Something To Hate: Joe The Economic Advisor

Ack. It's almost as if Congressional Republicans WANT to be made fun of. This is supposedly from the "party of ideas".

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.