with Frog Eyes once again as back-up.
Destroyer continued its sonic development with 2006's Destroyer's Rubies
, 2008's Trouble in Dreams
, the 2009 EP Bay of Pigs, and 2011's full-length Kaputt
. On June 16, 2011, Kaputt
was named as a longlisted nominee (one of 40) for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize
. On July 6, the album was named as a shortlisted (one of 10) nominee for the 2011 award.
. It is often compared to David Bowie
; the band's admitted influences are Pavement
, and Guided by Voices
, as well as other indie and shoegaze bands. Bejar's lyric stylings are also noteworthy for their cryptic poetry, which frequently vex and intrigue listeners. Bejar openly borrows phrases from other artists and a variety of other sources, even political rhetoric (ex: Ronald Reagan
's "Evil Empire
"). Your Blues presented a new direction in Destroyer's style by introducing orchestra
l elements as well as a heavy reliance on midi instruments.
Bejar has said that the current musician line-up from the recording sessions for Destroyer's Rubies
shall be the definitive and permanent line up for the band from this point forward. Many members here have performed with Bejar in one form or another before, some on previous Destroyer albums, many of whom have the commonality of being from the production team of JC/DC (John Collins and Dave Carswell).
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band fronted by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Dan Bejar
Dan Bejar
Daniel Bejar is an independent singer-songwriter from Vancouver renowned for his challenging and often cryptic lyrics and unorthodox vocals featured in many of his songs. Bejar has gained widespread popularity through his musical collaborations with Vancouver indie-rock band The New Pornographers,...
.
Overview
Daniel Bejar (icon) is an independent pop singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
who formed Destroyer in 1995. He self-produced his first album, the lo-fi We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge is the debut album by Destroyer. Originally released on Tinker in 1996, it was reissued by Scratch Records on October 24, 2006....
, which was recorded at his in home studio in Vancouver. As Bejar gained popularity within the Vancouver music scene, he was joined by John Collins on City of Daughters
City of Daughters
City of Daughters is the second studio album by Destroyer, released in 1998.-Track listing:#"Comments on the World as Will" – 0:56#"No Cease Fires! " – 3:30#"The Space Race" – 2:22#"Dark Purposes" – 2:15...
and Destroyer formally became a band. In 2000, the band broke up and Bejar took an extended vacation in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Following his brief break from Destroyer, he returned to Vancouver to release Thief
Thief (album)
Thief is the third studio album by Destroyer and the first recorded with a full band on every track. Thief is thought to be an attack on the music industry perhaps a response to the lack of success that Bejar's other band, The New Pornographers, were having after releasing their EP.-Track...
in 2000. Interpreted by many critics as an indictment of the music industry, this album brought Destroyer significant recognition.
Following Thiefs release, Bejar put more focus into his pop music, beginning his music contributions to The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
. After the 2001 release of Streethawk: A Seduction
Streethawk: A Seduction
Streethawk: A Seduction is the fourth studio album by Destroyer, recorded in the fall of 2000 and released in 2001. It was recorded at JC/DC Studios and produced by JC/DC...
on Misra Records
Misra Records
Misra Records is an independent record label run out of Durham, North Carolina with branch offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California....
, Destroyer picked up something of a cult following. Having the band Frog Eyes
Frog Eyes
Frog Eyes is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada known for their highly idiosyncratic songs, which pit Carey Mercer's melodic falsetto whoops against an avalanche of guitar, keyboards, piano, and drums. Their 2010 album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph was a longlisted nominee for the...
play back-up for several shows inspired Notorious Lightning & Other Works
Notorious Lightning & Other Works
Notorious Lightning and Other Works is an EP by Destroyer, released in 2005. After shocking many fans by supporting the synth driven album Your Blues with the avant-guitar band Frog Eyes, Dan Bejar decided to put to tape some of the very different versions of songs from Your Blues...
, a reworking of six tracks from the previous album Your Blues
Your Blues
Your Blues is the sixth studio album by Destroyer, released in 2004.It was a notable departure from the full-band format of Destroyer's previous few albums, largely featuring MIDI-simulated orchestration as its backing music....
with Frog Eyes once again as back-up.
Destroyer continued its sonic development with 2006's Destroyer's Rubies
Destroyer's Rubies
Destroyer's Rubies is the seventh studio album from Destroyer, and was the follow-up to Notorious Lightning & Other Works, the 2005 EP.-Release:...
, 2008's Trouble in Dreams
Trouble in Dreams
Trouble In Dreams is the eighth LP from Destroyer, released on March 18, 2008 by Merge Records. "Foam Hands" was released as a promotional mp3 on December 4, 2007.The album leaked in January 2008.-Production:...
, the 2009 EP Bay of Pigs, and 2011's full-length Kaputt
Kaputt (album)
-Vinyl version:-External links:*...
. On June 16, 2011, Kaputt
Kaputt (album)
-Vinyl version:-External links:*...
was named as a longlisted nominee (one of 40) for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize
2011 Polaris Music Prize
The 2011 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2011. The winner was Arcade Fire, for the album The Suburbs.For the 2011 award, the prize was increased to $30,000 for the winning musician.-Shortlist:...
. On July 6, the album was named as a shortlisted (one of 10) nominee for the 2011 award.
Style
Bejar called Destroyer's style, for the album Your Blues "European Blues" but has since stated that this description has come to haunt him. He has stated that the album was an attempt to emulate musician Scott WalkerScott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
. It is often compared to David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
; the band's admitted influences are Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
, and Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, as well as other indie and shoegaze bands. Bejar's lyric stylings are also noteworthy for their cryptic poetry, which frequently vex and intrigue listeners. Bejar openly borrows phrases from other artists and a variety of other sources, even political rhetoric (ex: Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's "Evil Empire
Evil empire
The phrase evil empire was applied to the Soviet Union especially by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who took an aggressive, hard-line stance that favored matching and exceeding the Soviet Union's strategic and global military capabilities, in calling for a rollback strategy that would, in his words,...
