Merriweather Post Pavilion / Animal Collective

Evolution can be a bitch. The first mutation will almost certainly be awkward, uncomfortable, and only around for a short time. But their genes get past down, the awkwardness fades, the edges blur, and a seemingly new entity will be created from very disparate forms.

When a musical wall is broken down, more often than not it is done in a crude manner and will only be memorable as a curiosity. (See: the thudding "Walk This Way" and it's broadly obvious video.) But while Aerosmith was never going write a great (or even good) rap song, a lot of the kids they turned on to Run-DMC never looked back and Hip-Hop became just as much a touchstone for that generation as Rock was - in some cases more so. That generation never knew a world without Rap, Hip-Hop, Electronica, etc… so they never had to Frankenstein together a song like the like the Toxic Twins; it all came naturally since the myriad of styles were encoded in their brains.

And now here we are in 2009 and Animal Collective has released this amazing record. There are sounds on this record that any half-hearted student of pop music could recall hearing elsewhere, but they way they are combined is totally and completely original. Beatles and Beach Boys harmonies, the sing-song repetition of hip-hop, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd psychedelia, the bass tones of funk, the synthesizers and atmosphere of the late 90's electronica... oh, it's all here, but unlike any such previous effort it feels effortless and organic. They aren’t striving to combine genres, they using all the items in their artistic toolbox to communicate – it really is their version of soul music.

It’s also their most cohesive record to date. Where as previous go-rounds had highs of the highest high, they also had their share of unmemorable tracks; a regrettable side effect of proficiency (eight records in nine years!). But there’s no fat on Merriweather Post Pavilion, which is surprising since it clocks in at 55 minutes and is their longest since their debut. That hour will go by in a flash though, since this is one of the most expertly sequenced records to come out in the digital age. There’s a reason why Radiohead almost broke up over the sequencing of OK Computer: form matters.

And Animal Collective have become masters at it, and not just the order of the tracks, either. Each song is perfectly calibrated without seeming calculated. As the slow burning sadness of opener “In the Flowers” gives way to the giddy rush of domestic happiness of “My Girls” the record’s theme of simple pleasures begins to emerge. The details of life are the focus of the lyrics (going for a walk in “Summertime Clothes”, a lover’s curls in “Bluish”) but the music is made for an amphitheatre. The tension between these extremes could tear the songs apart but instead it strengthens them: the intimate details ground the widescreen sounds to earth, while the grandiosity of the music elevates the minutia of a daily routine to transcendence.

To embrace and cherish all of the qualities of life, from the mundane to the mysterious, is what Animal Collective are after here - just as they have assimilated almost all forms of musical communication to do it. We’re only three weeks in to 2009, so I can’t say if this is the best album of the year, but if there is a better one I’ll be very, very surprised.

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P.S. Despite the idea's seeming uniformity, The Flaming Lips are not the ideal reference point to bring to mind when discussing Merriweather Post Pavilion, since they never achieved artistic lift-off in the way that Animal Collective have here. Transmissions from the Satellite Heart was too loose to cohere that band's best bits, and The Soft Bulletin was too heavily indebted to the sound Dave Fridmann imported from Mercury Rev to really qualify as 'their' breakthrough moment (See also: each of their subsequent releases).

Something To Hate: Bible Thumpers

For serious?!

Do these idiots not know that taking the oath does not require that a Bible be present? Or that taking the oath is not necessary to give a President's the authority of the office? ( George Washington was president for 7 weeks before he'd taken the oath.)

Let it go people. He's the President. Your President.

Move on.

Something To Love: Marty Lederman to OLC

More of this please.

I find it hard to believe that the incoming OLC members will place political fealty to Obama over the rule of law. And that's exactly how it should be.

It's Over

The euphoria of Hussein winning the election has faded somewhat, and I was surprised that yesterday's inauguration did not really kick-start those old feelings. My joy (though no less real now) has been tempered by the cold realities of what we are facing and more than anything I simply want him to get to work.

