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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Beyonce and Jay-Z release first pictures of their fake baby! (4 comments) |
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GRAPHIC PHOTO: Cults lead singer Brian Oblivion suffers severe 3rd degree burns to face (5 comments) |
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NYTimes calls Lana Del Rey 'a skinnier Adele'. Do they h8 fatties? (19 comments) |
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Bon Iver's Justin Vernon apologizes 2 Carles. Has he won the first battle against the Corrupt Indie Machine? (13 comments) |
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I Am Carles Returns with LIMITED EDISH VALENTINE'S DAY shirt. (17 comments) |
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Madonna says M.I.A. ruined her show, is 'a stupid teenager' (8 comments) |
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Alexis Krauss shows off her BANGIN BOD in GQ Magazine. She truly is 'Sexi Lexi.' (18 comments) |
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"BUZZ BANDS" was a category on Jeopardy. Have BUZZ BANDS crossed over 2 the mnstrm? (15 comments) |
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Tyler the Creator spotted bronoodling with 'this nigga' Kanye West. Are Big Thangs Poppin? (11 comments) |
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LANAMANIA hits Los Angeles, frenzied fans begin sobbing in Lana Del Rey's presence (36 comments) |
Itemized List of Unfashionable Clothing & Accessories
a) hemp necklace
b) friendship bracelet
c) cargo shorts
d) bro cap
e) entry-level neon wayfarers
f) trendy religious/spiritual bracelet
g) front-pocket cargo shorts
h) brown clogs with black socks
i) flip flops
j) sk8r boi Vans
We all have a concept of 'what we expect a band 2 look like'. Do you feel like Animal Collective is attempting to transcend our expectations of 'buzzband appearance', or are they just chill bros vibing out in cargos? It seems like they are way 'unfashionable.' From what I have heard, most buzzbands have their own 'personal stylist', and companies who give them 'free swag' just in case they wear it on Fallon or something.
Sorta wish I could be in a buzzband that was so relevant that I just got to lounge around in comfy, chill bro clothes. It's like when you 'get too comfortable' in a relationship, gain 20 lbs, then start lounging around in pants with elastic bands and big, baggy t-shirts.
What do u expect a buzzband 2 look like?
Should they look 'cool'?
Does AnCo dress like cool dads who are escorting their kids to a regional Six Flags theme park?
Is this 'the new aesthetic'?
Are they just a modern druggie jam band?
Should they start dressing up in costumes like Coldplay/Arcade Fire so that misguided mainstreamers take them more seriously?
What is the ultimate buzzband uniform?
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
I recently downloaded the leak of Panda Bear's "Tomboy"
after I had waited 4 it for the past 3+ years...
But now that I have it
I am afraid to unzip the files
afraid to dive in
Afraid of what I might hear
Maybe it will be 'good'
Maybe it will be 'bad'
But maybe, I have moved on beyond 'needing music to be good or bad'
and constructing my identity based on my ability to critically evaluate music
I've grown up a lot as a music fan
As an indie music fan and connoisseur
I've been humbled
But at the same time, I've become more mature
Maybe no album can save 2k10, 2k11, 2k12, 2k19, 2k50, 3k44, 10k10, 240k11
No one buzzband can save us from the impending indie apocalypse
It's just too much pressure
Music might not be 'that great' after all
Therefore, no buzzband is 'that great'
Therefore, AnCo's 2k9 MPP run might be historically overvalued
And just left us in a buzz depression due to buzz inflation
It might be time 2 re-evaluate...
And Panda Bear's Tomboy might be the only opportunity we have
to slaughter a sacrificial golden calf
by 'panning it' [via Pitchfork sub 7.5, non-Best New Music]
Is it time to 'turn' on AnCo?
Panda
Avey
The Deak
and Geo?
What makes us 'love music'?
We love the drama.
We love the storylines.
We love to follow indie music, like a sports bro follows his fantasy league teams
The ebb & flow of the indiesphere
mirrors our human struggle...
Does Animal Collective have the meme cannon necessary
2 guide us into the future of relevancy?
Or has their gimmick/music 'peaked'?
What is next 4 AnCo?
What is next 4 the buzzosphere?
It's no longer about the 'art'
It's about the meme management...
and I just know know if AnCo still has the memes, the personality, or the willingness 'to play the game'
that it takes to win the blogosphere's critical acclaim...
So many questions inside of TOMBOY...
