animal collective

Album Review: Mr. Impossible

May 2, 2012 By Mark Leave a Comment

To call Mr. Impossible an accessible album would just not be accurate. However, in the catalog of Black Dice releases, it’s the band’s most audience-friendly record to date. Former releases tended to ignore all traditional conventions for song structure and composition, usually presenting disturbing and bizarre soundscapes. I’ve personally ignored Black Dice for years due to negative first impressions on each release. I was recently re-introduced to the group after seeing member Eric Copeland open up for Animal Collective’s Avery Tare. Animal Collective is one of my all-time favorites, but Copeland was much more engaging and memorable live. I instantly rediscovered the back catalog of Black Dice and his solo releases. I’m not sure if my musical pallet has changed, if I’m into more noise-based stuff now, or if Black Dice has met me halfway. Whatever the case may be, I’m officially addicted. While it’s not as masterful as Eric Copeland’s Waco Taco Combo solo effort, Mr. Impossible has been on repeat for a month now.

From the wonderfully distorted guitars and deformed vocals on opening track “Pinball Wizard” to the layered, anthemic, and indecipherable chorus on “The Jacker,” Mr. Impossible plays like a fun house of sounds liquified by a blender. First single and album standout “Pigs” may be the best track the band has ever released. The song builds from a surly main synth, monotonous beat, and disjointed verses by Copeland to a cacophony of noise. The track is ugly, and even repulsive at times, but the combination of the disfigured sounds work well as a whole. Mr. Impossible is not a record meant for family barbecues or leisurely Spring drives, but I guarantee it will make you forget about your shitty boss after a long day at work. This is one of the best releases of 2012.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews Tagged With: animal collective, avery tare, black dice, eric copeland

Avey Tare @ Johnny Brenda’s

December 2, 2011 By Mark Leave a Comment

While I have never big a huge fan of Black Dice, Eric Copeland’s opening set was a brilliant mindfuck. Drowned in almost indecipherable noise, each song flirted with melody, while maintaining a glorious and painful rough edge. I’m going to go back now and explore the Black Dice catalog and the rest of Copeland’s solo work immediately. Here’s a video from the performance of “Fun Dink Death” that liberateanimals5 took from the balcony:

Avey Tare’s (aka Dave Portner) set up was more basic than what he does for Animal Collective. The solo show featured some samplers, effects, a mixer, and, of course, his mic. There was no guitar or live drums, and Portner confirmed that he wouldn’t be playing any Animal Collective tracks when we passed him at the bar before the show. The result was an uber-emotional performance of tracks mostly from last year’s criminally-overlooked and intensely dark album, Down There, which was inspired by a few enveloping personal issues that Portner was going through at the time, including a divorce from his wife.

I’ve always enjoyed Animal Collective as a studio band more than a live band. While Animal Collective’s intricate collage of samples and loops has never been entirely engaging when recreated live, Portner’s energetic performances and vocal style have always been the exception for me. And it translated last night as well. There were distinct moments where Portner added textures, live loops and his signature and sporadic vocal yelps. Most Animal Collective fans seem to prefer Panda Bear’s solo work, but Avey Tare’s contributions have always engaged me more as a listener. Being able to check out one of your all-time favorite artists perform at your all-time favorite venue is not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening in the city. Check out a video of Avey Tare performing “Lucky 1″ from last night’s show:

Filed Under: Featured, Shows Tagged With: animal collective, avey tare, black dice, eric copeland, johnny brenda's, panda bear, philadelphia

Album Review: Tomboy

April 12, 2011 By Mark Leave a Comment

Panda Bear follows up the all-time great Person Pitch, an effort that won him unanimous critical acclaim, with a moody, guitar-driven collection of hit-or-miss anthems. The album serves as a near-perfect soundtrack to the summer but doesn’t warrant the repeat listens of his former masterstroke. To be fair, practically nothing would. The pressure to follow up one of our generation’s most unique, creative, and addicting records was a task that even Noah Lennox was not going to be able to pull off.

Tomboy includes several standout tracks, including the hypnotic “Last Night at the Jetty.” The track features Lennox’s standard falsetto but expands into euphoric harmonies during the song’s blissful peaks. My two favorite tracks, “Drone” and “Scheherezade,” are atmospheric pieces where Panda Bear uses that falsetto as an instrument to compliment simple melody from noise and drones. It’s a beautiful exercise that isn’t experimented with at this level beyond the two tracks.

