UPDATE: According to the Loft website, the show has been canceled.

MP3: “Bad Day” (Javelin Remix)

There are few musicians out there as unabashedly quirky as Darwin Deez.

The Brooklyn singer/guitarist, who describes his outlandish fashion sense as “hipstered out to the max” and plays in his own invented, secret tuning, made a splash last year when he self-released his terrific full-length debut. From the Radiohead-esque opener “Constellations” to the electronic beats of closer “Bad Day,” the self-titled album is an endearing collection of unpretentious, poppy fun. In fact, it’s so good that it’s going to be re-released by Lucky Number Music on February 22.

Over the past year, the 25-year-old Deez has kept himself in the limelight with a series of wildly imaginative music videos. With its offbeat visuals and wacky props, “Radar Detector” serves as a perfect introduction to Deez’s skewed persona. The clip was recently remade by the 4th graders of NYC’s Flatbush P.S. 217 Elementary School and, as you can imagine, adorableness ensued. Also be sure to check out the far-out, Carl Sagan-evoking video for “Constellations.”

Of course, watching videos is a poor substitute for seeing the energetic Deez in person. Luckily, you’ll have your chance to do just that on January 31, when he plays the Loft at UCSD. Ever the showman, the singer is known to bust out some choreographed dance moves with his band during the set. If it’s anything like this, you won’t want to miss it:

Finally, Deez just released Wonky Beats, a “full-length rap mixtape composed entirely from Willy Wonka samples” (naturally). The album can be downloaded here. The perpetually playful Deez is including a Wonka-themed “Golden Ticket” for five lucky downloaders, which will entitle them to “a lifetime supply of Darwin Deez music and tickets to local DD headline shows!” Ya gotta love this guy.

Darwin Deez tour dates:
1/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/22 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/26 – Portland, OR @ Holocene (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern (w/ Fol Chen, Friends)
1/29 – Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite (formerly Spaceland)
1/31 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft (UCSD) (w/ Friends)
2/1 – Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture (w/ Friends)
2/3 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Alternative Lounge (w/ Friends)
2/4 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Downstairs (w/ Friends)
2/5 – Denton, TX @ Hailey (w/ Friends)
2/7 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe (w/ Friends)
2/8 – Nashville, TN – The End (w/ Friends)
2/9 – Birmingham, AL – Spring Street Firehouse (w/ Friends)
2/10 – Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder (w/ Friends)
2/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn (w/ Friends)
2/12 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor (w/ Friends)
2/14 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 (w/ Friends)
2/16 – Charlottesville, VA – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar (w/ Friends)
2/17 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage (w/ Friends)
2/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie (w/ Friends)
2/19 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (w/ Friends)