I just found a clean and edited BBC "Freak Zone" session of Animal Collective's new track, "What Would I Want Sky," that they've been playing at live shows recently, so I thought I'd share it. From the explosive percussion of the first half's crashing beat to the warbled vocals, shimmering guitars, glistening electronic effects, and choir-like harmonies that slowly layer to transition into the second, this song has got it all. Panda Bear's repetition of the title in the background of Avey Tare's ever-so-catchy hooks and melody will have you hypnotized and the seven minutes of ear candy will go by before you even know it, leaving you craving another listen. I wonder what delicious treats ANCO has in store for us next?
Refer back to this earlier post to see a video of them playing it live.
Showing posts with label animal collective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal collective. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Animal Collective Live
On Thursday night I had the wonderful privilege of seeing Animal Collective perform live at the House of Blues in Boston. The concert only increased my awe and respect for the members of the collective, and solidified their status as my favorite band of all time. Following the more quiet, reverb-loving noise folk act Grouper (who also sounded pretty cool), Avey, Panda, and Geologist took to the stage with high energy and churned out track after track of danceable animal grooves. The band played continuously for about an hour and a half, rarely speaking but instead shouting random noises into the microphones and playing with the electronic equipment. They only stopped to take a brief break before the encore, to say "thank you" to everyone for coming, and to exclaim "that one was wild" after the audience got a bit too rowdy during "Slippi."
The stage was set up like a DJ dance/disco hall, with a giant floating orb projecting various images and videos while strobe lights flashed and rainbows erupted in time with the beats. The MPP album cover was draped across the back like a flag, and all the flashing lights served to enhance the optical illusion. There was also a drum set behind Panda's sound board, though it remained unused much to my dismay and was probably there just as a back-up.
The AC fans in the audience went wild during the more upbeat songs: people crowd-surfed, moshed, bounced up and down, and knocked into each other repeatedly as the pulsing rhythms filled the venue. I wasn't expecting anything like a dance party when I first got to the concert, but found it was really fun to lose myself in the movements of everyone around me. Clouds of smoke also erupted as various people lit up during the more trance-like parts of the concert, though some were asked to leave by security (not cool.)
Here's the set list (I tried to recreate the exact order, but some things may be mixed up):
Click on the links to download mp3s of the new songs or see video clips I took of my favorite parts of the concert. (The videos for "Slippi," "My Girls," and "Summertime Clothes" were taken and posted by someone else.)
"What Would I Want Sky" is an awesome new post-MPP song that sounds warm, sunny, and a bit repetitive. "Bleed" is also new, though it might've gone unnoticed by many as it sounds similar to the sonic experimentation between songs. "Fireworks Essplode" is a medley where verses from "Lablakely Dress" and "Essplode" (from Danse Manatee) were inserted between the parts of "Fireworks" from Strawberry Jam. The tunes from older albums were also given new mixes, almost as if the band were updating its catalogue to fit in more with the new material. "Slippi," "Chocolate Girl," "Who Could Win A Rabbit?" and "Leaf House" were all set to a different backdrop of dance beats and electronic samples provided by Geologist and Panda, sounding as if they were part of Merriweather Post Pavilion. Another cool treat was the performance of Panda Bear's "Comfy In Nautica," which none of us were really expecting but went over really well. Though I was pleased to here all of the aforementioned, my favorite was definitely "#1," which sounded even stranger and more bizarrely ritualistic when coupled with the swirling onstage images and the hypnotic ambience that fell over the crowd. I would've liked to hear "Safer," "Daily Routine," or anything from Feels, which was conspicuously absent, but I guess that's what live albums are for and I really can't complain. Check out the audio streams of their other concerts (just search on Stereogum) to hear more.
The bottom line is, if Animal Collective ever comes near you while on tour, GO SEE THEM! I guarantee that you'll have a good time. Also, check out the video clips I took during the concert to get more of a feel for what it was like. Below is my video of one of the new songs:
The stage was set up like a DJ dance/disco hall, with a giant floating orb projecting various images and videos while strobe lights flashed and rainbows erupted in time with the beats. The MPP album cover was draped across the back like a flag, and all the flashing lights served to enhance the optical illusion. There was also a drum set behind Panda's sound board, though it remained unused much to my dismay and was probably there just as a back-up.