"). Your Blues presented a new direction in Destroyer's style by introducing orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l elements as well as a heavy reliance on midi instruments.
Musical collaborators
Over the ten-plus years that Bejar has been performing and recording as Destroyer, there have been numerous lineup changes and shifts within the artists he plays with. This ever-evolving shuffle of musicians has led some to consider Destroyer as a solo project, but Bejar has always insisted that he sees Destroyer as a band, with full contributions from his collaborators. Bejar has said in interviews that he has never been especially good at the logistics of keeping a band together.Bejar has said that the current musician line-up from the recording sessions for Destroyer's Rubies
Destroyer's Rubies
Destroyer's Rubies is the seventh studio album from Destroyer, and was the follow-up to Notorious Lightning & Other Works, the 2005 EP.-Release:...
shall be the definitive and permanent line up for the band from this point forward. Many members here have performed with Bejar in one form or another before, some on previous Destroyer albums, many of whom have the commonality of being from the production team of JC/DC (John Collins and Dave Carswell).
Discography
Studio album | Year | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | 1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact... |
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge is the debut album by Destroyer. Originally released on Tinker in 1996, it was reissued by Scratch Records on October 24, 2006.... |
Tinker |
Cassette | 1997 1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy... |
Ideas for Songs Ideas for Songs Ideas for Songs is a cassette by Destroyer, released in 1997. The tape was a result of Dan Bejar being asked to contribute a song under the Destroyer moniker for a various artists compilation being curated at the time. As a response he submitted a cassette with 20 songs for them to choose from... |
Granted Passage Cassettes |
#2 | 1998 1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia... |
City of Daughters City of Daughters City of Daughters is the second studio album by Destroyer, released in 1998.-Track listing:#"Comments on the World as Will" – 0:56#"No Cease Fires! " – 3:30#"The Space Race" – 2:22#"Dark Purposes" – 2:15... |
Endearing Endearing Records Endearing Records is a Canadian independent record label established in 1994, now based in Vancouver, originally based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Endearing Records has released many albums by Canadian indie artists since the mid 90s, such as Destroyer, The Meligrove Band, Julie Doiron, The... /Triple Crown Audio |
#3 | 2000 2000 in music See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List.... |
Thief Thief (album) Thief is the third studio album by Destroyer and the first recorded with a full band on every track. Thief is thought to be an attack on the music industry perhaps a response to the lack of success that Bejar's other band, The New Pornographers, were having after releasing their EP.-Track... |
Catsup Plate/Triple Crown Audio/Cave Canem |
#4 | 2001 2001 in music See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band.... |
Streethawk: A Seduction Streethawk: A Seduction Streethawk: A Seduction is the fourth studio album by Destroyer, recorded in the fall of 2000 and released in 2001. It was recorded at JC/DC Studios and produced by JC/DC... |
Misra Misra Records Misra Records is an independent record label run out of Durham, North Carolina with branch offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California.... /Talitres |
#5 | 2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI... |
This Night | Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... /Talitres |
#6 | 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
Your Blues Your Blues Your Blues is the sixth studio album by Destroyer, released in 2004.It was a notable departure from the full-band format of Destroyer's previous few albums, largely featuring MIDI-simulated orchestration as its backing music.... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... /Talitres/Acuarela |
EP | 2005 2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:... |
Notorious Lightning & Other Works Notorious Lightning & Other Works Notorious Lightning and Other Works is an EP by Destroyer, released in 2005. After shocking many fans by supporting the synth driven album Your Blues with the avant-guitar band Frog Eyes, Dan Bejar decided to put to tape some of the very different versions of songs from Your Blues... (EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... ) |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... |
#7 | 2006 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band.... |
Destroyer's Rubies Destroyer's Rubies Destroyer's Rubies is the seventh studio album from Destroyer, and was the follow-up to Notorious Lightning & Other Works, the 2005 EP.-Release:... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... |
#8 | 2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
Trouble in Dreams Trouble in Dreams Trouble In Dreams is the eighth LP from Destroyer, released on March 18, 2008 by Merge Records. "Foam Hands" was released as a promotional mp3 on December 4, 2007.The album leaked in January 2008.-Production:... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... /Rough Trade Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove... |
EP | 2009 2009 in music The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year... |
Bay of Pigs (EP) Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... |
EP | 2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
Archer on the Beach Archer on the Beach - Track listing :Side A: "Archer on the Beach" - 7:21Side B: "Grief Point" - 8:40- Style :Merge Records states: "The limited-edition 12-inch "Archer on the Beach" b/w "Grief Point." is inspired by the music of Kranky recording artists Tim Hecker and Loscil and achieved through their full... (EP) Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... |
#9 | 2011 | Kaputt Kaputt (album) -Vinyl version:-External links:*... |
Merge Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... |
External links
- Destroyer at Merge Records
- Destroyer at Misra Records
- Dan Bejar discusses Destroyer's collaboration with Kara Walker on "Kaputt"
- The Ratio - Destroyer Special Issue
- *sixeyes Interview - Destroyer's Dan Bejar Interview
- Dan Bejar's 'Other' Band NPR segment aired 18 March 2006
- Destroyer - Cover story on Destroyer in Exclaim! magazine
- Destroyer's artist page at CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
- May 2008 Interview with L.A. RecordL.A. RecordL.A. Record is an independent music magazine originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a...
- Destroyer Lyrics Wiki
- September 2010 Interview on Farrar, Straus and GirouxFarrar, Straus and GirouxFarrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...
's Work in Progress