Volume III: Animal Collective

Next volume, same concept. This mix takes a look at Animal Collective, a band which has deservingly been thrust into the public spotlight after the release of Merriweather Post Pavillion in early 2009 and which I believe is (and has been) making some of the most interesting music available. Leading up to the release of Merriweather Post Pavillion there have been many others that have been equally deserving of high praise, including releases created by the various side projects of Animal Collective members, including Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Terrestrial Tones and Jane.

My first exposure to the band came in 2003 after the release of Here Comes the Indian. This was the first release I would consider "noise" that drew my interest and has opened many doors to me musically. Despite the fact that Animal Collective has developed into a band that writes what most would consider more traditional songs, the elements that made them great on their first albums, Spirit They're Gone They've Vanished and Danse Manatee, can still be heard throughout. Listening to all of the material created by the members of Animal Collective in a short period of time really shows the common thread and how logical the progression their music has taken over time, despite how much the sound has evolved.

As has been the case with each of the mixes, there is a ton of material and not all songs I wanted to include found their way onto the mix. For example, the track Berserker by Jane shows how beautiful ambient noise music can be. Other noteable tracks absent are Brother Sport, Banshee Beat, Tikwid, Essplode, Chocolate Girl, Leaf House and Graze. In addition, large portions of songs that appear on the mix have been removed, which was necessary but very unfortunate given that some of the most beautiful moments in an Animal Collective song can come at times when the melody has not yet formed, or when the melody is becoming something entirely different. Finally, I have not included any live tracks, which anyone who has seen Animal Collective live can attest to being an entirely different animal and incredible. This video of Winter's Love has always been a personal favorite of mine and shows how amazing their guitar phase was, although it seems that period is long gone.

So check out the mix, listen to the songs in their entirety and get these albums. They are all deserving of your time. As always, I'd love to hear what you think of the tunes.

Trying To Figure Each Other Out - Animal Collective

1 (0:00). Animal Collective - Who Could Win A Rabbit (Sung Tongs, 2004)
2 (1:52). Animal Collective - Water Curses (Water Curses, 2008)
3 (5:00). Animal Collective - Grass (Feels, 2005)
4 (7:55). Panda Bear - Take Pills (Person Pitch, 2003)
5 (10:03). Animal Collective -What Would I Want? Sky (Fall Be Kind, 2009)
6 (16:09). Animal Collective -The Purple Bottle (Feels, 2005)
7 (22:53). Animal Collective - Fireworks (Strawberry Jam, 2007)
8 (29:36). Animal Collective - Native Bells (Here Comes the Indian, 2003)
9 (31:22). Animal Collective - Guys Eyes (Merriweather Post Pavillion, 2009)
10 (33:16). Animal Collective - People (People, 2006)
11 (39:30). Animal Collective - Chores (Strawberry Jam, 2007)
12 (41:37). Animal Collective - My Girls (Merriweather Post Pavillion, 2009)
13 (47:03). Animal Collective - Safer (Peacebone, 2007)
14 (49:35). Animal Collective - For Reverend Green (Strawberry Jam, 2007)
15 (55:56). Animal Collective - Doggy (Campfire Songs, 2003)
16 (59:11). Panda Bear - Bros (Person Pitch, 2007)
17 (65:04). Avey Tare - I'm Your Eagle Kisser (Living Bridge, 2008)
18 (69:04). Avey Tare and Panda Bear - Penny Dreadfulls (Spirit They're Gone They've Vanished, 2000)
19 (75:41). Animal Collective - Slippi (Here Comes the Indian, 2003)
20 (77:43). Animal Collective - Lion in a Coma (Merriweather Post Pavillion, 2009)