After Animal Collective 'won' 2k9
It seems like every1 is either 'waiting' for them to
a) release a new album that 'wins' again
b) a buzzband to release a similar product so that we can anoint them as 'being the next great authentic band'
What has 'music' become in the post-AnCo-2k9 era?
It feels like the IndieSphere just hosted the Olympics
Leveraging billions of dollars to build unnecessary infrastructure
and even though we had a wonderful celebration
We are just 'in mad debt' and struggling
We're just so lost as a buzzosphere
Spending so much time trying to invent micro-trends, micro-genres, pseudo-movements
Then doing our best 2 instantly discredit them
Doing our best to 'tear down the efforts & intentions' of any artist who puts themselves 'out there'
Maybe if we can look Panda Bear straight in the eyes and say
"Sorry bro...
Things have changed...
We appreciate ur service...
but we're moving on..."
The great buzz drought of 2k10-2k11 will finally end.
Imagine if Interpol had released "Turn on the Bright Lights" in 2k9
and it 'defined' modern indie
but then we kept pretending that their subsequent albums and Paul Banks solo projects were 'okay/'good'...
Do u want 2 be an AnCo apologist 'forever'?
Or do u want to help indie to 'evolve'?
To get us out of the 'black hole'/'quicksand pit' that is caused by the negative energy in the buzzosphere?
Has AnCo fever 'been dead' 4 a while?
Is it time 2 take off our AnCo coloured glasses and face the reality of the current buzzosphere?
Is TOMBOY 'awesome' or 'a flop' or 'just okay' or 'a little bit better than OK'?
What is ur analysis of the current state of the buzzosphere?
Can we ever get back to 'Ground Zero' of the buzzosphere without serious indie reform, or an indie terrorist act?
Will TOMBOY be a sacrificial lamb for authentic indie fans who have a vision of a more Authentic 2morrow?
Panda Bear is a member of Animal Collective. He wrote the hit album "Person Pitch" but failed to deliver in 2k10 with TOMBOY.
Read more>>>>
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
In 2006, Deakin left Animal Collective due to mysterious, unknown reasons. Today, Deakin rejoined the band. This is his official press release/letter to the fans + indiesphere.
Hi guys
It's me
The Deak
The Deak is back
I know AnCo sucked pretty hard when I left the band
making that poopy album Merriweather Post Pavillion
But it's chill
I'm back
I know every1 was missing the Deak
I bring a lot to the table
Way more than Panda and Avey (especially Geo)
It's gonna be great to be back in the team environment
collab-ing on some music
I had a really great run as a solo artist
But it's time to take my talents to AnCo
[via The_Decision]
Maybe I never realized how good I had it
I didn't see what the band could become
Let's get serious
Never thought this many people would actually like our music
So weird what the AnCo brand has become without me
It's weird to think abt what it would have become if I had stayed in the band
Honestly I am a pretty far out dude
and I gotta admit, most of the stuff I'm doing is really random
a lot of guessing and checking
have no idea what I'm doing
I feel like the band will finally sound a lot better now that I'm back though
Feel like MPP was 'missing something'
Most of the songs sound rlly 'incomplete' 2 me
All AnCo sounds sound better with a touch of Deak
It's cool that I took a break
got to do my own thing
Still got to bang tons of entry level anco broads
who were like 'did u write the song My Girls?'
and I was just like 'yeah'
even though that song kinda sucked, honestly
But at least I got my "D" "S-ed"
The Deak is back in town
and I hope u bitches are ready 2 get ur mind blown
Honestly was difficult because I was kicked out of the band
due to internal conflict with 1 of the members
but srsly though
those dudes missed me
I am great for team chemistry
and pull the best 'jackass' style pranks on the road
U shoulda heard all of the messages they left me every week
begging me to join them on tour
Those dudes know they can't live without me
I'm the fucking Deak
Noah, Dave, Brian...
I'm back, bitches
and we're gonna turn this ship around
No offense, you guys have done a deece job
but shit is gonna get serious
No more fucking around like yall usually do
Get your fucking popcorn ready.
The Deak is back.
Your favourite indie celebrity,
Josh "Deakin" Dibb
***********
Do u think it is chill that Deakin is back in AnCo?
Was he an important member of AnCo?
Will Panda sit out of the next AnCo touring cycle?
Should Geo, Pand and Avey have 'manned up' and said 'listen bro--we're just fine without u'?
Do u know why Deakin left Animal Collective?
Does the universe seem 'right' now that AnCo is a 'four man outfit' again?
Does Deakin seem 'like an a-hole' or 'the ultimate chill bro'?