The AC fans in the audience went wild during the more upbeat songs: people crowd-surfed, moshed, bounced up and down, and knocked into each other repeatedly as the pulsing rhythms filled the venue. I wasn't expecting anything like a dance party when I first got to the concert, but found it was really fun to lose myself in the movements of everyone around me. Clouds of smoke also erupted as various people lit up during the more trance-like parts of the concert, though some were asked to leave by security (not cool.)Here's the set list (I tried to recreate the exact order, but some things may be mixed up):
Concert:
1. "What Would I Want Sky"
2. "Summertime Clothes"
3. "Guys Eyes"
4. "#1"
5. "Slippi"
6. "Who Could Win A Rabbit?"
7. "Fireworks Essplode"
8. "Bleed"
9. "Comfy In Nautica"
10. "Brother Sport"
Encore:
11. "Chocolate Girl"
12. "My Girls"
13. "Leaf House"
1. "What Would I Want Sky"
2. "Summertime Clothes"
3. "Guys Eyes"
4. "#1"
5. "Slippi"
6. "Who Could Win A Rabbit?"
7. "Fireworks Essplode"
8. "Bleed"
9. "Comfy In Nautica"
10. "Brother Sport"
Encore:
11. "Chocolate Girl"
12. "My Girls"
13. "Leaf House"
Click on the links to download mp3s of the new songs or see video clips I took of my favorite parts of the concert. (The videos for "Slippi," "My Girls," and "Summertime Clothes" were taken and posted by someone else.)
"What Would I Want Sky" is an awesome new post-MPP song that sounds warm, sunny, and a bit repetitive. "Bleed" is also new, though it might've gone unnoticed by many as it sounds similar to the sonic experimentation between songs. "Fireworks Essplode" is a medley where verses from "Lablakely Dress" and "Essplode" (from Danse Manatee) were inserted between the parts of "Fireworks" from Strawberry Jam. The tunes from older albums were also given new mixes, almost as if the band were updating its catalogue to fit in more with the new material. "Slippi," "Chocolate Girl," "Who Could Win A Rabbit?" and "Leaf House" were all set to a different backdrop of dance beats and electronic samples provided by Geologist and Panda, sounding as if they were part of Merriweather Post Pavilion. Another cool treat was the performance of Panda Bear's "Comfy In Nautica," which none of us were really expecting but went over really well. Though I was pleased to here all of the aforementioned, my favorite was definitely "#1," which sounded even stranger and more bizarrely ritualistic when coupled with the swirling onstage images and the hypnotic ambience that fell over the crowd. I would've liked to hear "Safer," "Daily Routine," or anything from Feels, which was conspicuously absent, but I guess that's what live albums are for and I really can't complain. Check out the audio streams of their other concerts (just search on Stereogum) to hear more.
The bottom line is, if Animal Collective ever comes near you while on tour, GO SEE THEM! I guarantee that you'll have a good time. Also, check out the video clips I took during the concert to get more of a feel for what it was like. Below is my video of one of the new songs:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
"My Girls"
Animal Collective have posted a music video on their website for "My Girls." Funnily enough, it's almost exactly what I pictured when I heard the song.
Also, I'd like to revise my review from last time. After many more listens, "Guys Eyes" finally clicked and is now a vital part of the album and a good song. "Taste" is also now one of my favorite songs, and the album seems to be coming together as a whole slowly but surely. In addition, I'll concede that some of the tracks toward the end like "Bluish," "Lion In A Coma" and, through title and lyrics, "Summertime Clothes," all go along with the outdoorsy, summery feeling that inspires the album title. I still feel that "My Girls," "Brothersport," and "Daily Routine" sound more like dance club beats and to me only evoke images of flashy multi-colored disco lights piercing through the darkness. But I guess Merriweather Post Pavilion had nighttime concerts, too, so maybe it does line up. Anyway, the album is a very good one once you realize what the new sound actually means, it just takes quite awhile for that to happen.