No, the feeling that I was most powerfully aware of yesterday was disbelief that the long national nightmare of Bush Presidency is finally over. Things have gotten so bad and our government has become so unburdened by the rule of law that I assumed that the country would crumble or W. would declare himself President For Life before we saw a peaceful transfer of power. It's freeing, exhilarating and wearing all at once. But its over now. It's like waking up from a nightmare and finding out that the horrors you imagined were real. Though it's terrifying and will take a lot of hard work to fix the problems, but at least now we are awake and have a chance at defeating them. I only hope that Hussein has it in him. I believe that he does, but I've been surprised before.

Besides a new President I also got Merriweather Post Pavilion yesterday, and it is as good as they say. At least I won't have to wait to find out if that was worth it.

Colder Winter 2009 Mixtape

Ride - Unfamiliar
Animal Collective - Grass
TV On The Radio - Dreams
French Quarter - Before The Sun
Grouper - Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
Low - Like A Forest
Jay Reatard - No Time
Camera Obscura - Books Written For Girls
Life Without Buildings - New Town
Beach House - Home Again

Los Campesinos! / Titus Andronicus

Form matters. It provides perspective, context, and can shape expectations. On record I found Titus Andronicus overblown and over-emotive - their aggro-indie rock seemed at odds with their plaintive vocals and sorrowful subject matter - not to mention the references to Shakespeare, Hunter S. Thompson, Brueghel, and Camus (Camus!). Seeing them live made them make sense to me. They still labor a bit too much with aspirations of importance, but they are operating in good faith. They mean what they say, and if it spills over to over-earnestness, then so be it. That said, I found it strange and a bit disappointing that lead singer Patrick Stickles faced away from the audience for most of the show. Their songs are filled with so much confrontational emotion and immediacy that they seem almost require a more direct approach. It's a shame since their set seemed to connect with the audience more so than any opener I've seen in a while.
Connecting with an audience does not seem to be a problem for Los Campesinos! Where as Titus Andronicus temper their caustic sound with dashes of melody, Los Campesinos! favor a more balanced combination of sweet and sour - one that is immediate, forceful, and performed with such vigor that only a curmudgeon could resist. They captured their sound so well on record that it was just a joy to see it replicated and amplified live. Songs from We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed were mixed almost equally with songs from their debut, and the combination did favors to each - the hooks from We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed sounded stronger and the songs from Hold On Now, Youngster... sounded more substantial. I hear a lot of smack against them for being too inside baseball for casual fans, but come on, care about references to K Records, handwritten liner notes, or whatever other indie-rock tripes when they're playing "You! Me! Dancing!" and you're, um, dancing.

Partial List of Perfect Songs

Thinking about Hot Chip earlier made me want to write a partial list of my perfect songs (in no order, obviously).







Ceremony - New Order
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads
For Reverend Green - Animal Collective
Mystery - The Wipers
Young Dangerous Heart - Subtitle
Suicide - Cheree
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Weeping Song
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
Camper Van Beethoven - Borderline
Spoon - Me and The Bean
The Shins - Kissing the Lipless
Son of a Gun - The Vaselines
Television - Venus
Nirvana - Dumb
Big Star - Life is White
Weezer - Tired of Sex
Of Montreal - The Past Is a Grotesque Animal
Deerhunter - Hazel St.
Radiohead - Airbag
T. Rex - Rabbit Fighter
The Ink Spots - Whispering Grass
Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric?
Evergreen - Fiery Furnaces
Aztec Camera - The Boy Wonders
Wilco - Summer Teeth
TV On The Radio - Ambulance
Squeeze - Up The Junction
David Bowie - Be My Wife
Donovan - Epistle To Dippy
The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed
Dusty Springfield - The Windmills Of Your Mind
The Eels - Last Stop This Town
John Lennon - God
The Beatles - Dear Prudence
Queen - Killer Queen
Pavement - Summer Babe [Winter Version]
Boards of Canada - Twoism
Portishead - Glory Box
The Misfits - Astro Zombies
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Cutter

Something To Hate: Dana Perino

Oh, shut up Dana!

Quote the Press Secretary, "I don't think I would always be asked about my feelings about liberal bias in the media, if there wasn't any liberal bias in the media."

Talk about the tail wagging the dog. I remember all the kids in school saying Katie Birtner was a slut, and you know what? If she weren't a slut, I don't think I 'd keep hearing about it. It shouldn't be so surprising that this 3rd grade-style circuitous logic comes from a person who didn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. Just go away. And talk to the hand.