Deakin is a member of Animal Collective who 'mysteriously left' the band and no1 really knows why but sometimes he comes back.
Read more>>>>
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
Jamming in my parents' garage
playing a cover of the hit Animal Collective song
"Fireworks"
No, not off Merriweather PostPavvy
But actually
off their brilliant album "StrawbJam"
It's a chill song
a song about
watching some fireworks with bros
popping that shit off
reflecting on what an amazing country
we live in
a country where we are free 2 vlog
a country where we are free 2 meme
a country where we are free 2 tweet
a country where we are free 2 sext
a country where we are free 2 hype buzzbands
a country where we are free 2 purchase Macbooks
a country where we are free 2 spend hours on books of faces per day
a country where we are free 2 determine what is important 2 us
whether it is personal branding
buzzbands
analysis of corporate brands
eating fast food
cumming with tons of ppl
or even just starting a family in suburbia
We are free
free 2 rave
free 2 blog
free 2 partie
free 2 buzz
free 2 download illegally leaks
It's a great country
A country full of life
connected by wires
From Middle America all the way to the most relevant cultural meccas
Watching viral videos together
side-by-side
on the same lil laptop
Free to obtain on education
so that 1 day
we may sit in our cubicle
wasting hours and hours reading blogs, killing time
These are the greatest days to be an American
before the Chinese get better at everything than we are
before tweens grow up only knowing how 2 type in text format
before our attention spans are much shorter, and we can't even appreciate today's viral hits
Taking some time on the Fourth of July
to just 'watch the fireworks'
Gonna go inside soon and eat some hot dogs that my dad made on the BBQ
(He usually never cooks, says it is a woman's job)
I am gonna marvel at fireworks
(not cuz they were invented by AZNs
but because the are simple
they are like sharable memes from before the internet existed
I might even take out my camera and try to film them/take pix of them
but when I watch the footage later
it will look lame
and u won't be able to identify with the way i felt as I watched them explode.
PS: Got a seasonal job at a fireworks stand
Business has been crazy. We have a really good spot right outside of the city limits, and we listen to an iPod dock of cool songs all day. It's annoying having to explain pricing structures to people, but it's still been alright. Just trying to save up some money to move away from suburbia. I think I'll probably stick around until after New Year's Eve, since there is a ton of fireworks money 2 be made... feeling trapped...trapped in suburbia
but at least i get a solid job for my resume...
stop by if yall wanna buy some poppy pop stuff
Which Freedom do yall <3 the most abt America?
Have Americans 'exploited' freedom & is our society 'going 2 shit'?
Are humans ever really free, or are we always trapped in suburbia?
Hey guys,
As you know, I haven't really been blogging much lately. Sometimes I get so caught up in the internet that I forget to have real life goals, and experience real life joys. It's really tough to be a blogger, because it's like a social responsibility. At this point, I 'can't stop', I can't just decide to stop generating memes. There is a buzz economy that depends on me.
Anyways, I have some really awesome developments in my life. I got effing married! Effing sweet, amirite? Hells yeas.
I embedded some video footage from our wedding in the top of this post. My wife and I decided that we wanted to walk down the aisle to Animal Collective's hit song "My Girl." We hired an AnCo cover band to play the song (The name of their band is called The Brother Sports if you want to hire them, they also played the after party).
It was a really festive experience. We got all of the members of the party to do 'conceptual dances' as we walked down the aisle. Even though every1 at our wedding were old mainstreamers, they all seemed to understand the celebratory vibes of the song. They knew that we were simple people who didn't care about material things, who just wanted to build an adobe house for our children.
Her dad was kinda pissed, i think, because he just wanted us to walk down the aisle to the traditional wedding song. He doesn't understand that we used the #1 song of the 2k0 decade. Maybe he'll understand in a few years.
Anyways, yall... I'm married now. I'm sure the way that I blog is gonna change. When u read my writing, u'll sense a lot of joy and positivity in my life. I will probably also get 'more conservative' because I want to protect my traditional alternative family.
Every time u hear 'My Girls', think about my wedding, and how awesome my life is now that I have found 'the one.' The one who is willing to walk down the aisle while an Animal Collective cover band plays.
What buzzworthy song will u play at ur wedding?
Do u wish u had a group of bros who knew how to 'cover' Animal Collective?
How will u make ur alternative wedding 'more meaningful' than just a mainstream wedding?
Is 'getting married' a good idea, or will every1 get divorced?
