Showing posts with label animal collective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal collective. Show all posts
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Listen To New Singles From Avey Tare, Conor Oberst


The latest music from Animal Collective’s Avey Tare is probably the most straight forward music he has put out to date, though terms like “straight forward” have always been relative when applied to the music he makes. It’s still eons from anything considered “common” these days.

 Dave Portner is now living in California and is about to put out Enter the Slasher House with former Dirty Projectors member Angel Deradoorian and ex-Ponytail drummer Jeremy Hyman, under the name Slasher Flicks. The music for the group’s album, due in April, was recorded live using little overdubs. There’s Scooby-Doo/Saturday evening cartoon vibes all over “Little Fang,” a song that fellow Paw Tracks artists Dent May or Ariel Pink could have easily recorded, but thrown off just enough with Portner singing like he’s experiencing a full on sugar high at a carnival or a disco. A song like this could also easily fit in with Lindsey Buckingham’s cast-off 1984 solo album Go Insane.

 It’s interesting to hear Portner sing over rhythms that are not his own or fellow band mate’s Panda Bear. Hyman’s got a pretty straight forward kick going and instead of swaths of reverb and layers upon layers of sound, you can tell apart and count on one hand the number of tracks on this song.

If his 2010 solo album Down There was about hiding in the fog and being stuck in a rut, then this song is about going out, having a good time and taking off the masks, or putting them on. Cheers.


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 Conor Oberst, barely in his mid-30s, has led many musical lives. We’ve had almost 20 years worth of material from the Nebraskan wonderkid who used to frenetically strum his guitar and sing his lines in the form of a panic attack. With Bright Eyes having possibly put out it’s last album in 2011 (Oberst says he can’t listen to material from that era anymore), we’re being treated to a solo album, recorded in Nashville with Jonathan Wilson, who did stuff for Dawes.

 “Hundreds of Ways” sounds more like Paul Simon hunkering down to make some country music, though dominated by the wordplay of Conor Oberst. There’s the knobby basslines and horns as Oberst sings, “there are hundreds of ways to get through the day.” It’s an uplifting song, one that might turn off anyone who is used to the red-wine-and-cigarette-smoke depression of his early 00s material, but for Oberst it’s new territory.

 The musicianship is top notch (Dawes will be backing him for a tour starting in the spring). I really liked People’s Key and even his Mystic Valley Band stuff, which this resembles. Here’s hoping this isn’t Oberst starting to drift off into Dylan’s New Morning phase.

 

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buffaBLOG Road Trip: Dan Deacon and Animal Collective



How will experimental music be organically composed from relics of pop music and translated to live performance? Well that's exactly the question we seek to have answered tonight on our road trip to Toronto to see Dan Deacon and Animal Collective. Both artists have earned their acclaim by reshaping conventions. 
Dan Deacon is a modern day composer, and his high-energy performances are calculated. His whole approach is to take contemporary composition and deconstruct it into a shapable substance that he can sculpt into new music. It often sounds as though layers are constantly building off of each other into one epic climax of harmonious sound. The live translation is intended to break down the barriers of tentative human behavior, and to force on an attitude that is accepting of all fun emotions and experiences.

This song from Dan Deacon's most recent album America is a passing glance of cross-country journeys and traveling stomach butterflies.



Animal Collective, who will headline tonight's performance are the kings of trancendental pop music. Who would have thought that their sound now was born out of experimental ambience? Musicians who realize that the creative process is fueled by experimentation.


Tonight the two acts will play the third show of this new tour at The Danforth Music hall in Toronto, ON then head coast to coast across the U.S. They will then go overseas to Europe before returning this summer for the festival circuit, including performances at Camp Bisco in Mariaville, NY. Tonight's show is sold out.










james wild






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Uncovered Cover: Weatherbox Covers Animal Collective


Brian Warren, frontman of angular indie-punks Weatherbox, might just be schizophrenic. Half of his songs are full of syncopated guitar blasts, impressive drums, and his scathing vocal assault. The other half is the exact opposite - beautiful, acoustic, and often mysterious. Warren's cover of Animal Collective's Fireworks is part of the latter; accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar, he takes the nearly seven-minute opus and turns it into two-and-a-half minutes of urgently strummed indie-folk. At times, despite a completely different musical approach, Warren's soaring vocals are actually startlingly similar to AC's Avey Tare.  Whereas Animal Collective's version of Fireworks is expansive and otherworldly, Warren's offering is quick and organic, but it doesn't lose any of it's charm.  You get the impression that Brian knows he's doing something out of the ordinary by taking such an impossibly unique song and making it his own - check out his facial expressions in the video below for proof.


