Deerhoof became a better band over their nine-album career, but live they've always been something special. The first time I saw Deerhoof play, at an all-ages venue in Arizona, there were less than 10 people there. Despite this, Deerhoof played as if the house was packed: drummer Greg Saunier smiled widely and singer Satomi Matsuzaki kept her gaze focused and intimidating. The interaction between the two already seemed almost psychic. I've seen them several times since; every time they've sounded like a new band, but their enthusiasm for playing in front of people was the same. You knew how good they were-- the records told you that. But you understood how fun they were by watching them play.
Like the iTunes My Morning Jacket EP, Deerhoof's live exclusive iTunes EP features the band recorded live, inside a studio. Without an audience to reflect back at the band (a feature you either love or hate in a live recording), there isn't much live-ness to the EP. And unless you've got the original queued up (or have the every detail committed to memory), the live arrangements here won't sound drastically different from their studio counterparts. If it were a game of EroticPhotohunt, you'd be counting nipple hairs.
Part of the trouble is that Deerhoof chose three songs from their latest, and more controlled LP, Offend Maggie, to re-record here. It's difficult to breathe new life into songs that are this airtight. The biggest change on opener "The Tears of Music and Love" lies in its slightly softer finish. The EP's languorous take on "Buck and Judy" attenuates the album version's bass punctuations, while "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back" is just as nutty, though live it shimmers and widens, but again, just slightly.
The two older tracks, Milk Man's title track and Apple O's "Blue Cash", undergo slight makeovers. The live version of "Blue Cash" reflects its namesake, countrifying the original with a slide guitar doubling the vocal and a sparse beat propelling it from behind. "Makko Shobu" is the EP's sole new song (though even it was released previously as the B-side to 2007's "Matchbook Seeks Maniac" 7"). Saunier abandons his kit for the piano while Matsuzaki sings in Japanese. These are the only two instruments on the song. As on many other Deerhoof tracks, Matsuzaki's voice follows the lead melody, while Saunier's chords unfurl in all directions.
Since this is an iTunes-only EP, you can buy individual tracks. "Makko Shobu" and "Blue Cash" are the surest bets. But with the glut of readily available Deerhoof live videos, with from-the-board recordings or from-the-audience crowd noise, it might make more sense to download those. Because, again, the compelling thing about live Deerhoof is, well, live Deerhoof: The way Saunier keeps his arms close to his sides, Matsuzaki's personal sign language, how John Dieterich's and Ed Rodriguez's guitars respond to each other. No record can recreate the physicality of that (or, indeed, any) live performance, but this EP is at least responsible for some decent flashbacks.