Also, I'd like to revise my review from last time. After many more listens, "Guys Eyes" finally clicked and is now a vital part of the album and a good song. "Taste" is also now one of my favorite songs, and the album seems to be coming together as a whole slowly but surely. In addition, I'll concede that some of the tracks toward the end like "Bluish," "Lion In A Coma" and, through title and lyrics, "Summertime Clothes," all go along with the outdoorsy, summery feeling that inspires the album title. I still feel that "My Girls," "Brothersport," and "Daily Routine" sound more like dance club beats and to me only evoke images of flashy multi-colored disco lights piercing through the darkness. But I guess Merriweather Post Pavilion had nighttime concerts, too, so maybe it does line up. Anyway, the album is a very good one once you realize what the new sound actually means, it just takes quite awhile for that to happen.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Merriweather Post Pavilion
OK, so I think I've finally listened to Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion enough times to give it a fair review. It took some getting used to, probably because Animal Collective completely changes their sound with each new album release with almost no warning except for the occasional warm-up EP like People or Water Curses. This album is no exception, though it's perhaps less of a leap than Strawberry Jam was from Feels or Sung Tongs was from Here Comes The Indian. However, there are also many similar elements from old albums on MPP, whether it be the lyrics and vocal stylings of Feels, the crazed electronics and repetition of Strawberry Jam, or the vocal manipulations of Sung Tongs. Thus, Merriweather Post Pavilion has something for fans of each album.
At the same time, though, the album seems to lack something that the others have. Perhaps it's because it's so overproduced, or maybe it's because it feels overly dense with all the layers of electronic instruments. In whichever case, it's missing the earthy, human qualities of earlier Animal Collective releases. AC explain that they named the album after childhood memories of hearing music outside at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland, but to me none of these songs evoke feelings of being outside in the sunlight. Instead they seem dark and synthetic, like a colored light show in a dance club or something. I must applaud the vocal performances, though: never before have Avey Tare and Panda Bear sounded so good together. Their voices seem to float around each other and occasionally collide for some really exciting moments. Panda Bear especially outdoes himself on his songs, while Avey Tare sees to have reverted to the soft, semi-demonic voice he used back on Feels, and though this isn't necessarily a bad thing I kind of miss the raw emotion of his screaming throughout the insane asylum of Strawberry Jam. The album as a whole, while somewhat poppy, still sounds distinctly Animal Collective, so I applaud them yet again for managing to make completely different music that is still true to their style.
Another problem I have with MPP is that it doesn't feel at all like a cohesive whole. The cover art, while really cool, doesn't really match up with the music like their album art has in the past, and the songs don't really flow in a way that makes sense to me. It feels more like a compilation album, and it's sort of disappointing because we all know AC is capable of piecing together some stellar works. The songs, however, are fantastic and some of my favorites from all of their discography, and, if it's possible, I feel like I love the songs but hate the album.
Since it is more of a collection of songs than an album, I thought it would be more appropriate to review each track individually. "In The Flowers" is the opener and also one of my favorites, especially during the bridge when all of the instruments come in. It's vintage Animal Collective, and it's a great way to start the album. "My Girls" is more electronic and less typical, but this one works amazingly. Panda Bear's vocals really shine, and Avey Tare's backups work better than ever. The song is catchy and the lyrics are really endearing: he sings about how all he wants is a house for his family. "Also Frightened" is another track like "In The Flowers," but it doesn't have as good of a build-up as the first. It's still a nice song, though. "Summertime Clothes" is another really catchy tune that definitely sounds more poppy than most of Animal Collective's music, but I forgive them since it's so fun to sing along.
