You can’t pin down Matthew Deer, so don’t even bother trying. The producer, DJ and avant-pop musician first discovered electronic music as a teenager in his native Texas. In college in Michigan, he began DJing parties, which led to producing and then eventually making his way to the front of the stage to sing his own music. Pitchfork said of Dear’s fifth solo album, Beams, which came out earlier this year: “Each successive release under the Detroit producer’s own name has seen him reveal more of himself as he simultaneously retreats deeper into the shadows.” But make no mistake, influenced by Brian Eno, David Bowie and Talking Heads, Dear (above, playing “Headcage”) makes the kind of music that gets people moving. And you can get moving yourself when Matthew Dear—alongside Light Asylum, Beacon and MNDR—plays Webster Hall on Saturday.
You’re probably familiar with the expression “Go West, young man.” Well, simple logic dictates that the opposite would be “Go East, young woman,” which is exactly what Amanda Warner did, in the hopes of becoming a songwriter for hire, when she ditched Oakland for NYC. But then she met Peter Wade and decided she wanted to write for herself and front her own band. And thus began MNDR (above, playing “Fade to Black” for Fearless Music). Warner and Wade uploaded four songs to MySpace last year, which later became an EP, and are currently working on a full-length album to be released next year. In the meantime, MNDR has opened for Deerhoof and Massive Attack, and you can see what the fuss is about on Monday at Mercury Lounge.