Something to Love: Amazon Reviews

Amazon.com reviews of Playmobil's Security Checkpoint

My Favorite:

"Thank you Playmobil for allowing me to teach my 5-year old the importance of recognizing what a failing bureaucracy in a ever growing fascist state looks like. Sometimes it's a hard lesson for kids to learn because not all pigs carry billy clubs and wear body armor. I applaud the people who created this toy for finally being hip to our changing times. Little children need to be aware that not all smiling faces and uniforms are friendly. I noticed that my child is now more interested in current events. Just the other day he asked me why we had to forfeit so much of our liberties and personal freedoms and I had to answer "well, it's because the terrorists have already won". Yes, they have won. I also highly recommend the Playmobil "farm fencing" so you can take your escorted airline passenger away and fence him behind bars as if he were in Guantanamo Bay."

Seriously, what the hell?

Hot Chip

Oh, I love these guys. I don't know if I could have made it through the holidays without Made in the Dark. I saw them back in October and man are they nerds, but in a good way, like Devo or the Talking Heads. A friend of mine once told me that he had a ever-growing list of "perfect songs", songs that were golden from start to finish and could be replayed for infinity without losing interest. Ever since then I have kept a mental list of "perfect songs". It generally takes a few years of musing to figure out if a song qualifies, but Hot Chip have about a half dozen on deck. More than any other band in recent years for me.

The Work Shuffle

Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul?
Perfect way to start the day. Cee-Lo's the tits on this song. Not so hot on DM's production on other stuff (Modern Guilt, Attack & Release), but this is golden.

Arcade Fire - My Heart Is An Apple
Song from their first EP (precursor to "My Body Is A Cage"?), straightforward with a lovely vocal melody until Regine comes in mid-way to ruin it. Can I hate her and still love this band?

The Ramones - Chainsaw
They only had one song, but it was pretty good.

Grouper - Invisible
How can Liz Harris can make music that's this indecipherable, impressionistic, affecting and catchy all at the same time?

Modest Mouse - Black Cadillacs
Stop fucking around, indeed. Makes me think of Liam and Almost Studios. I hated MM for so long, what can I say? I was wrong. Even still, this song is the filing away of whatever rough edges were left.

PJ Harvey - Man-Size
I heard once that Steve Albini hates the sound of the human voice. Sounds about right to me. PJ was on to something here.

Scissor Sisters - Filthy/Gorgeous
Love that Super Mario Bros. bass line.

Lupe Fiasco - Sunshine
I'm such a rap music tourist: I don't know my way around the landscape, but I know a pretty sight when I see it.

Dizzee Rascal - Jezebel
Speaking of sight seeing... I love me some Dizzee Rascal, especially early stuff (though Showtime is my fav).

Joy Division - The Kill
Early song. Their punk roots are showing, but the rhythm section shines, showing the way forward.

The National - Racing Like a Pro
I run hot and cold with these guys. Their stuff is always good, but sometimes I’m just not in the mood. Great song. I like Alligator better.

My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
This record is as influential now as Nevermind, which is amazing if you think about it. The power of song writing, production and cultish devotion.

Okkervil River - O’ Dana
Standard indie Alex Chilton reverence. His songs are so well built that no one can really ruin them, but this adds nothing. Not bad, but I’ll take the original any day of the week.

Lupe Fiasco - Put You On Game
Lupe can’t really be retiring, can he? He’s just getting started.

The Black Keys - Things Ain't Like They Used to Be
Speaking of Attack & Release, I’m just not that big fan of the production on this record. The hazy production doesn’t do the Black Keys any favors.

The Beatles – Penny Lane
One of my favorite MacCartney songs. He owns the rights to every song written by Buddy Holly.

Born Ruffians - I Need a Life (Four Tet Remx)
Better than theirs.

!!! – Dear Can
It took me so long to get past their bullshit name, but these guys were ahead of the curb.

The White Stripes – Hotel Yorba
One of my favorite Stripes’ songs. Keep it simple.

Santogold – You’ll Find A Way (Switch & Sinden Remix)
Is Santi White the new MIA or a new Missy Elliot. Neither is a bad option, but the paths are distinctly different.