If u and ur partner have a strong bond built on indie and chillwave music, will ur love survive?
XX BONUS ALTERNATE ANGLE
After reading the recent news story about AnCo breaking up, I got really scared and felt really empty. I feel like no indie band has ever meant more 2 more ppl. It seems like this might be the modern day equivalent of the Beatles breaking up or something.
Just wanted 2 see what yall would do if their current 'hiatus' lasts 4evr.
[poll id="11"]
Is it natural to feel hurt and betrayed?
Should Congress pass a law that keeps certain bands from breaking up?
Will AnCo 'pull a Pavement' in 15 years and unretire?
What will u do if AnCo breaks up forever?
Is Animal Collective 'letting us down' by not making music for us, or do we need to be 'considerate' and give them their space?
so many emotions running thru my blood
like we will have 2 search 4 new content
as AnCo goes dormant
and 2k10 continues 2 flop
We'll always have 2k9.
miss u
Animal Collective
#1 band in the world
taking the brand 2 new heights
shitting on competition
branding art 4 art's sake
More than just a picture of strawberry jam on an album cover
for 1 night
authentic fans
swimming in metaphorical strawberry jam
I could touch it
I was swimming in it
Animal Collective Presents Transverse Temporal Gyrus
With the help of their art bro Danny Perez
The Guggenheim: For One Night Only
The Guggenheim: This is Our House, Bitches
The Guggenheim: You're Property of the Mother Fucking Bang Bus--AnCo Style
A downward spiral of altdom in the Googleheim
In the middle is authenticity
a portal to the centre of the Earth
Dave Portner aka Avey Tare aka Avatar getting ready for this show
sort of like Jay Z gets ready to play Madison Square Garden
sort of like Alex Rodriguez gets ready to play Yankee Stadium
This is his home. His Time 2 Shine
Getting an old bro, Deakin 'back'
Really felt like an AnCo show, but better. Familiar technology. Lights. Button pressing.
Visuals 'stunning' me. Taking me to a different place
Lights projecting, utilizing space, altering space.
This is art, architecture, and design. This is life.
Conceptual Icicles
Powered by modern technology
The Largest assembly of relevant alts in attendance
For one night, the Guggenheim was transformed into the most relevant space in the history of the world. Time + space created a portal of energy that looked like the Merriweather Post Pavvy cover.
I was there the night that indie rock changed.
The night we finally accepted that we wanted bands to be more than four white people playing music on a stage at a relevant club
We want them to take us on a journey
as artists and humans
Some bands will come along for the journey
Other bands will swirl down the metaphorical shitter
and be forgotten like yesterday's turd
No photography allowed
This experience can only be experienced
if ur here
but my duty as a blogger
as an alt internet user
as a human with a dig cam
is to take these memories with me
and give them to you.
Artistic branding
differentiating your product
while helping people to connect with it
making every1 in suburbia yearn 2 be a part of it
AnCo
shattering pre-existing norms
of what we want a band 2 be
5 senses taken 2 the next level
$25 admission fee
bros in costumes standing around for 6 hours
While relevant alternative ppl 'partied' at cash bars
feeling relevant
lights, sounds, life
Was it worth it?
********
Is the Animal Collective brand stronger than ever?
Did this show look 'sweet' or like an entry level first year art student's end-of-the-term project?
Was this show a 'success'?
Is 'art' bullshit?
Will Animal Collective's strong links to drug culture prevent them from 'crossing over'?
Is Danny Perez a 'genius' or does Animal Collective need to start collaborating with other art bros?
Will ODDSAC win an Oscar?
Will the Guggenheim performance win a Grammy?
Could Panda Bear win American Idol?
In the year 2k9, many 'authentic' alts listened to the popular post-buzzbands 'the Animal Collective.' Many blogs and web pundits probably enjoyed discussing them more than they enjoyed their music. As yall know, 2k9 ended, and the slate of authenticity was wiped clean.
The clock struck midnight--it was a new year, and I didn't feel any different. I was sitting in my room, reading 'best of the decade' and 'best of 2k9' posts. A tear rolled down my face, since the prospect of the unknown year made me feel like Mel Gibson's death scene in Braveheart. I decided it was time to take the initiative and move on with my life. It was time to stop living in the past. It was time to let go of 2k9...
It was time to let go of AnCo.
"Letting Go of AnCo"
A Short Story
Presented by Carles
I had always been fascinated by the band dynamic within the popular buzzband Animal Collective. So many textures, it was difficult to know who was the true backbone of the band. Each member had an abstract role, and their plausible group creative process was so foreign to traditional creative types.
