“It’s very easy to identify ‘negative’ in change, but I want this record to showcase the positive aspects of change, and how things like getting older, or dying, or the end of civilization, or the end of a species isn’t a … bad thing.”

From any other artist, in practically any context, this quote would wreak of absurd neophytic existential posturing, but spoke by Dan Deacon in Pitchfork TV’s In The Studio piece about Bromst, why can’t he also challenge our traditional ideas of life and dying? After all, along what process did we associate getting older with the loss of youth? Why can’t getting older remeble the the explosive surge at roughly 0:58 on ““Get Older”“?

Yes, we know we might “obsessing” a bit, having already featured “Snookered”, “Paddling Ghost” and Get Older, compounded by Tripwire Editor Derek Evers’ “blowjob of a review”, but hey, we’re not the only ones:

The Onion A.V. Club: “Deacon has always said that he writes within his physical means (then: homemade equipment, sweltering clubs; now: actual studios, actual venues). A word of advice for anyone who crosses Dan’s path: Give this man anything he asks for.”

Pitchfork: “The music becomes something like a natural process: one clean, simple sweep, but built from an insane complexity of detail. And there’s enough to un-knot in there to make this a terrific step for Deacon — out from the sticky basements into a space where he can try to tackle the sublime.”

Tiny Mix Tapes: “The way Deacon transitioned from the format of his cartoon-y debut to the sparkling sidewalk-chalk innocence here is astonishing, comparable to the bump in quality and focus we all felt when Ágætis Byrjun proceeded Von or Person Pitch followed Young Prayer. It’s the hyper-distinguishable leap from idiosyncratic-but-lovable to just-plain-lovable that makes Bromst — and Danny Boy himself — of increased import.”

Bromst Is Awesome.

Dan Deacon tour dates
04.03.09 – Philadelphia, PA (First Unitarian Church)
04.04.09 – Baltimore, MD (TRANSMODERN FESTIVAL: H&H BUILDING)
04.05.09 – Williamsburg, VA (The Little Theater)
04.06.09 – Asheville, NC (Orange Peel)
04.07.09 – Knoxville, TN (Catalyst)
04.08.09 – Birmingham, AL (Bottletree)
04.09.09 – Athens, GA (88/cp)
04.10.09 – Atlanta, GA (Eyedrum)
04.11.09 – Tallahassee, FL (FSU/Club Downunder)
04.13.09 – New Orleans, LA (The Candle Factory/The Heavy)
04.15.09 – Baton Rouge, LA (Spanish Moon)
04.16.09 – Houston, TX (Orange Show)
04.17.09 – Austin, TX (Emos)
04.18.09 – Fort Worth, TX (Fort Worth Modern Art Museum)
04.20.09 – Tempe, AZ (The Clubhouse)
04.21.09 – San Diego, CA (Che Cafe)
04.22.09 – Los Angeles, CA (Troubadour)
04.23.09 – San Francisco, CA (Great American Music Hall)
04.24.09 – Portland, OR (Wonder Ballroom)
04.25.09 – Seattle, WA (The Vera Project)
04.26.09 – Vancouver, BC (Richards on Richards)
04.29.09 – Salt Lake City, UT (Kilby Court)
04.30.09 – Denver, CO (Bluebird Theater)
05.01.09 – Kansas City, MO (Pistol K.C.)
05.02.09 – Minneapolis, MN (Triple Rock Social Club)
05.04.09 – Madison, WI (Majestic Theatre)
05.05.09 – Milwaukee, WI (Turner Hall Ballroom)
05.06.09 – Urbana, IL (Canopy Club/Club Void)
05.07.09 – Chicago, IL (Metro)
05.08.09 – Mount Pleasant, MI (CMU / The Wesley Foundation)
05.09.09 – Detroit, MI (TBA)
05.10.09 – Toronto, ON (The Deleon White Gallery)
05.11.09 – Montreal, QC (La Sala Rossa)
05.12.09 – South Burlington, VT (HG Showcase Lounge)
05.13.09 – Cambridge, MA (Middle East Downstairs)
05.14.09 – Providence, RI (RISD Market Square)
05.15.09 – Brooklyn, NY (Danbro Studios)
05.16.09 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
05.17.09 – Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)

In case you haven’t already noticed, Dan Deacon’s new album Bromst is a work of fucking genius. It’s such a lovely cacophony of sounds and ideas that I hardly know where to begin, though discussing “Snookered” seems like a good start. Abstaining from his strategic neurosis, “Snookered” is a moment of musical accessibility and bold honesty from Dan Deacon. He sings precise and clear, declaring the most evocative lyrics of his career: “Been wrong so many times before/ but never quite like this.” With only two short stanzas, Deacon layers “Snookered” over a sprawling eight minutes. Beginning with notes from a music box amidst thick fuzz, Deacon sings loudly as if he refuses to be drowned out. Though never using “you”, his confessional words atop such a bittersweet melody makes “Snookered” feel entirely dedicated to one person.

