DEFTONES as ART..............

[bodywars9000]

Before going into the subject of said topic, i must express how cathartic it feels to be able to share the love of this amazing group of individuals(Deftones) with all you fine people, all 'round the world). Sure sometimes we squabble on here, and some of you i might wish to PUNCH IN THE FACE if we met under different circumstances in "real life", but here on Sharing Lungs i feel lucky to share this space with you all, as we are bound by this common love and appreciation.
Why is this?
As a lifelong "artist"(i draw and write scripts and stories, design and create characters and do illustrations), and long-time second generation musician(i've been writing music on every instrument i could get y hands on since around age 16, same as my father), i must conclude that after MUCHO consideration, it is because DEFTONES are ART.
THIS is why we "obsess", it IS everything from their look to their attitude to their comraderie to their individuality, intensity, emotionality to of course most importantly musicianship and integrity(and ALL the little IMPERFECTIONS that they let shine through), that make them the GEM and the DIAMOND in the rough that they are. (Both on record and "live").
In my eyes, they PROVIDE A SERVICE that very few, if any "bands" have, through the history of contemporary music. IMO of all time.
Why is this?
Because DEFTONES are ART instead of just existensial entertainment. They are SYMBOLIC, lend themselves to INTERPRETATION, and are in themselves an EXPRESSION of the like of which has rarely, if EVER, been seen before, and i would venture, may not EVER BE SEEN AGAIN.
GET YOUR FUCKING FIX.

Give your opinion of why Deftones are more than music, or if you disagree, feel free to tell me to go fuck myself.
Have a nice day. 

[bodywars9000]

BTW, i didn't mean for this to be a fucking DIATRIBE, It's almost 8:30 in the morning where i'm at and i'm fucking drunk on rum and wine.......

I'm a sucker, feeding it pills with wine........you know the rest..........

[Vesanic]

i'm fucking drunk on rum and wine.......

No shit ?

[bodywars9000]

No shit..still drinking.

[bodywars9000]

i'm fucking drunk on rum and wine.......

No shit ?

So am i wrong? You're hard to read sometimes mofo............

[lostpilot]

I'm glad you feel that way about Deftones, but in my book there are far better bands than the Deftones, which create even more epic and cosmic musical creations that come directly through the soul. When you listen to Deftones you can easily see them as a "live rock act" which generally plays verse/chorus/verse songs. Yes, they do that exceptionally good.

But go listen to Isis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Appleseed Cast (Low Level Owl era), MONO (!), Kayo Dot, etc etc.

Then think of the aesthetic, spiritual, musical and other values of music.
Just saying, keep your eyes open.

[bodywars9000]

I'm glad you feel that way about Deftones, but in my book there are far better bands than the Deftones, which create even more epic and cosmic musical creations that come directly through the soul. When you listen to Deftones you can easily see them as a "live rock act" which generally plays verse/chorus/verse songs. Yes, they do that exceptionally good.

But go listen to Isis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Appleseed Cast (Low Level Owl era), MONO (!), Kayo Dot, etc etc.

Then think of the aesthetic, spiritual, musical and other values of music.
Just saying, keep your eyes open.

Thanx for the feedback.
I def. see your point, and have listened to those (with the exception of MONO), and the only distinction i can make between deftones and the bands you mentioned is vulnerability. There are a THOUSAND bands that are technically more talented/gifted, but imo technical skill is not all there is to artisanship.
I don't want you to think your point is lost on me, there are PLENTY of other bands that i admire and respect,  i just hold a special place in my heart for the deftones, as i have already illustrated.
Just as in art, everything is a matter of opinion, if you prefer those bands, i am happy that you get so much enjoyment from them.
Just wanted to open a dialogue.
As far as the aesthetic, spiritual, and musical aspects, i do consider them, greatly, it is just that my personal preference lies with Deftones over all others. I am just one individual.

[lostpilot]

Yeah, I'm fully with you on point of perspective and taste of everyone.
I'm just happy that other people feel musical emotions as intensively as I do, that's enough for me, you know

[bodywars9000]

Yeah, I'm fully with you on point of perspective and taste of everyone.
I'm just happy that other people feel musical emotions as intensively as I do, that's enough for me, you know

Hells yeah, it's a beautiful thing.
Without some of these "simple" pleasures, i'd be in a rubber room.

[Deftones-argentina]

I think I kind of get your point. Deftones music somehow connects to the fans in more levels than just the music. Most of hold deftones existance as something sacred, we take em really serious (that-s why we get upset when they do shitty videos). I can-t fully justify what I wrote, but deep inside I share your thought.

[Hesperian Death-Horse!]

I'm very much with bodywars9000. To me, there is a level of artistry to all of the Deftones albums that fills me with a level of comfort and stimulation that is overwhelmingly emotional and joyous. Its funny because in all of my aging and exposure to so many different "forms" or "genres" of music, I've come to realize how generic and uniform music could really all be if seen from the right perspective. That being said, I have a somewhat unique relationship to music in that I have a form of synesthesia, among other forms of it, that conflates vision and sound in my mind's eye. Every song I hear has shapes, colors, and textures to represent every individual instrument and their relationships to each other. Deftones are one of the few bands that produces such an immensely vivid and pleasant reaction on the synesthetic level. Every album has so much variation from song to song and each album has its own feel on this level as well.

