Labels

Animal Collective

Avey Tare

Avey Tare

Vocals, Guitar, Sampler

Panda Bear

Panda Bear

Vocals, Drums, Sampler

Deakin

Deakin

Guitar, Synth, Sampler

Geologist

Geologist

Vocals, Guitar, Synth, Sampler


Formed: 1999
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Indietronica, Indie Rock
Years Active: 1999 -
Meaning of the Name: They started a label called Animal Records
Way of Working: Collaborative
Labels: FatCat, Paw Tracks, Domino

Essential Releases

Dummy

Sung Tongs (2004)

Daring psychedelic folk from the fringe.

Album Title 2

Feels (2005)

Strangely mesmerizing.

Album Title 3

Strawberry Jam (2007)

Mmmmmm... jam.

Album Title 3

Merriweather Post
Pavilion (2009)

More accessible.


Friends since they were teenagers, Avey Tare and Panda Bear established a connection through their shared love of horror films and the music of Pavement. For their first performance together, they played 'Greenlander' by the same group during a high school open mic. As the years rolled on, Geologist and Deakin were recruited, the band became more experimental and they embraced the electronic in order to bring their imaginations to life with keyboards and synths. It was barely enough.

Their boundary-breaking style threatens to descend into noise at times, as if they have too many ideas that are jostling for attention. The group make the most of this by using the grammar of music in uncoventional ways. Instead of employing strict 4/4 time signatures, they incorporate tribal rhythms in a free-flowing jam, going where the music takes them.

Accentuating the effect are offbeat vocal harmonies enveloping the listener in unfamiliar patterns akin to the psychedelic. The resulting disorientation feels like a reality distortion, as if one has stepped through the looking glass into a place where the normal rules no longer apply.

While certainly rewarding for the patient listener, Animal Collective's early work was deemed too challenging by some. The group found a larger audience, and critical acclaim, when their melodic impulses came to the fore during their strong, mid-career run, that peaked with Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2009.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
65

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
70

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
90

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
70

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
60

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
75

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
85

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
85

Singing

i Technical attributes.
70

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
80

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
75

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
70

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
70

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
80

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
40

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
60

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards

Certifications >>>

  • Silver Album: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) in the UK

Charts

Critics >>>

  • Clash Magazine: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - The Albums of the Year: 1st
  • KEXP: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - The Albums of the Year: 1st
  • Mojo Magazine: 'My Girls' (2009) - The Songs of the Year: 1st
  • Pitchfork: Sung Tongs (2004) - The Albums of the Year: 2nd
  • Pitchfork: Strawberry Jam (2007) - The Albums of the Year: 6th
  • Pitchfork: 'My Girls' (2009) - The Song of the Year: 1st
  • Pitchfork: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - The Albums of the Year: 1st
  • Spin: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - The Album of the Year: 1st
  • The Wire: Feels (2005) - The Albums of the Year: 3rd

CONTROVERSY

  • Animal Collective release an album in 2003 titled Here Comes the Indian. In 2020, the name was changed to Ark to avoid potentially offending the Native American community. It's unclear whether any indigenous groups ever lodged a complaint.

  • Band member Deakin raised money via kickstarter to fund a gig in Africa that never happened. His backers never received their advertised rewards. Deakin later apologised and claimed that the raised money was donated to charity.


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