“Snookered” is just one more example of Deacon’s ability to transgress genre without ignoring structure or traditional pop hooks. Easily one of the best songs of his young career, this track is another reason why Bromst is a stunning accomplishment.

Dan Deacon – “Snookered”

There are few musicians who deserve the respect that Dan Deacon merits. Through all of the successes he has enjoyed recently, he has remained a man of the people — and of his people. Not only does he still play on the floor amongst the fans whenever possible, but he has tried with much effort to bring as many of his friends and fellow musicians to prominence with him. These are the reasons we like Dan Deacon. These are the reasons we respect Dan Deacon. But none of these — or the many other reasons I’m sure there are to be a fan of Dan — would mean a thing if he didn’t produce good music. So after a three-year recording hiatus and a full two-years after the release of Spiderman Of The Rings, many of us have been anticipating with wonderment what will become of Mr. Deacon’s trademark sound?

We read the quotes about Dan bringing a darker, more mature aspect to his sound. This might have scared a lot of people, but for a man who has spent much of the last two years on the road, there must have been considerable time to contemplate some pretty weighty subjects. And so we’re left with Bromst; a record that takes the spazz-out party and integrates enough maturity to allow those outside of the warehouses to appreciate what Deacon can produce. To put it quite simply, Bromst is — in this editor’s opinion — the best record of 2009 to date.

There’s still a lot of time left in ‘09 for sure, but in Bromst, we are reminded that Dan is a classically trained musician even if his spectacles are missing a few parts. There is more singing on his sophomore Car Park release (both by Dan and others), there is more instrumentation (as evidenced by his 14-person touring ensemble), and he has brought in guests to help (as evidenced by his Baltimore Round Robin tour last year), but the beauty of Bromst lies in it’s recognizability. For all of the movement forward, for all of the new sounds and lusher production, there is nothing available today — nothing — that you can compare to Dan Deacon’s sound, and his signature is all over Bromst. Whether it’s his shouts through a vocoder, the spazz-out moments or the ascending build-ups to the climax that will leave all the kids screaming, it’s still all there — it’s just crafted and produced better and with many more layers. When you hear the lead into the opening track, appropriately titled “Build Voice”, you can’t help but get excited. And it’s so representative of what we should expect. Dan’s real voice is used to sing a beautiful melody while the layers underneath seamlessly work together to build our anticipation of what he will break into next. You can almost picture the green skull and and floor boards bouncing.

Comparisons are hard to come by sonically, but references to Bromst’s importance can be drawn. Remember when DJ Shadow put out Endtroducing, and it combined the fun elements of hip-hop with a serious undertone that struck a nerve with more people than any DJ record prior had? Remember when Refused dropped The Shape Of Punk To Come and brought an intelligent theme to hardcore that will allow the record to live on in a timeless bubble? Remember when Neutral Milk Hotel put out In The Aeroplane Over The Sea — an indie rock record that made us forget the genre was nearly a decade old and we all felt better when listening to it? Of course Bromst sounds nothing like any of these, but it deserves to live next to them in it’s scope.

It’s extremely rare for me to commend an artist so gratuitously, so I feel like I should stop this blow job of a review, but whether or not you are a fan it must be noted that Bromst will live alone in 2009. It will forever stand as a testament to originality, community and that good feeling you get when you hear the perfect song at the perfect moment. Because when all is said and done, music that makes us feel good will always stand the test of time, and at it’s core, Bromst is a near-perfectly crafted pop record — made even more incredible by the fact that all but two-tracks time in at over 4-minutes in length.

Dan Deacon is already one of the most innovative musicians of this generation, and now Bromst can live harmoniously next to the definitive albums of any generation.

We’re big fans of Dan Deacon here at the Tripwire, so we thought it would be in good taste to give you a preview of his new album, Bromst, due out tomorrow (March 24). In standard Deacon style, “Padding Ghost” follows in the footsteps of Deacon’s organically high-energy, electronic signature sound; leaving your head swelling by the end of the short track.

Deacon became well-known for his interesting style with the release of 2007’s Spiderman Of The Rings. Deacon had recorded several EPs prior to the album, but the nine-track record placed him on the map of must-listen-to artists after its release on Carpark Records. Deacon’s newest album, Bromst — which he spent three years writing and recording — will also be released on Carpark, is 11 tracks in length and is already one of our favorite records of the year.

Dan Deacon – “Padding Ghost” [via Rubin Recommends]

We don’t want to pull an elitist music-blog move and brag about how we’ve been jamming out to Bromst for the last month, but we will just so we can go on the record as saying the new Dan Deacon LP is one of our favorites of 2009. Well, now you don’t have to take our word for it, because the people at NPR have the full album streaming for you to check out.

Yes, we certainly love us some Mr. Deacon — so much so that we took him bowling. But more to the point, you can go here to check out the record that will undoubtedly land on many Best Of 2009 lists by years end.