R.E.M. – Sweetness Follows
I remember R.E.M. I remember when they meant something to me. This album, this song makes it easier to remember.

Guided By Voices – Storn Vibrations
I quite like this record. It may be out of classic GBV period, but there are some great songs here. This and “Cheyenne” are up there for me.

Rotten Hell – Menomena
I am always impressed when I go back to this record. The climax of this song kills me every goddamn time. Great video too.

Annie – The Greatest Hit
I love Annie. Why can’t American’s make music like this?

Camper Van Beethoven – Skinhead Stomp
It’s criminal that CVB’s albums were out of print for so long. They were out in front. They should be better known.

The Beatles - She Said, She Said
I find it interesting that conventional wisdom seems to be shifting and Revolver and Rubber Soul are valued higher than Sgt. Peppers or The White Album. The simple, perfect pop pleasure of this song reward more than the ambition of their later material.

The Ramones - Swallow My Pride
They only had one song, but it was pretty good.

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah – Gimme Some Salt
Never got their second record, par for the course I suppose. They are good, can be great (Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth).

High Places – Shared Islands
Haven’t listen to this much. Like what I’ve heard, kind of like The Books, but less so.

The Misfits – Wolfblood
Does anyone take the Misfits seriously? I vaguely recall that they were considered threatening at one point in my life, but what the hell. Lot’s of fun.

The Ink Spots - Java Jive
One of my favorite bands of all time, no shit. I could listen to them all day and not get tired of them.

Jesus & Mary Chain – Never Understand
Psychocandy is the perfect name for this record. This is a goddamn Beach Boys song filtered through an organ grinder and accompanied by a banshee. What a sound.

Lou Reed - Andy’s Chest
A weird song from a weird fucking man.

The Misfits – I Turned Into A Martian
Whoa - A - Oh! Whoa - O - Oh!

Palace Music – Viva Ultra
Sad guy with guitar. Never gets old.

David Bowie – Kooks
A year off from Ziggy and boy can you fucking tell. He was goofy once.

Magnetic Fields - For We Are The King Of The Boudoir
Have you ever tried 69 love songs? If you did, you might end up with something like this.

The Strokes – What Ever Happened?
Never much liked this band, but wanted to know what the fuss was about. Unremarkable.

The Ink Spots - Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
You’re telling me.

John Lennon – Well Well Well
Lennon has been accused of slipping into adult contempo territory with his solo stuff, but not here. The guitar. That drum sound. Primal scream. His pain is explicit and real, and he knew how to communicate it. Harrowing stuff.

Micahel Jackson – Thriller
When I was a kid I wanted to marry Michael Jackson.

Rilo Kiley - The Good That Won't Come Out
Pretty and delicate, with a touch of country. A statement of purpose from Jenny Lewis.

Rilo Kiley - Three Hopeful Thoughts
Now it’s Blake’s turn, and god help him, he’s just not as strong a songwriter as Jenny.

The Mae Shi – Hlllyh
Hell yeah. They live in the same world as Marnie, Deerhoof, and Ponytail but got their own going on.

Girl Talk - No Pause
If it weren’t for the internet Greg Gillis would still be grinding his day job. Thanks god for the intertubes.

Ween – Cold Blows The Wind
My second favorite Ween record after White Pepper. These guys know what the fuck they are doing even if no one else does.

Thom Yorke – Skip Divided
This record came out when I was in a non-Radiohead mood, so it took a while for me to circle back to it. It’s good, but only as good as a he is w/o Ed, Phil, Jonny and Colin. Though I think this record allowed him to exorcise some digital demons and cleared the road for the superb In Rainbows. Well done.

The Cure – The Drowning Man
The Cure sometimes make it hard to like them (just retire the makeup already you’ll be 50 this year!), but whenever I go back to their older material I’m never disappointed.

Fiery Furnaces – Vietnamese Telephone Ministry (live)
Fuck yes. Any time spent imagining I’m seeing the fiery furnaces live is time well spent.

Weezer – Can’t Stop Partying
The song that recently reignited my Weezer love. I knew you were still alive in there Rivers.