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Album Review: Animal Collective - Centipede Hz


2012 will mark 13 years of Animal Collective and the Baltimore natives have certainly covered a lot of territory in that time.  They began way out on a limb creating some of the most original material to surface in recent memory and albums like their 2000 debut Spirit They’ve Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished and 2004’s Sung Tongs were championed by critics and fans alike for the unparalleled creativity that the quartet displayed.  Since 2005’s Feels, and especially on 2007’s Strawberry Jam and 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion the band moved towards a more accessible brand of psych pop that brought them an increase in listenership and a spot atop the world of independent music.  If you’ve found their recent material a little too populist, then you’ll certainly be happy that Centipede Hz finds them comfortably back in their experimental zone.

For their tenth album, Animal Collective have turned over the majority of the singing duties to Dave Portner (Avey Tare), while Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) takes on two tracks, and Josh Dibb (Deakin) one.  It’s likely that Portner’s spazzed out, shouting vocal style will turn some folks off because there is something really abrasive about the way he attacks the mic, but it does fit in well with the warped psychedelics that play out behind him.

Animal Collective have always had a knack for pushing the envelope on just what the listener will accept as pop music and Centipede Hz is no exception.  Even though tracks like ‘Today’s Supernatural’ and ‘Applesauce’ are beyond weird there is still something universal and easily likeable about them, especially on ‘Applesauce’ where industrial noise and Portner’s vocals superimpose nicely over a catchy as all hell synth line.  The Deakin-led ‘Wide Eyed’ also has a broad appeal and nods to psychedelic predecessors like Pink Floyd.

It’s hard to say whether Centipede Hz will be as loved as Merriweather Post Pavilion, but it does fit perfectly in line with this band’s beyond weird M.O.  If nothing else it is just another instance where Animal Collective are several years and a few galaxies ahead of everyone else.

Grade: B+


Steve Dobek

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Top 10 September Album Releases


Here we are, face to face with September and it’s difficult to be upset. In most ways this summer has been incredibly good to us; we should be very grateful. There’ve been a surplus of incredible shows and events to check out in WNY all season long and all of that great momentum just seems to be carrying over into the fall as well. In many ways we perceive Autumn as a season of decline, but it’s also a period of renewal and harvest. While autumn carries a certain nostalgic weight, it is also a chance to start fresh and look ahead to new beginnings. And new music. There's a ton of new music.

10. Rudi Zygadlo - Tragicomedies
Rudi Zygaldo gets the name of his first transfixing single “Melpomene” from the Greek Muse of Singing who later becomes the Muse of Tragedy, often depicted with a mask in one hand and a knife or club in the other. After discovering this, the image itself becomes nicely aligned with said single from his newest release Tragicomedies. The Scotland native’s sound can be attributed to a mix of pop, contemporary electronic, and a touch of dubstep. He has previous released an LP Great Western Laymen from Planet Mu records out of Kent, England. Tragicomedies is due out 9/24. Listen to "Melpomene" below:


9. The xx - Coesist
The xx are a South London quartet who came to prominence in 2009 with their sparse, yet fresh sounding self-titled debut. The xx received raved reviews and their popularity has since skyrocketed, enough to get them the #15 spot on (the predictable) Pitchfork’s People’s List, a recent tally the site undertook to measure their readers’ top 200 albums since the media publication launched in 1996. Yes, you could call them a buzz band, but even if you aren’t blown away by their minimal take on indie-pop, it doesn’t hurt to see what they’re up to 3 years and millions of fans later. I already have a few opinions about the latest single “Angels”, but give it a listen and decide for yourself what you think. Their album Coexist is due out 9/11 via Young Turks.




8. David Byrne and St. Vincent - Love This Giant
In May I had the great opportunity of seeing St. Vincent at Town Ballroom as she set out on her Strange Mercy tour and it was easily one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. In between songs during her outstanding performance she chatted with the audience and told a few stories, and that’s when I first heard that she would be releasing an album with none other than David Byrne, who she claims is one of her greatest influences. The former Talking Heads frontman and her started this project back in 2009 when they met at a benefit concert called Dark Was The Night put on by Red Hot. The two hit it off and after being asked to collaborate for a similar event by Housing Works, the two agreed to make music together. What started as a small undertaking of writing a few songs together, the project blossomed and they quickly agreed it would be a good idea to release a full collaborative album, obviously an amazing idea. The songs are unique in that they center around horn instruments instead of their typical respective guitar ensembles, which you can especially pick up on in the latest single from the album Love This Giant called “Weekend in the Dust”. The album is due out 9/11 via 4AD and can be pre-ordered here.

7. Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze EP
Lo-fi surf-rockers Dum Dum Girls recently set out to develop a cleaner sound on their sophomore record, Only In Dreams, released last year, and now they’re checking in with a 5-track EP, End of Daze due out 9/25. The latest track from the short stack, “Lord Knows”, was featured a couple weeks ago on the blog, citing the track’s full and anthemic tone. Listen to the “Lord Knows” below:


6. Efterklang - Piramida
The opening track of orchestral indie-rock outfit Efterklang’s fourth LP Piramida, is rhythmically captivating, beginning with spacey pings layered with choral harmonies fading in and out, and wild snares running ear to ear. Lead singer Casper Clausens belts a gentle intro, “It’s impossible and over mountain Doka / and I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.” Since their 2010 album Magic Chairs, which first got them on board with 4AD, the group has been busy touring, writing, and even released a collaborative film with Vincent Moon called An Island, which is based around music from Magic Chairs. I highly recommend you download the 48 minute film, which you can do on a name-your-price basis here. What makes Piramida the group’s most compelling release to date is their recording process which consisted of the musicians spending 9 days on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen taking over 1000 different recordings at the industrial settlement of Piramida, now a ghost town 1000 kilometers from the North Pole. Watch the intriguing trailer for the album below:


5. Chris Cohen - Overgrown Path
Chris Cohen has contributed to a lot of different projects in the last decade or so, including: The Curtains, Cryptacize, and Deerhoof. To add to his resume, Cohen has also toured with the likes of Ariel Pink, Cass McCombs and Danielson. Now, the 37-year-old Vermonter is releasing his very first collection under his own name due out 9/25 entitled Overgrown Path. The debut single from the album, “Caller No. 99”, is a catchy psych-rock ditty with phased-out guitar loops and Ringo-esque percussion. You can download it below: 

  

4. Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II
Thee Oh Sees’ debut single off their latest (and 14th) album “Flood’s New Light” deals the cascading tie-died riffs and kick/snare rhythms we’ve come to expect from the San Francisco outfit, but with a slightly more polished approach. Which is just fine, because sonically, it might be their most mature release yet. Even better news is that the group will be headlining a show here in  WNY at Town Ballroom on 9/25. It get’s better: Ty Segall will be opening. Pre-order tickets here. 



3. Cat Power - Sun
Cat Power, otherwise known as Chan Marshall, is releasing new material for the first time in six years with her latest LP Sun, due out 9/4 on Matador. The album is available to stream over at The Guardian, and I’m sure you’ll find it on a few ‘best of 2012’ lists come December. The first single off the new record “Ruin” is an upbeat track (maybe her most cheery to date) with accelerating keys and drums that cross-stitch into a catchy rhythmic motif. Listen below:




2. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
The New York-via-Baltimore experimental quartet released one of the best records of the past decade in 2009 with Merriweather Post Pavilion, and now 3 years later we are just itching to see how they will follow it up. Their answer: Centipede Hz. If you thought the Collective couldn’t get any freakier, think again. The album has been available to stream for a couple weeks now, and while it might not live up to the impression of its predessessor, it does not dissappoint in the slightest. The albums due out 9/4. Stream the ten song album complete with psychadelic videos here.
1. Grizzly Bear - Shields 
The latest track from Grizzly Bear “Yet Again” off their newest record Shields might be their most gorgeous single to date. Ed Droste takes the reigns on vocals as the listener is drenched with expansive guitar strokes and trademark harmonies, and it seems Grizzly Bear has only gotten better at expanding their sonic bag-of-tricks. And this isn’t very surprising. Since 2009’s Veckatimest, which is easily the Brooklynites’ best record to date, the group has spent sometime touring and working on solo projects with Daniel Rossen releasing his EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile in March of this year and Chris Taylor releasing his record Dreams Come True under his CANT moniker last September. These creative endevors have only pushed this group’s creative potential even further, which is why Shields will be one of the best records of the year. Shields is due out 9/18 on Warp. Pre-order it here.

Tom Dennis
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Listen to two new songs from Animal Collective



Animal Collective have just released two magnificent new songs on their website called “Honeycomb” and “Gotham”. The songs will be released June 26 on a 7” and are available for pre-order. The digital bundle goes on sale tomorrow. Both songs are incredibly catchy. “Honeycomb” is vibrant and disarrayed, while “Gotham” sedates and is a lot more stripped down with sprawled out vocals. Hopefully these are slices of an album in the works that the Collective said they were working on this year. 

Tom Dennis
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