2k9 was probably the best year of my life. I had a great post-entrylev girlfriend who was a virgin b4 me, a great set of bros left over from the electro era, and most importantly, impeccable taste in music/life/the internet/humans/electronics/everything. Needless to say, Animal Collective was my band. The highlight of my year was when they came to town, and I huffed salvia with a group of friends, then waited at the front of the stage for 6 hours to be closest to the music.
But then everything fell apart. My group of friends started bickering, one of my bros got a beej-jay from GF in the back of a dive bar, and it seemed like the most inauthentic people & websites 'gave their two cents' on everything that I held near and dear. I was over it all. So. Effing. Over. It.
It was time to move on. A new decade. I had to isolate myself, and find something new to get into. I realized that in order to move on, I had to let go of the thing I thought was most important to me. The Collective of Animals.
I looked at a local alt blog, covering the Baltimore scene, and saw that the former member of Animal Collective, Josh Dibb AKA Deakin AKA Deacon was coming to town to play a live solo set.. Apparently he raised $25K from internet bros to enable him to travel to Africa to record some sweet field sounds, play a live show, then drop a 'sweet ass' EP. Needless to say, I was going to see Deacon 'before he got big.'
Before I got to the show, I had decided that I would like Deacon 'more than AnCo', but 'not as much as Panda Bear solo.'
I was surrounded with some of the most conceptual humans on the planet. Before the show started, I chatted with a few Animal Collective conspiracy theorists. We went over the usual theories about why Deakin 'left' the band. We confronted the usual 'cheating' with Avey/Panda's wife rumor, along with the standard 'heavy drug use' theory. We wondered if just didn't bring anything to the table, or did he bring TOO MUCH to the table? After many Beatles comparisons, and theorizing which member of AnCo would be assassinated first [via Johnny Lennon], we decided it was time to just relax, and enjoy the Deacon.
[MP3]
Deakin Live Deacon Bootleg
/////Rest of Bootleg Available at this bloggy.
The music reminded me so much of AnConian elements, but also was 'totally different.' It felt like 2k9 was over, like I finally heard a new sound that was 'worth blogging about.' I wondered what came first: the Anco or the Deak? I felt right at home in 2k9, watching Deakin on Stage turning knobs, and singing with zany voices into a microphone. It felt so familiar, but so, so different.
Then I started to feel lost. I started to say 'this music isn't really that good. it is just aesthetic matching. I just like stuff that sounds familiar, cuz it reminds me of my perfect life in 2k9.' I started to get angry, hearing soft arpeggios, attempting to suck me into a dream world. Chill drumbeats, pounding out a rhythm, tears rolling down my face.
Damn you Deacon.
It didn't have to be like this.
You just could have stayed in the band.
You just could have told us what was wrong. AnCo could have been 4 people. It's not fair. Everything would have been different. Everything could have been perfect. I just want to know why. I just want to know what happened. We cared about you as a human, and it's not fair how relevant AnCo got without u. Who knows what could have happened if you were still in the band.
But maybe things happen for a reason. Thanks Deacon. Your music finally made me realize that 2k10 is going to be okay. I am allowed to move on, forget about the past. Things will be okay. A steady supply of blog mp3 content, news, and memes will come. It doesn't matter who the band is, and it doesn't matter what it sounds like. We're all just trying to get 'mad press' together, get some mp3s download, and move some units to the Cool Dad/Altstream demographic. Let's just live, love, blog, download, learn.
I went home, and searched youtube for clips of the show to try to find myself in the crowd. Couldn't find anything. It was just time to go to sleep, and dream of downloading a sweet ass bootleg in the morning. I logged into twitter, and simply wrote 'gnite...nuff said', because it truly was enough said for once in my life since my exGF gave my by bro a beejay but then I had a meaningful nite at a concert and felt okay with life again and wrote a short story about it.
Nvr Forget.
2k10: The Year of the Deakin?
Deakin vs Panda Bear showdown in 2k10?
Will Avey Tare/Geologist meltdown/'lose interest' in playing 'the internet relevancy game'?
Is AnCo still a bloggable topic?
Is it time 2 'let go' of AnCo, or should we 'remember them 4evr'?
Is Deacon solo this year's 'neon indian'/'atlas sound'/'discovery'?
After listening 2 a year's worth of music, what is yalls fave/most meaningful lyric?