And as we told you, Dan will be hitting the road in support of Bromst with a 14-piece ensemble and Future Islands and Teeth Mountain in support starting April 3 in Philadelphia.

Dan Deacon is taking his show on the road in April in support of his new album, Bromst, out March 24 on Carpark Records, and if you’re lucky enough to be in New York you can get your Deacon fix this week.

This Friday he’s hitting up Danbro Studios in Brooklyn for a solo show, and on April 3 he kicks thing off in Philadelphia with a full live ensemble, not unlike his all-star line-up from his December gig at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, but with new faces.

Future Islands and Teeth Mountain, both out of Baltimore, will open for Deacon on the entire tour. Bromst has been three years in the making, and is rumored to be a departure from the solely electronic sound of Spiderman of the Rings, bringing in acoustics, mechanics and all sorts of other ics. Brace yourself.

Dan Deacon with Future Islands and Teeth Mountain
01.30.09 – Brooklyn, NY (Danbro Studios) *solo set
04.03.09 – Philadelphia, Penn. (First Unitarian Church)
04.05.09 – Williamsburg, Va. (The Little Theater)
04.06.09 – Asheville, NC (Orange Peel)
04.07.09 – Knoxville, Tenn. (Catalyst)
04.08.09 – Birmingham, Ala. (Bottletree)
04.09.09 – Athens, Ga. (88/cp)
04.10.09 – Atlanta, Ga. (Eyedrum)
04.11.09 – Tallahassee, Fla. (FSU / Club Downunder)
04.13.09 – New Orleans, La. (The Candle Factory / The Heavy)
04.15.09 – Baton Rouge, La. (Spanish Moon)
04.16.09 – Houston, Texas (Orange Show)
04.18.09 – Ft. Worth, Texas (The Ft. Worth Modern Museum)
04.20.09 – Tempe, Ariz. (The Clubhouse)
04.21.09 – San Diego, Calif. (Che Cafe)
04.22.09 – Los Angeles, Calif. (Troubadour)
04.23.09 – San Francisco, Calif. (Great American Music Hall)
04.24.09 – Portland, Ore. (Wonder Ballroom)
04.25.09 – Seattle, Wash. (The Vera Project)
04.26.09 – Vancouver, BC (Richards on Richards)
04.29.09 – Salt Lake City, Utah (Kilby Court)
04.30.09 – Denver, Colo. (Bluebird Theater)
05.01.09 – Kansas City, Mo. (Pistol S.C.)
05.02.09 – Minneapolis, Minn. (Triple Rock)
05.04.09 – Madison, Wisc. (Majestic Theatre)
05.05.09 – Milwaukee, Wisc. (Turner Hall Ballroom)
05.06.09 – Urbana, Ill. (Canopy Club / Club Void)
05.07.09 – Chicago, Ill. (The Metro)
05.08.09 – Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (CMU / The Wesley Foundation)
05.09.09 – Detroit, Mich. (Scrummage)
05.10.09 – Toronto, ONT (The Deleon White Gallery)
05.11.09 – Montreal, QC (La Sala Rossa)
05.12.09 – South Burlington, Vt. (HG Showcase Lounge)
05.13.09 – Cambridge, Mass. (Middle East Downstairs)
05.15.09 – Brooklyn, NY (Danbro Studios)
05.16.09 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
05.17.09 – Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)

So what if every other blog is posting this track too? We share a love for Mr. Deacon that cannot be denied.

The track, appropriately titled “Get Older”, is about a more mature Dan Deacon. According to the press release, it is about realizing that aging, growth and change should be embraced, not feared. The music is more about a celebration than a party. The party’s not over, it’s just not a drunken rager anymore. It is a music to celebrate with, to get excited with.

Always the ambassador for his fellow Baltimore musicians, the guitar parts on “Get Older” are performed by Matt Papich of Ecstatic Sunshine and the song will appear both on his upcoming LP Bromst, as well as a split 12′ with fellow Baltimorians Adventure.

As we previously mentioned, Dan Deacon’s now much anticipated follow-up to Spiderman Of The Rings has a track listing and cover art to accompany it’s name and street date.

We doubt Bromst is an acronym for the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, but that’s where he unveiled the new material — featuring a 15-piece live ensemble including all four members of So Percussion alongside various Baltimore civilians from Ponytail, Double Dagger, Ecstatic Sunshine, and Future Islands. Though it was previously reported Dan would be taking the ensemble on tour with him to support Bromst, he clarified himself in an interview with the Village Voice’s Rob Harvilla, saying the show in Brooklyn was a one-time thing. The album will be released on Carpark Records on March 24.

Bromst Track Listing
01. Build Voice
02. Red F
03. Paddling Ghost
04. Snookered
05. Of the Mountains
06. Surprise Stefani
07. Wet Wings
08. Woof Woof
09. Slow With Horns / Run for Your Life
10. Baltihorse
11. Get Older