The best track on the album is definitely "Daily Routine," which features another stunning vocal performance from Panda Bear. He floats around some heavy organ electronics, similar to those on "#1," until eventually the whole song dissolves into a beautiful piece of layered music and extended vocals that closely resembles the latter part of "Chores." Again, Panda Bear sings about his daughter and his home life, though it's not so easy to decipher any precise meaning. The next track, however, is where things start to get iffy. "Bluish" is a sappy/cute love song that hearkens back to those on Feels, and it's pretty good overall. I don't mind the lyrics, but there's one musical part that makes me sort of cringe (right before the chorus) because it sounds so cheesy and fake. I do like the overarching synth melody in the background, though.
"Guys Eyes" is a complete mess, and I think the album would've been much better without it. Here they push the vocal layering way over the limit, and it just sounds like a jumbled mess of words with no clear melody to follow. What really gets me the worst is in the middle of the song when they apply the tried-and-true trick of repeating the same line ("need her") over and over: it angers me to think they can get away with making a bad song just by putting one of their classic techniques to use. The next track, "Taste," is really only good by default, though it does have an interesting Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat-like granular synthesis pattern going on in the background. It sort of resembles "Unsolved Mysteries" but just isn't as good. Fortunately, the bouncy and somewhat silly "Lion In A Coma" takes a similar formula and uses it to save the latter half of the record. The vocal distortions sound similar to tracks at the end of Sung Tongs while the overall style is very Strawberry Jam, and I love it. "No More Runnin" is just a generic "pretty" track, which is disappointing because it's the closest thing to a ballad song on MPP and Animal Collective ballads are usually so epic and beautiful (see "Safer" and "Banshee Beat.")
Finally comes "Brothersport," a song encouraging Noah Lennox's brother Matt to speak (or sing) out, though the lyrics are again hard to decipher. I really wish I hadn't downloaded the leaked version of this song (I've learned my lesson), because now I don't think it'll ever feel like a legitimate part of the album and will always just seem like a bonus track. But, then again, the whole album seems like 11 consecutive bonus tracks, so I don't really know. The bottom line is that, even though some aspects of Merriweather Post Pavilion disappoint, some of the songs are fantastic and rank among the band's best. It just isn't a Strawberry Jam or a Feels.
At the same time, though, the album seems to lack something that the others have. Perhaps it's because it's so overproduced, or maybe it's because it feels overly dense with all the layers of electronic instruments. In whichever case, it's missing the earthy, human qualities of earlier Animal Collective releases. AC explain that they named the album after childhood memories of hearing music outside at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland, but to me none of these songs evoke feelings of being outside in the sunlight. Instead they seem dark and synthetic, like a colored light show in a dance club or something. I must applaud the vocal performances, though: never before have Avey Tare and Panda Bear sounded so good together. Their voices seem to float around each other and occasionally collide for some really exciting moments. Panda Bear especially outdoes himself on his songs, while Avey Tare sees to have reverted to the soft, semi-demonic voice he used back on Feels, and though this isn't necessarily a bad thing I kind of miss the raw emotion of his screaming throughout the insane asylum of Strawberry Jam. The album as a whole, while somewhat poppy, still sounds distinctly Animal Collective, so I applaud them yet again for managing to make completely different music that is still true to their style.Another problem I have with MPP is that it doesn't feel at all like a cohesive whole. The cover art, while really cool, doesn't really match up with the music like their album art has in the past, and the songs don't really flow in a way that makes sense to me. It feels more like a compilation album, and it's sort of disappointing because we all know AC is capable of piecing together some stellar works. The songs, however, are fantastic and some of my favorites from all of their discography, and, if it's possible, I feel like I love the songs but hate the album.
Since it is more of a collection of songs than an album, I thought it would be more appropriate to review each track individually. "In The Flowers" is the opener and also one of my favorites, especially during the bridge when all of the instruments come in. It's vintage Animal Collective, and it's a great way to start the album. "My Girls" is more electronic and less typical, but this one works amazingly. Panda Bear's vocals really shine, and Avey Tare's backups work better than ever. The song is catchy and the lyrics are really endearing: he sings about how all he wants is a house for his family. "Also Frightened" is another track like "In The Flowers," but it doesn't have as good of a build-up as the first. It's still a nice song, though. "Summertime Clothes" is another really catchy tune that definitely sounds more poppy than most of Animal Collective's music, but I forgive them since it's so fun to sing along.