2K9: a 'sampled' lyrical poem by Carles
There isn't much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
But with a little girl, and by my spouse,
I only want a proper house
cuz I gotta feeling
that 2nite's gonna be a good nite...
I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly
Are u... also...frightened?
The sun was high...
and so was I...
Go slow
Go slow
Go slow
(shoulda taken acid with u)
(take our clothes off in the swimming pool)
(wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine)
::feel it all around:::
after all that we've been through
i know we'll make it after the wait
the question is a truth
there is nothing we can't do
i'll see you along the way baby
the stillness is the move
I could use some body
Told u I would stay....
Just dance, it'll be okay.....
Chillin with my brother sport
We'll die alone 2gether
Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightening bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance.
A foxtrot above my head,
A sock-hop beneath my bed,
The disco ball is just hanging by a thread.
Ya.... ur sex is on fire....
(like social status)
Don't mean 2 seem like I care abt material things
Lisztomania
Think less but see it grow
Like a riot, like a riot, Oh!
I'm not easily offended
It's not hard to let it go
From a mess to the masses
(like social status)
U know that I could use somebody
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly.
It's hard to say that I'd
Rather stay awake when I'm asleep,
Cause everything is never as it seems.
(When I fall asleep.)
Basic space
Openin'
Don't look away
When there's nothin'
There
Feel it all around
Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten
I'm setting us in stone
Piece by piece before I'm alone
Airtight before we break
Keep it in
Keep us safe
I could nvr belong 2 u
Just a deadbeat summer
Sleepy head.... Sleepy head....
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
While yall are waiting for the others
:::the piano jingle to 'Two Weeks'::::::
Go slow
Go slow
Go slow
Oh shelia...
Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten....
Meet me at the Equinox
I'm s0000 b0000red
Chillin on some Horchata
I told u ur dreams would come true....
(a deadbeat summer taking acid with u on adobe slats)
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly.
It's hard to say that I'd
Rather stay awake when I'm asleep,
Cause everything is never as it seems.
(When I fall asleep.)
I told u ur dreams would come true....
I just want
Four walls and adobe slats
For my girls
(u know that I could use somebody)
(some1 like u)
(whoa oh oh... whoa oh oh....)
What is the most meaningful lyric of 2k9?
Which lyric will we sing for the next 40 years and think 'that was back from 2k9... back when everything was pure and authentic'?
Is 'the end of the year' the most meaningful time cuz u get to reflect on 'shit that went down' throughout the year?
It's always weird when a band/famous person becomes an advocate for change, especially when they are 'raising awareness' for a problem that I wasn't really aware of. One could make the argument 'out of sight, out of mind' is a good thing. Like if you knew too much about the world's problems, then u might become paralyzed with fear/h8 for humanity, realizing that 'things would never change' and evil will always live on this planet. But it's also kinda good because if you know more 'issues', then you are more interesting.
I was 'completely unaware' that clubbing seals was a huge problem in our world. I have honestly never seen any1 wearing or eating seal. For some reason, I have 'never had a desire' to wear seal/miscellaneous exotic animal fur. It seems out of my price range, since I am just a suburban upper-middle class alt, and I would rather spend that kind of money on consumer technology instead of clothes. Maybe if Am Appy 'branded' animal fur, I would be interested.
Clubbing seals 'seems unchill.' Like some1 who listens to horrorcore music would be a seal clubbing bro.
I feel like 'seal clubbing bros' should be eliminated from the Earth. I am glad that I learned about this cause. I have an opinion about it, and I understand that is wrong, but I am not sure what else I can do to prevent companies and humans from clubbing seals. It seems unchill to skin animals just to wear them. Like the people who value animal fur are 'severely troubled' and have 'a very stupid perspective of the world'--like they didn't go to school and learn stuff. I think that some1 needs to make a movie about seals similar to 'March of the Penguins' so that people think that seals can have a group brand that is 'cute enough to save/care about.' It seems like humans care about cute animals.
Really just happy that AnCo 'made it.' Feel happy that a band from my range of tastes has ascended into 'activist relevancy.'
Can't believe AnCo is such a relevant celebrity. As famous as the homosexual blogger, Pedro Hilton.
Even larger than the star of the recent teen dramedy "She's All That."
AnCo can do as much change as the world for star of 'Laguna Beach Cribs', Brody Jenner.
I feel excited for AnCo. A lot of people think that AnCo 'is going to cross over.' They keep waiting to hear them on the mainstream radio. I feel like 'lending ur brand' to a PETA campaign seems like u have 'made it.' Like if Pitchfork had some sort of 'humanitarian ratings', this would probably be around a 9.6.