ISIS, The Mars Volta and Tool are also some of my favorite bands who also fall under the same category as the Deftones in my mind. There's just something enormous and cosmic about the way all those bands create, produce, record, render, and perform their contribution to the "invisible" world of music that makes them feel like exceptional conduits for the inherent vibrations in the universe that manifest themselves as music filtered through the minds and bodies of the artists.

I realize that the Deftones construct their songs in a more conventional format like "verse/chorus/verse" for a significant amount of their music but something about the Deftones actual individual communal timbre completely obscures that convention in my mind and I find that the notes and tones of their music is so much bigger than any conventions that they might use. I definitely do complain about bands who stick to conventional structural formats for their songs but there is something exceptional about the Deftones that makes it feel like even when they do that, its not overly contrived nor with any intent of adhering to the popular music climate. Some bands are obviously trying to write pop songs in the guise of heavy music to gain fame and fortune. Deftones seem to just sometimes have that aspect as a completely neutral side effect of the music they write. Even their most basic song structures feel much more enjoyable than other bands using the same exact structure just because the Deftones have a signature sound that obscures that aspect of the music and defies any potential harm it could do to my enjoyment of it.

[UrZ*]

I'm glad you feel that way about Deftones, but in my book there are far better bands than the Deftones, which create even more epic and cosmic musical creations that come directly through the soul. When you listen to Deftones you can easily see them as a "live rock act" which generally plays verse/chorus/verse songs. Yes, they do that exceptionally good.

First define better please?

Musical creations with epic and cosmic feels have nothing to do with with structures, a lot of different time sigs (polyrhythms), complexity,  etc.
It has everything to do with emotion, sound, tone, intonation, intervals, vocals ( a lot). Drums/rhythm (soundlandscaping... a DJ or loops, effects etc). Take Schism (TooL) the syllables of the vocals line up exactly on the guitar groundnotes/accents.

Please do not confuse technical skill, "big stories", complex structures etc. with emotion, passion and such...

[lostpilot]

That is the point.
I love Deftones, and they are great emotionally etc, but I find bands with techniques + same great emotions better for me personally. Don't get all whinny on me, that's just my opinion anyway.

[wheresmysnare]

I'm glad you feel that way about Deftones, but in my book there are far better bands than the Deftones, which create even more epic and cosmic musical creations that come directly through the soul. When you listen to Deftones you can easily see them as a "live rock act" which generally plays verse/chorus/verse songs. Yes, they do that exceptionally good.

First define better please?

Musical creations with epic and cosmic feels have nothing to do with with structures, a lot of different time sigs (polyrhythms), complexity,  etc.
It has everything to do with emotion, sound, tone, intonation, intervals, vocals ( a lot). Drums/rhythm (soundlandscaping... a DJ or loops, effects etc). Take Schism (TooL) the syllables of the vocals line up exactly on the guitar groundnotes/accents.

Please do not confuse technical skill, "big stories", complex structures etc. with emotion, passion and such...

Here here

[wheresmysnare]

'THIS is why we "obsess", it IS everything from their look to their attitude to their comraderie to their individuality, intensity, emotionality to of course most importantly musicianship and integrity(and ALL the little IMPERFECTIONS that they let shine through), that make them the GEM and the DIAMOND in the rough that they are. (Both on record and "live").'

Your whole post as chaotic as it is, manages to get closer than i've ever seen to describing why I like the Deftones.

As you will have read in many interviews with the Deftones, they have always tried to write music that spoke to them personally and if anyone else got it, then that was an added bonus. We are the ones who are being unlocked and connecting with their music and the asthetic that they have seemingly effortlessly and naturally created. We are not simply being marketed to and in such a consumer based society this is a very liberating and rare pleasure, it's music in it's purest form, detatched from the motivation of self promotion.

As you say the imperfections are there, I mean more and more i can hear Chino's voice striving and sometimes cutting out as he tries to reach that soundscape and asthetic we all love but the fact he possesses the ability to do so at all is enough. When Deftones stop making music it will be a very sad and important day for music and fitingly it will pass largely unoticed by the masses.

[Starz]

As you will have read in many interviews with the Deftones, they have always tried to write music that spoke to them personally and if anyone else got it, then that was an added bonus. We are the ones who are being unlocked and connecting with their music and the asthetic that they have seemingly effortlessly and naturally created. We are not simply being marketed to and in such a consumer based society this is a very liberating and rare pleasure, it's music in it's purest form, detatched from the motivation of self promotion.

I think this pretty much sums it up for me.

They're just regular, down to earth dudes who go into a room and create music and the result is that it changes peoples lives for the better. Purely by coincidence. I can't imagine my life without S/T and THAT'S more than just art to me. That's my therapy, my escape from all the bullshit in my life. To me, Deftones create something beyond what is considered art...

[godin]

plus Deftones are one of the only bands that can combine so many genres (or sub-genres) that would normally sound out of place and shitty together and make them sound so perfect.

I mean, even Tool doesnt have a song like Lucky you or Pink Maggit. and at the same time I have yet to hear a tool song as bone-chillingly heavy as Hexagram, or When girls telephone boys... Even on songs like Royal or youve seen the butcher, the band combines metal influenced riffs with Robert Smith-Morrisey- esque dream like singing. I dont really know any band that can pull that type of thing off without sounding Cheesy or just emo/whiney as fuck


Muchos respect Deft Ones.

[nineteen]

I'm on a Deftones low right now. After the hype and subsequent amazing listens of Diamond Eyes, I'm on to other stuff for a bit.

I'm sure, as always, they'll work their way back into my 'current likes' list.