Deerhoof

When the short-lived garage punk band Nitre Pit split in 1992, drummer Greg Saunier and bassist Rob Fisk nobly decided to fulfil the band's scheduled gigs on their own, clattering away raucously and making up for a lack of material and equipment by improvising furiously. Audience member Slim Moon was so impressed that he offered them the chance to record a 7" single on his Kill Rock Stars label and years later they have gone on to become one of the company's defining groups. Recruiting Santomi Matsuzaki as their hyperactive Japanese front woman, the band's scattergun blasts of playful experimentations have made them a well-respected oddity, with fans including Karen O, Dave Grohl, Surfjan Stevens and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Support slots with Radiohead, The Flaming Lips and Sleater-Kinney have further increased their status as cult legends, with albums Reveille (2002), Apple O (2003) and Offend Maggie (2008) released to high critical acclaim.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.