Spotlight: The Year of The Saxophone

The recent Kenny G-cameo-ing SNL performance from Foster The People represents that awkward saturation point in the ongoing sax solo trend. If it weren’t for Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” (blowing starts at 3:03) and Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” (3:56 here) — both, by the way, jams in their own right — we’d be saying those Foster bros kind of just ruined it for everyone. Removing the pop charts for a second though, there are plenty of uses where some reed-y crescendo two-thirds of the way in or winded tastefully throughout not only feel warranted, but euphoric. The following selections straddle sweet novelty and sincere execution, brilliantly; these are the winners.

Deerhunter “Coronado” Watch Video

Appearing at the peak of 2010’s Halcyon Digest, “Coronado” was something of a foresight into all this. Deerhunter‘s frontman Bradford Cox did pretty much call it in an interview last year with Exclaim: “I wanted that sax on there because I was listening to the Stones’ Exile On Main Street reissue a lot…I began to see a pattern forming. Saxophones are becoming this thing. That’s why we did it early. Next year everyone’s gonna have a saxophone on their record because saxophones are just cool.” That they are, as displayed by an overlay of jazz legend Illinois Jacquet in the fan-made video above.

Destroyer “Kaputt” Watch Video

This wasn’t a delicate, strategic add-on; Dan Bejar went all in. From top to bottom, Destroyer’s 2011 album Kaputt indulges in a luxurious, smooth-jazz world, where horns are very much an integral part—which was a risky, late-career stylistic shift for Destroyer, and it’s paid off.

The Rapture “How Deep Is Your Love” Watch Video

News of The Rapture‘s long-awaited return needed some confirmation—some promise that this dance-punk stuff could still be fun in 2011. Insert “How Deep Is Your Love” being played on a turntable with disco ball spinning, for all to analyze. As a sax hit the final half, and you could almost feel the entire industry sigh a collective “yes.” For a cleaner listen crossed with some fan-made beat street footage, view here.

M83 “Midnight City” Watch Video

Arriving in similar fashion, “Midnight City” announced M83 was back, and he was again, aiming for the sky. The solo here works perfectly — just when you think this thing couldn’t go any higher, we’re shot into level 11 with a minute to go.

SE62 “Dreaming” Watch Video

Ukraine’s Yura Hlop aka SE62 took a familiar retro-production dance vibe and blasted it way past expectations with one simple tweak: that sax. Suddenly this dream was in full, head-nodding groove—the kind you wake from and try to force-sleep yourself right back into.

Washed Out “Far Away (Yours Truly) Watch Video

Ultimate chill-guy Ernest Greene entered a lounge-like studio full of friends to lay down this soft-rock inspired (and more interesting) version of “Far Away”. It was, perhaps, as close as one could possibly get to repeating past elevator vibes, while keeping a straight face.

We could go on. Dirty Beaches has added to his lone highway live act, now rolling heavier with an abstract-sax, as seen on a recent Laundro Matinee session.

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