Ultimately, Panda Bear does not reach the heights of his last effort but provides a solid statement that his solo career beyond Animal Collective will continue to push the boundaries of pop and experimental music. I still find Avey Tare’s Down There to be a less repetitive, more cohesive and creative exploration of what the genre needs and represents. It’s more affecting on repeated listens.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: animal collective, avery tare, panda bear

MP3: “Lucky 1″ by Avery Tare

October 4, 2010 By Mark Leave a Comment

We finally get our first listen to Avery Tare’s (aka Dave Portner of Animal Collective) first completely solo effort, Down There. For those of you who are familiar with his lone solo track, “I’m Your Eagle Kisser,” from a 2008 indie compilation called Living Bridge, high expectations are in order. Listening to “Lucky 1″ out of context may be unfair, but it’s an early indication that Down There may surpass Panda Bear’s TomBoy as the most anticipated release of 2010 (at least in our eyes). You can download “Lucky 1″ here or stream it below (via GvsB):

Filed Under: Experimental, MP3s, Upcoming Releases Tagged With: animal collective, avey tare, panda bear

MP3: “I’m Your Eagle Kisser (Live)” by Avey Tare

June 6, 2010 By Mark Leave a Comment

I really wish I wasn’t so late on the Animal Collective band wagon. Yes, they’ve gotten better in the studio, but the live show has obviously gotten worse due to their reliance on electronics and samplers. They might as well have just pressed play on a tape recorder the last time I saw them live in Brooklyn. A few months before I officially became obsessed with the band, Avey Tare did a short six show solo tour (2006). Here’s a live gem from that tour. It’s probably the best solo track from the band that was not on Panda Bear’s Person Pitch. The studio version is mesmerizing, and the live version is right up there. You can download “I’m You’re Eagle Kisser (Live)” by Avey Tare here or stream it below:

Filed Under: MP3s Tagged With: animal collective, avey tare, panda bear

Deacon from Animal Collective Plays First Solo Show

January 4, 2010 By Peter Leave a Comment

Josh Dibb better known as Deacon (formerly Deakin) from Animal Collective played his first solo show on January 1st in Baltimore. The website bmoremusic.net has posted some pics and links to MP3s of his set. The songs definitely have an Animal Collective feel but highlights what Deacon contributes to the Pre-MPP records. See the links below for MP3s and more:

Read original post here: Bmore Muscially Informed

Direct link to MP3s: Deacon live at The Ottobar

Filed Under: Indie, News Tagged With: animal collective, Deacon, Josh Dibb

Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2009

December 9, 2009 By Fishpork Leave a Comment

It was another full year of remarkable live shows in 2009, which was also not immune to a few train wrecks (Enon, Dan Deacon). Whether it was a cold and rainy night in Philly to see White Lies overcome a historically shitty venue to play a show for the ages or a late night train ride to the East Village to see Karin Dreijer Andersson’s Fever Ray outfit put on a visually stunning performance, this past year reinforced our music fandom. Here’s a list of our favorite shows of 2009:

Least Favorite:

Filed Under: Featured, Lists Tagged With: animal collective, autolux, Built To Spill, dan deacon, deerhunter, elf power, fever ray, Grizzly Bear, Jane's Addiction, morrissey, NIN, no age, tapes N tapes, vic chestnutt, white lies

Fishpork’s 50 Favorite Tracks of 2009

December 4, 2009 By Fishpork Leave a Comment

This year really didn’t end up being that “greatest of the decade” as January-March may have suggested. With that said, our favorite tracks list became very album-heavy as it evolved throughout the year. With seven tracks from Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear in the top 20, you kinda get the point. Here is our very biased list of favorite tracks from 2009:

HEALTH – “Die Slow”

Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others“
Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes”

Fuck Buttons – “Olympians”

Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart”

Animal Collective – “My Girls”

Fever Ray – “Concrete Walls”

Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able“
White Lies – “Farewell to the Foreground”

Moderat – “New Error”

Atlas Sound – “Attic Lights”

Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks“
Animal Collective – “Guy’s Eyes”