Radiohead – 15 Step
Speaking of In Rainbows. They ground that beat into mulch, but once the guitar comes in it’s all good. Radiohead sound relaxed and it’s great. Who knew?

Rufus Wainwright – Across The Universe
I will always maintain that covers of Beatles songs are essentially useless, but what the hell, its pretty. I was always hit or miss with Rufus until I started dating his number one fan. It gave me some perspective on him and I’m actually quite a fan now.

Kraftwerk – The Robots
I find Kraftwerk inspiring in the most literal sense. When I listen to their music I just want to create… something, anything.

The Buzzcocks – Orgasm Addict
The blueprint for almost 40 years of power pop, and never topped, really.

Hot Hot Heat – This Town
Bum song on a decent record. Too bad they couldn’t keep it together. I liked their best songs.

Deerhoof – Rrrrrrrright
I think that Deerhoof can do anything – except make an uninteresting record, maybe.

Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks
Along with the unstoppable “Dying is Fine”, the highlight of their debut.

Animal Collective – Chores
I have no idea how their minds work. But I like it.

The White Stripes – A Martyr for My Love for You
Jack and Meg have never made a bad record, but some are better than others. This isn’t one of my favs.

Pink Floyd – Goodbye Cruel World
I was so obsessed with The Wall for so long. Its hard to listen to now.

The Strokes – The Way It Is
The Strokes with a drum machine. The mind reels. Not bad, but like all of their songs it just slides out of my mind after its over.

Cracker – Wedding Day
Johnny Hickman. What the fuck? Why do you have to fuck up a good Cracker record?

Life Without Buildings – Young Offenders (Live)
This band mystifies me. Their songs not really remarkable, the ingredients similar to a million other bands. Sue Tompkins has the pure charisma to pull them up out of the crowd though. Too bad they’re no more.

The Beach Boys - Caroline No
My freeze on Pet Sounds has finally thawed. I used to get the importance instead of getting the music. Now I get both. Yah!

The Rolling Stones – No Expectations
I always find the more British Invasion-y Stones (ala “I Am Waiting”) more compelling than their straight-up Americana bids. Good song though.

The Dodo’s – Undeclared
Not my favorite song on Visiter, and clocking in at under two minutes its hardly essential, but worth it nonetheless.

Archers Of Loaf – Rental Sting
Great song from an undervalued band and record. Crooked Fingers can be great, but Archers is awesome.

Camera Obscura – I Don’t Do Crowds
One of my favorite bands. Great early song, but they’d be so much further a few years on. I love you Tracyanne!

Love Is All – Rumours
The Swedes are really good at constructing things: buildings, furniture, pop music. This song is built, not felt.

Big Black – He’s A Whore
Big Black covering Cheap Trick. That’s sick.

The Raconteurs – You Don’t Understand Me
I find the sound of Jack White actually trying to sign sweet, silly, and very compelling.

Specialness

Is anyone really special? Most people would say yes, certain people are special. But I believe the idea that people are special is a barrier to understanding.

Believing in "special" is a lot like believing in luck: it's all in the eye of the beholder. Are you lucky because you survived a car crash, or are you unlucky that you got in to one in the first place? It's all relative. There isn't some universal code for defining luck or specialness, unless you count something mythical like God.

Think of the best time that you've ever had with another person, the most connected you ever felt to someone else. That person seemed very special at the time, and you maybe thought that they were the only person who could make you feel that way. But you can find someone else to take you to that place, though odds are that you won't or can't. And that's what makes the person seem so unique. But they aren't. It just seems that way.

That is not to say that I think everyone is the same. I just prefer to think of people as interesting rather than special. If everything you can think of has already been thought, or can be thought by someone else, then by definition you are not unique - but you can be interesting.

I don't think that this is a pessimistic view of people. In fact it makes me value people more. I may be with someone and the fact that they aren't unique (and I am not unique) makes me appreciate them more. Because just as the odds favor there being someone else out there who can make me feel that way, the odds also favor me not finding another such person. Appreciate what you have.

What the hell?

Sometimes I wonder just what the hell it is that I am doing with my time on this planet. Will anyone else understand? Does it matter? Am I enjoying myself? Does it matter? Its a trip regardless.