Fever 121614

Anyone who's seen Deerhoof live at pretty much any point throughout their two-decade run knows that it's about as organic a performance as can be coaxed out of the standard rock-instrument formula. Somehow, the S.F.-based quartet had never released a live record until this year's Fever 121614, recorded during an intimate set at a Tokyo club. The product is as intoxicating as you might expect, with the playfulness of Satomi Matsuzaki's frontwomanisms offering a cheeky yin to the yang of the John Dieterich-Ed Rodríguez-Greg Saunier triptych of minimalist avant-garde rock. “Let's Dance the Jet,” from 2011's Deerhoof vs. Evil, is raw and lithe, explosive and unpredictable, with Saunier's typically manic drumming occupying new weird realms of form and rhythm. It's a relatively diverse spectrum of the Deerhoof catalog featured here, with “Twin Killers” from 2005's The Runners Four putting its writhing pop imprint on the bizarre yet on-point setlist. Still, there's nothing quite like Deerhoof live, and the band plays out a lot. So go experience that as soon as possible, too.