No. 14: Animal Collective

Animal Collective is an experimental music group originally from Baltimore. The band is officially made up of four members: Avey Tare (David Porter), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Wietz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb), although Deakin is currently taking some time off from the band and did not contribute to their latest album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Word is that he plans on returning eventually.

I am a big Animal Collective fan, but I admit they can be difficult to get into. On the surface, a lot of their songs are kind of weird, but I think once you strip down their music, you'll find they have some really great tunes. The band uses loops and sound effects to produce a layered sound, to go along with complex vocals. The vocals are what makes this band good. Singers Avey Tare and Panda Bear work well off each other, yet both have their own unique sound.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of my favorite albums from this year. It's more electronic than their previous album, Strawberry Jam, but I think it has stronger vocals. "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" are obvious strong tracks, but check out "Guys Eyes" to get a good idea of how intricate Animal Collective can be.

I've seen this band twice live. The first time, at the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival, was one of the best shows I've ever seen. But this past winter at Metro, they put on a clunker. (See my review of the show here.) I'm hoping they will redeem themselves this year at Lollapalooza. They play Saturday at 7:30, going up against Ben Harper. This is an easy decision, people: go see Animal Collective. They also have a DJ set at 2:30 on Saturday.

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