The best track on the album is definitely "Daily Routine," which features another stunning vocal performance from Panda Bear. He floats around some heavy organ electronics, similar to those on "#1," until eventually the whole song dissolves into a beautiful piece of layered music and extended vocals that closely resembles the latter part of "Chores." Again, Panda Bear sings about his daughter and his home life, though it's not so easy to decipher any precise meaning. The next track, however, is where things start to get iffy. "Bluish" is a sappy/cute love song that hearkens back to those on Feels, and it's pretty good overall. I don't mind the lyrics, but there's one musical part that makes me sort of cringe (right before the chorus) because it sounds so cheesy and fake. I do like the overarching synth melody in the background, though.
"Guys Eyes" is a complete mess, and I think the album would've been much better without it. Here they push the vocal layering way over the limit, and it just sounds like a jumbled mess of words with no clear melody to follow. What really gets me the worst is in the middle of the song when they apply the tried-and-true trick of repeating the same line ("need her") over and over: it angers me to think they can get away with making a bad song just by putting one of their classic techniques to use. The next track, "Taste," is really only good by default, though it does have an interesting Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat-like granular synthesis pattern going on in the background. It sort of resembles "Unsolved Mysteries" but just isn't as good. Fortunately, the bouncy and somewhat silly "Lion In A Coma" takes a similar formula and uses it to save the latter half of the record. The vocal distortions sound similar to tracks at the end of Sung Tongs while the overall style is very Strawberry Jam, and I love it. "No More Runnin" is just a generic "pretty" track, which is disappointing because it's the closest thing to a ballad song on MPP and Animal Collective ballads are usually so epic and beautiful (see "Safer" and "Banshee Beat.")
Finally comes "Brothersport," a song encouraging Noah Lennox's brother Matt to speak (or sing) out, though the lyrics are again hard to decipher. I really wish I hadn't downloaded the leaked version of this song (I've learned my lesson), because now I don't think it'll ever feel like a legitimate part of the album and will always just seem like a bonus track. But, then again, the whole album seems like 11 consecutive bonus tracks, so I don't really know. The bottom line is that, even though some aspects of Merriweather Post Pavilion disappoint, some of the songs are fantastic and rank among the band's best. It just isn't a Strawberry Jam or a Feels.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Looking Forward
So, after finishing off an amazing year in the music business, the time has come to start anew. Each year, I start off thinking that the previous year would never be topped. After 2007's slew of new releases from really important artists such as The Shins, Modest Mouse, Panda Bear, Stars, etc., I was expecting 2008 to be a bit less active. Now, sitting at the front end of '09, I've been thinking that it can only be downhill from the fantastic albums I just finished describing with my year-end posts.
To get my spirits up, I've been doing research to find out what might be exciting in 2009, and, to my surprise, I found a whole lot to look forward to. Here's 10 things that will (hopefully) get Baby New Year started off on the right foot to beat its older brother:
1. Starting the year off right is Merriweather Post Pavilion, a new full-length from my favorite band, Animal Collective. Though it's already out on vinyl and digitally (I actually just finished giving it a first listen, but I'll save my thoughts for later), the CD doesn't hit US shelves until January 20th, so there're still two more weeks of eager anticipation.
2. A double EP from another favorite, Beirut, is scheduled for release in February. It's called March Of The Zapotec/Holland, and the first is influenced by Zach Condon's trip to Mexico while the second will have more of an electronic sound (according to a reliable source, Wikipedia.)
3. A Modest Mouse EP featuring outtakes from the two most recent albums, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank and Good News For People Who Love Bad News, is in the works. Modest Mouse EPs are usually about the length (and top the quality) of almost any other band's studio albums, so I'll bet it'll be worth the wait.
4. The follow-up to So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys is slated for release in "early 2009." It's as of yet untitled but I'm sure it's going to be brilliant.