'U can create all kinds of textures with all kinds of fabrics.'
-Panda Bear, 2k9.8
'U can create all kinds of textures with all kinds of sounds.'
-Panda Bear, 2k4evr
Feel like my whole life make sense now that 'Animal Collective' has truly become 1 with the Animal Kingdom Collective of Real Animals.
Honestly feel sad/disturbed after watching seals being murdered. Will probably think of seals being clubbed every time I listen to AnCo from now on, even when the themes are happy. :-(
Vintage HRO post [via 2k8.1]
Remember the time Panda Bear and his wife designed hoodies?
Previous Animal Rights Posts
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/tag/animal-rights
[MP3]
Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset (Animal Collective Remix/Deakin's Jam)
2 of the most relevant bands of the year, Phoenix and Animal Collective 'collab' to output a remix of some song. I feel like this takes me back to the bloghouse era, when the most relevant bloghouse bands would create alt-synergy by remixing one another. We have possibly never seen a collab on this level in the history of the indiesphere. Wish I could be an entry level music criticism bro so that I could 'get pumped for hearing this mp3 for the first time' and then 'talk myself into the mp3 being 70% better than it actually is.' Would possibly create a writeup that utilized the word 'pop' in some 'descriptive' phrase like 'melted pop sensibilities.' I will also use of the word 'textural.' In addition, this theoretical writeup/review would include commentary on the state of modern indie music and the effects of 'internet hype', eventually losing focus on analysis of the actual song. My writeup would include between 5-10 hyperlinks to previous AnCo+Phoenix content that my blogsite had generated.
I feel like this remix is possibly 'forgettable', or it is possibly 'Phoenix in their natural form.' While Phoenix's songs are 'catchy', it is impossible to decipher 'what the fuck they are talking about' in their lyrics. This possibly has to do with a French to English language barrier. Imagine if u had to write 'smart-sounding' pop lyrics in a foreign language and ended up making weird/forced/generic metaphors in every1 of your songs. Phoenix has sorta turned into Jonas Brothers tween pop for hi level music criticism bros.
Sorta miss Deakin. Since most of my readership became AnCo fans after MerriweathPostPavvy, you might not know that AnCo had a fourth member named 'The Deakin' a long time ago. He 'left the band' and no1 really knows what happens. Wonder 'what really happened' to Deakin. Seems like they must be hiding something. I feel like they hand him remix work 'for sympathy' just because they feel bad, and still 'want him to feel involved.' Seems like the remixes would be better if Panda Bear made them. Does n e 1 know what happened with DeakinGate?
It seems like I would hear this song in a local coffee shop when an entry-level barista selects a playlist to try to seem 'authentic.' They would also probably play something by the Knife followed by a Fever Ray song, just to prove that they 'understand' that the broad from the Knife is Fever Ray.
Relevant Band + Relevant Band ≠ Relevant Remix
-Carles, 2009
Deakin is a member of Animal Collective who 'mysteriously left' the band and no1 really knows why but sometimes he comes back.
Read more>>>>
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
Phoenix is a French pop band that has been around for a decade but went rlly mainstream after their album "Wolfgang Amadeus" was s0 p0ppy that no1 could h8 it.
I just listened to the Taken By Trees cover of Animal Collective's "My Girls" except she changed the words to "My Boys." Seems like a 'gender switching' gimmick that happens a lot in modern music [via 'No Scrubs' --> 'No Pigeons']
I feel like this song 'isn't as powerful' from a woman's perspective. The original 'My Girls' is a declaration of 'actually wanting to provide for your family' even though you are a male, and u naturally want to 'plant ur seed in tons of bitches' and abandon your family because u feel like 'caring for a child' is a female's job (this is actually the case in nature most of the time). It is important to remember that the only reason Animal Collective is so popular is bc of their underlying themes of 'male idealism'--bros enjoy to pretend that 1 day they will 'evolve' into a loyal, caring, noble, respectable, authentic human being. Women should stick to writing their own songs about their own experiences/emotional needs.
Can't believe the spirit of this song is 'totally different' and 'totally sad' when a woman sings it. No longer a song of 'hope'--it is a song where a delusional woman is 'trapped' with her life caring for her husband who cheats on her, and her son who will one day resent her.
