Aaron Deer
Encyclopedia
Aaron Deer is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Indianapolis, IN, now residing in Oakland, CA. He is best known for his work in the Bloomington, IN music scene in the early 2000s, playing with bands such as The Impossible Shapes
, John Wilkes Booze, and The Horns of Happiness
. In the winter of 2009, Deer relocated to California
and continues work with The Horns of Happiness
, Royal Geography Society, Farmer Dave Scher and Wee Giant, among others, while co-running the Magnetic South cassette label.
and they restarted the band there. The group released their first record, "The Great Migration", in 2000 and followed with 2 subsequent releases with Indianapolis-based label Recordhead/Mr.Whiggs. In 2003, The Impossible Shapes signed with Bloomington, IN label Secretly Canadian
released "We Like It Wild" and toured nationally and internationally. Around the same time, John Wilkes Booze was reformed in its classic "Five Pillars of Soul" line-up. After touring the western US in 2004, John Wilkes Booze was signed to Olympia, WA-based Kill Rock Stars
. His solo debut by The Horns of Happiness
A Sea As a Shore was released by Secretly Canadian
in 2004. In 2005, Deer teamed up with drummer and visual artist Shelley Harrison to form the first performance version of The Horns of Happiness
touring extensively through the US, sharing the stage with acts such as Man Man
, Silver Jews
, Old Time Relijun
, Danielson Famile
, Joanna Newsome,and The Dirty Projectors, among others, while garnering acclaim in publications such as Magnet
, Dusted and Skyscraper magazines.
The Impossible Shapes
The Impossible Shapes are an independent rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Since forming in 1998, the band has released eight albums in North America and Europe, sharing the stage with acts such as Wilco, Guided By Voices, Interpol, Danielson Famile, and Jens Lekman, among others, while...
, John Wilkes Booze, and The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness are an independent rock band formerly of Bloomington, Indiana now residents of Oakland/Los Angeles, CA. Since forming in 2004, the band has released one full-length album, one soundtrack, and two EPs on Secretly Canadian while touring extensively through the US, sharing the...
. In the winter of 2009, Deer relocated to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and continues work with The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness are an independent rock band formerly of Bloomington, Indiana now residents of Oakland/Los Angeles, CA. Since forming in 2004, the band has released one full-length album, one soundtrack, and two EPs on Secretly Canadian while touring extensively through the US, sharing the...
, Royal Geography Society, Farmer Dave Scher and Wee Giant, among others, while co-running the Magnetic South cassette label.
Career
Deer began his music career in Indianapolis, IN where, along with high school friends Chris Barth and Peter King, The Impossible Shapes was formed. In 1999, Deer and Barth moved to Bloomington, IN to attend Indiana UniversityIndiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
and they restarted the band there. The group released their first record, "The Great Migration", in 2000 and followed with 2 subsequent releases with Indianapolis-based label Recordhead/Mr.Whiggs. In 2003, The Impossible Shapes signed with Bloomington, IN label Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...
released "We Like It Wild" and toured nationally and internationally. Around the same time, John Wilkes Booze was reformed in its classic "Five Pillars of Soul" line-up. After touring the western US in 2004, John Wilkes Booze was signed to Olympia, WA-based Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
. His solo debut by The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness are an independent rock band formerly of Bloomington, Indiana now residents of Oakland/Los Angeles, CA. Since forming in 2004, the band has released one full-length album, one soundtrack, and two EPs on Secretly Canadian while touring extensively through the US, sharing the...
A Sea As a Shore was released by Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...
in 2004. In 2005, Deer teamed up with drummer and visual artist Shelley Harrison to form the first performance version of The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness
The Horns of Happiness are an independent rock band formerly of Bloomington, Indiana now residents of Oakland/Los Angeles, CA. Since forming in 2004, the band has released one full-length album, one soundtrack, and two EPs on Secretly Canadian while touring extensively through the US, sharing the...
touring extensively through the US, sharing the stage with acts such as Man Man
Man Man
Man Man is an experimental band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Man Man is known for their exuberant live performances. When performing, the members of the band sometimes coordinate their outfits, often seen in white outfits and, more commonly, war paint....
, Silver Jews
Silver Jews
Silver Jews was an indie rock band from New York City, formed in 1989 by David Berman along with Pavement's Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Berman remained throughout and was the only constant member. During the last few albums, Cassie Berman became a regular member of the band...
, Old Time Relijun
Old Time Relijun
Old Time Relijun is a band founded in Olympia, Washington, United States and a longtime member of K Records. Current members are Germaine Baca on drums, Aaron Hartman on upright bass, Ben Hartman on saxophones, and Arrington de Dionyso on electric guitar, vocals and bass clarinet...
, Danielson Famile
Danielson Famile
Danielson is an American Rock band from Clarksboro, New Jersey that plays indie pop gospel music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates...
, Joanna Newsome,and The Dirty Projectors, among others, while garnering acclaim in publications such as Magnet
Magnet (magazine)
Magnet is a music magazine which generally focuses on alternative, independent, or out-of-the-mainstream bands.-History:The magazine is published four times a year, and is independently owned and edited by Eric T. Miller. Music magazines with a similar focus in the 1990s era included Option,...
, Dusted and Skyscraper magazines.
The Horns of Happiness
- A Sea As A Shore (2004)http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/1925
- Would I Find Your Psychic Guideline EP (2006)http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4036-would-i-find-your-psychic-guideline/
- What Spills Like Thread EP (2007)
- Weathering Alterations Soundtrack (2009)
- The Horns of HappinessThe Horns of HappinessThe Horns of Happiness are an independent rock band formerly of Bloomington, Indiana now residents of Oakland/Los Angeles, CA. Since forming in 2004, the band has released one full-length album, one soundtrack, and two EPs on Secretly Canadian while touring extensively through the US, sharing the...
EP (2010) - Be Where Your Aim is Brave & Sound Cassette (2011)
The Impossible Shapes
- The Great Migration (2000)
- Laughter Fills Our Hollow Dome (2002)
- Bless The Headless (2003)
- The Current (2003)
- We Like It Wild (2004)
- HorusHorusHorus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
(2005) - TUM (2006)
- The Impossible ShapesThe Impossible ShapesThe Impossible Shapes are an independent rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Since forming in 1998, the band has released eight albums in North America and Europe, sharing the stage with acts such as Wilco, Guided By Voices, Interpol, Danielson Famile, and Jens Lekman, among others, while...
(2008)
John Wilkes Booze
- Summer of Blood cassette (2004)
- Five Pillars of Soul (2005)
- Heliocentric Views of... (2006)
External links
- Aaron Deer's homepage
- The Horns of Happiness website
- The Horns of Happiness official Myspace page
- The Horns of Happiness official Facebook page
- The Impossible Shapes official Facebook page
- Wee Giant official Facebook page
- Aaron Deer's blog
- Magnetic South website
- Secretly Canadian Records infopage
- The Impossible Shapes official Myspace page
- Review of "A Seas As A Shore" on Dusted Magazine
- Daytrotter: January 2007
- The Impossible Shapes website
- Pitchfork review 2006
- Tour Press release
- Pop Montreal Review
- John Wilkes Booze website