Fuck Buttons – “The Lisbon Maru”

Atlas Sound – “Walkabout”

Animal Collective – “What Would I Want? Sky”

Dredg – “Information”

White Lies – “Death”

Fever Ray – “Coconut”

Animal Collective – “Brothersport”

Built to Spill – “Good Ol’ Boredom”
MC Rut – “I Don’t Really Know”
The Mars Volta – “Since We’ve Been Wrong”
Modest Mouse – “The Whale Song”
Dirty Projectors – “Cannibal Resource”
Deerhunter – “Game of Diamonds”
Morrissey – “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore”
Animal Collective – “I Think I Can”
HEALTH – “We Are Water”
Dredg – “Mourning This Morning”
Sufjan Stevens – “You Are the Blood”
Fuck Buttons – “Surf Solar”
Phoenix – “Girlfriend”
The Flaming Lips – “Silver Trembling Hands”
White Rabbits – “Rudie Fails”
The Mars Volta – “With Twilight As Our Guide”
Radiohead – “These Are My Twisted Words”
Great Northern – “Fingers”
Royksopp – “Tricky, Tricky”
Dirty Projectors – “Useful Chamber”
St. Vincent – “The Party”
YACHT – “Ring The Bell”
Bat For Lashes – “Sleep Alone”
Atlas Sound – “Sheila”
Washed Out – “Feel It All Around”
Das Racist – “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”
Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Skeletons”
Great Northern – “Driveway”
Morrissey – “I’m OK By Myself”

Filed Under: Featured, Lists Tagged With: animal collective, atlas sound, bat for lashes, Built To Spill, das racist, deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, dredg, fever ray, fuck buttons, great northern, Grizzly Bear, HEALTH, MC Rut, moderat, modest mouse, morrissey, phoenix, radiohead, Royksopp, st. vincent, sufjan stevens, the mars volta, washed out, white lies, white rabbits, YACHT, yeah, yeahs

The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2009

November 19, 2009 By Fishpork Leave a Comment

2009 started off as one of the strongest years for music in the decade but then slipped into a summer that left us scratching our heads and yearning for more. An impressive set of Fall releases surprised their way onto our Favorites List and cemented 2009 as a year that will impress music lovers in retrospect. These are our favorite albums from the past year:

1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

2. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

4. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport

5. Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy

6. Atlas Sound – Logos

7. Morrissey – Years of Refusal

8. Dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

9. White Lies – To Lose Your Life

10. Moderat – Moderat

11. The Mars Volta – Octahedron

12. MC Rut – Middle Class Rut

13. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

14. Great Northern – Remind Me Where The Light Is

15. HEALTH – Get Color

16. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

17. The Flaming Lips – Embyronic

18. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

19. Isis – Wavering Radiant

20. Royksopp – Junior

Most Disappointing Albums:

Lotus Plaza – The Floodlight Collective
Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

Filed Under: Featured, Lists Tagged With: animal collective, atlas sound, bat for lashes, Built To Spill, Dirty Projectors, dredg, fever ray, fuck buttons, great northern, Grizzly Bear, HEALTH, isis, MC Rut, moderat, morrissey, phoenix, Royksopp, the flaming lips, the mars volta, white lies

Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s

November 11, 2009 By Fishpork Leave a Comment

This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.

1. Panda Bear – “Bros” (2007)

2. The Knife – “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)

3. Animal Collective – “For Reverend Green” (2007)

4. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)

5. The Knife – “Heartbeats” (2003)

6. Grizzly Bear – “The Knife” (2005)

7. LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great” (2007)

8. TV on the Radio – “Staring at the Sun” (2003)

9. Crystal Castles – “Crimewave” (2008)

10. Beirut – “Ciloqut” (2007)

11. Thom Yorke – “Harrowdown Hill

12. Animal Collective – “Derek” (2007)

13. Nine Inch Nails – “Me, I’m Not” (2007)

14. Beck – “Lonesome Tears” (2002)

15. At The Drive-in – “One Armed Scissor” (2004)

16. Animal Collective – “Grass” (2005)

17. Deerhunter – “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)

18. Atlas Sound – “Recent Bedroom” (2008)

19. Panda Bear – “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)

20. System of a Down – “Chop Suey” (2001)

21. Animal Collective – “Peacebone” (2007)

22. Battles – “Atlas” (2007)

23. Error – “Jack the Ripper” (2004)

24. Enon – “Pleasure and the Privilege”

25. Elliott Smith – “Son of Sam” (2000)

26. Animal Collective – “Did You See the Words” (2005)

27. The Knife – “Marble House” (2006)

28. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” (2007)

