Friday, August 24, 2012
Music So You Wannabe Animal Collective? A Playlist!
Posted by Lauren Beck on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 10:09 AM
This Brooklyn-sourced track aligns more with the "religious experience in Africa" side of Animal Collective with Panda Bear's token "you can do it!" vocals leading the way. It's insanely accessible, all happy and shiny. Makes me think of what Avey and Panda would sound like if they played on a cruise ship pool deck, which I somehow mean as an utmost compliment.
In an interview discussing their influences, Chicago-based YAWN acknowledged AnCo but didn't want to harp on that point too much, so, you know. They borrow an awful lot, one could suggest.
As a side project from the pop-fueled Miniature Tigers, Rick Schaier dabbles as the one-man Alvin Band, abiding by a self-imposed rule of "no proper instruments." The result is, somewhat unsurprisingly, quite Animal Collective-esque.
A year removed from Merriweather, Keepaway's much-buzzed-about single entered the blogosphere. In reviews of the track, the Animal Collective references would come first, immediately followed by an explanation of why Keepaway's spin on the prototype made them more than a mere ripoff. Hear those guitars? (Though you could argue that they're Feels-era guitars.) And that dusting of New Order darkness?
The sequel to wanting four walls and adobe slabs for "My Girls."
Having signed the Brooklyn-based sisters to their Paw Tracks label, it's clear the guys in AnCo approve of what's happening on tracks like "Rest in Peace." The density of sounds and wild-eyed unpredictability are elements that have certainly carried over from the masters to the protégés. Also, drugs maybe?
Worth nothing, the majority of Sun Airway's Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier was written prior to Merriweather's release, though the album didn't see daylight until 2010, ensuring that descriptions of its bittersweet, whirlpool synth-pop came saddled with plenty of nods to the Collective of Animals.
Coming across an early demo of "Mickey Mouse" in the height of skateboarding slacker Wavves (post-Primavera onstage meltdown) was a glimmer of hope that he could expand past lo-fi guitar sketches and make something more interesting. If he could sound like Animal Collective, we took that as a good sign.
Follow Lauren Beck on Twitter @heylaurenbeck.
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