Destroyer

Much the way Smog is Bill Callahan, Vancouver's Destroyer is basically the one-man operation of Canadian songwriter Dan Bejar. Bejar started out as a solo project in 1995, releasing a few low-key four-track recordings before assembling a band and hitting critical pay dirt with 2000's Thief. About this time Bejar started collaborating with Canadian indie supergroup New Pornographers. Though his level of involvement with New Pornographers has always been something of a mystery, runoff from New Pornographers' enormous success endowed Bejar's sardonic songwriting with a wide cult following. Even though Bejar has never been able to solidify Destroyer's membership (former members have included scores of Vancouver musicians) he has worked on the majority of Destroyer's releases with producers John Collins and Dave Carswell, who go by the clever moniker of JC/DC.