29. Thom Yorke – “Analyse” (2006)

30. The Flaming Lips – “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)

31. Girl Talk – “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle – “Judith” (2000)

33. Radiohead – “Idioteque” (2000)

34. Tapes N’ Tapes – “Manitoba” (2006)

35. TV On The Radio – “I Was A Lover” (2006)

36. Radiohead – “Reckoner” (2007)

37. Fever Ray – “Coconut” (2009)

38. Animal Collective – “My Girls” (2009)

39. Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart” (2009)

40. Wilco – “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)

41. Modest Mouse – “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)

42. Animal Collective – “Leaf House” (2004)

43. Modeselektor – “Happy Birthday” (2007)

44. Arcade Fire – “Wake Up” (2004)

45. Autolux – “Blanket” (2004)

46. MGMT – “Time to Pretend” (2007)

47. Built to Spill – “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)

48. Wilco – “Side With the Seeds” (2007)

49. Elliott Smith – “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)

50. Avey Tare – “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)

51. Department of Eagles – “Waves of Rye” (2008)

52. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes” (2009)

53. Radiohead – “2+2 = 5″ (2003)

54. Dredg – “Sang Real” (2005)

55. While Lies – “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)

56. Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able” (2009)

57. Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown” (2005)

58. Modest Mouse – “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)

59. Dillinger Escape Plan – “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)

60. Elliott Smith – “Twilight” (2004)

61. Deerhunter – “Flourescent Grey” (2007)

62. Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen” (2007)

63. LCD Soundsystem – “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)

64. The Notwist – “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)

65. Liars – “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)

66. The Mars Volta – “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)

67. The Notwist – “Solitaire” (2002)

68. Of Montreal – “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)

69. Queens of the Stone Age – “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)

70. Radiohead – “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)

71. Saul Williams – “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)

72. Autolux – “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)

73. Sigur Ros – “Untitled 8″ (2002)

74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Maps” (2003)

75. Portishead – “Threads” (2008)

76. Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago” (2005)

77. Ugly Casanova – “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)

78. Animal Collective – “Brothersport” (2009)

79. Radiohead – “Pyramid Song” (2001)

80. Nine Inch Nails – “Only” (2005)

81. El-P – “Flyentology” (2007)

82. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows” (2002)

83. Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog” (2006)

84. Modest Mouse – “Missed the Boat” (2007)

85. UNKLE – “Persons and Machinery” (2007)

86. Amon Tobin – “Verbal” (2002)

87. The White Stripes – “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk – “Captain Midnight” (2003)

89. Modest Mouse – “Bukowski” (2004)

90. Sigur Ros – “Hoppipolia” (2005)

92. Fuck Buttons – “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)

93. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” (2008)

94. Built to Spill – “In Your Mind” (2001)

95. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)

96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – “We Are Rockstars” (2008)

97. Dub Trio – “Not Alone” (2006)

98. Modest Mouse – “The World At Large”

99. The Walkmen – “In the New Year” (2008)

100. Nine Inch Nails – “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)

Filed Under: Featured, Lists Tagged With: a perfect circle, amon tobin, animal collective, arcade fire, at the drive-in, atlas sound, autolux, avery tare, battles, beck, beirut, bon iver, Built To Spill, crystal castles, deerhunter, department of eagles, dillinger escape plan, does it offend you yeah, dredg, dub trio, el-p, elliott smith, enon, error, fever ray, ghostface killah, Grizzly Bear, holy fuck, lcd soundsystem, liars, matisyahu, mgmt, modeselektor, modest mouse, nine inch nails, of montreal, panda bear, portishead, queens of the stone age, radiohead, saul williams, sigur ros, sufjan stevens, system of a down, tapes N tapes, teh notwist, the flaming lips, the helio sequence, The Knife, the mars volta, the white stripes, thom yorke, tomahawk, tv on the radio, ugly casanova, unkle, white lies, wilco, yeah, yeahs