5. Similarly, Menomena is working on a follow-up to Friend And Foe and plan to release it sometime in 2009.
6. The Flaming Lips, after finishing their movie project Christmas On Mars, plan to release a follow-up to At War With The Mystics and said it can be ready for release as early as June.
7. Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists will hit stores in April. I'm not sure how excited I am about this one, however, seeing as the songs on their Always A Bridesmaid singles series were extremely underwhelming.
8. Dan Deacon's follow-up to 2007's Spiderman Of The Rings, Bromst, will hit shelves in March.
9. Dogs Die In Hot Cars, as part of their 2nd album project, will be challenging fans to mix and touch up the 17 song demos they've posted on their website. Sometime this year, they'll choose their favorites and release them as the follow-up to 2004's Please Describe Yourself.
10. Two new artists that sound fairly exciting will be releasing debuts in the near future: Dreijer Andersson of Swedish electronic group The Knife will be releasing a solo album in February under the name Fever Ray while Sholi, an experimental/psych-folk group likened to Xiu Xiu, will be releasing a self-titled album the same month.
On top of all of that, old friends Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens are both long overdue for a new full-length, so keep your fingers crossed that they'll get their act together before the year ends. Also, Grizzly Bear have been working on a follow-up to their mini-masterpiece, Yellow House. And, Deerhoof and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound have been releasing albums like crazy every year of recent history, so what's to stop them from continuing their trend into 2009?
To get my spirits up, I've been doing research to find out what might be exciting in 2009, and, to my surprise, I found a whole lot to look forward to. Here's 10 things that will (hopefully) get Baby New Year started off on the right foot to beat its older brother:
1. Starting the year off right is Merriweather Post Pavilion, a new full-length from my favorite band, Animal Collective. Though it's already out on vinyl and digitally (I actually just finished giving it a first listen, but I'll save my thoughts for later), the CD doesn't hit US shelves until January 20th, so there're still two more weeks of eager anticipation.
2. A double EP from another favorite, Beirut, is scheduled for release in February. It's called March Of The Zapotec/Holland, and the first is influenced by Zach Condon's trip to Mexico while the second will have more of an electronic sound (according to a reliable source, Wikipedia.)
3. A Modest Mouse EP featuring outtakes from the two most recent albums, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank and Good News For People Who Love Bad News, is in the works. Modest Mouse EPs are usually about the length (and top the quality) of almost any other band's studio albums, so I'll bet it'll be worth the wait.
4. The follow-up to So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys is slated for release in "early 2009." It's as of yet untitled but I'm sure it's going to be brilliant.
5. Similarly, Menomena is working on a follow-up to Friend And Foe and plan to release it sometime in 2009.
6. The Flaming Lips, after finishing their movie project Christmas On Mars, plan to release a follow-up to At War With The Mystics and said it can be ready for release as early as June.
7. Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists will hit stores in April. I'm not sure how excited I am about this one, however, seeing as the songs on their Always A Bridesmaid singles series were extremely underwhelming.
8. Dan Deacon's follow-up to 2007's Spiderman Of The Rings, Bromst, will hit shelves in March.
9. Dogs Die In Hot Cars, as part of their 2nd album project, will be challenging fans to mix and touch up the 17 song demos they've posted on their website. Sometime this year, they'll choose their favorites and release them as the follow-up to 2004's Please Describe Yourself.
10. Two new artists that sound fairly exciting will be releasing debuts in the near future: Dreijer Andersson of Swedish electronic group The Knife will be releasing a solo album in February under the name Fever Ray while Sholi, an experimental/psych-folk group likened to Xiu Xiu, will be releasing a self-titled album the same month.
On top of all of that, old friends Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens are both long overdue for a new full-length, so keep your fingers crossed that they'll get their act together before the year ends. Also, Grizzly Bear have been working on a follow-up to their mini-masterpiece, Yellow House. And, Deerhoof and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound have been releasing albums like crazy every year of recent history, so what's to stop them from continuing their trend into 2009?
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