Just feels weird to hear a girl singing this 'ode to servitude' where ur saying that u just want 2 care 4 ur family. It seems like some sort of 'propaganda' from the 1950s, back when women were supposed to 'stay at home, make sandwiches, do the laundry, and wipe the asses of the kids' while men could do whatever they wanted. The tone of this song seems 'whimsical', as if it is in a 'fucking dreamworld.' While it is always a bloggable gimmick to cover AnCo, sometimes u have to think about how ur 'diminishing some1's art' if u cover it.
Still not even sure what the Animal Collective sings in this 'My Gals' song. It seems like it might be a rejected song from the 'My Girl' soundtrack. Sad that Macaulay Culkin asked to be buried alive in Michael Jackson's grave.
There isn't much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
But with a little girl, and by my spouse,
I only want a proper house
*****
I don't mean to seem like I
Care about material things,
Like a social status,
I just want
Four walls and adobe slabs
For my girls
Feeling confused, like I can't relate to AnCo since I'm not a 'caring parent'/cool dad yet.
Just want 4 walls and adobe slabs 4 my girls. 'WTF is an Adobe Slab?'
'I just want 4 walls and the Adobe Creative Suite 4 my girls.' -an HRO commenter during the HRO golden age.
do u want 2 have a family when u grow up or will ur kids/spouse h8 u as much as u h8 ur parents?
[MP3]
Wavves Mickey Mouse
I have never actively listened to a Wavves song, because they seem to be 'too fuzzy' or something. Kinda like the 'garage band aesthetic' that I don't 'get.' However, I listened to his new song 'MICKEY MOUSE' and it made me very confused. It sounded a lot like the band Animal Collective, particularly a song structured by the musical genius Noah 'Panda Bear' Lennox.
Sorta reminds me of 'Peace Bone' mixed with 'Bros' type of structure and hint of 'Reverend Green/Fireworks.' I think the lyrics are talking about 'never wanting to be old', then references some cryptic metaphor about 'a thing in the back of your brain' (science analogy trying to remind u how mortal we are), and then something about your brain telling u that u will 'be safe.' It seems like a very 'simple song', like to the point that you could say it is 'stupid.'
I am not sure why Wavves is converting to the conceptual core aesthetic. Maybe he sees that the live brand that Animal Collective has established, and believes that he can make a longer, more fiscally empowering career if he makes songs that are meaningful, simple looped electronic conceptual core ballads. Probs questions the long term viability of 'fuzzy guitar with droned lyrics.' Feel like he possibly might be 'making fun of every1' for 'liking AnCo', and made this song to say 'this type of song is easy to make, I can shit out a song like this as a joke.' Suddenly felt insecure, like he is making fun of me for wearing a Merriweather Post Pavvy tshirt. Not sure if he just 'deconstructed' the state of the modern indie-musicsphere with this song, or if he is 'trying to break into it.'
Wavves seems to h8 everything.
Seems like he has a 'destructive personality', even though people might call him 'a genius.' Maybe he is a talented, fallen-from-grace bro who is 'searching for something more' out of life/'the arts', and can't help but feel 'disconnected' from the type of ghey rewards/ghey fans that come with 'success' in any sphere of 'the arts.' If I could be a writer for Rolling Stone/SPIN/other dying music mag, I would start constructing a long profile piece, calling him 'The Indie Kurt Cobain' just in case he really is 'trying to leave this Earth.' Would make sure to emphasize that his soul is 'beautiful' and possibly 'misunderstood' even though we continue to hear his name in some what 'destructive' news stories.
Previous Wavves Coverage: I don't 'get' Wavves
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2009/03/wavves-bro.html
Wonder if Wavves is HRO's 'next Justice' in that I 'don't listen to his music very actively', but enjoy analyzing his personal brand/aesthetic.
I think that the marketing team behind Animal Collective are 'pure geniuses.' Not only did they 'perfectly brand' MerriPostWeather Pavillions, and totally 'overhauled' the band's general brand--they also know how to 'inject the band into relevant discussions.' I think this was filmed 'before MJ died', but I feel like they somehow knew that 'MJ was going to die', and wanted to 'get as much buzz as possible.'
Sometimes it is important to 'jump on a megameme', such as the MJ death. If you are important/famous/relevant enough, people are 'interested in hearing what u have to say' about a newsworthy event. Feels like it is 'beneficial for content providers' for an 'alive famous person' to reflect upon a 'dead famous person.' U can then 'write a blog news story post' about it, and get 'mad hits.' I think it is important to seem 'sad' and 'appreciative' when some1 who was somewhat influential dies. Sometimes it also seems appropriate to be 'shocked.'
Not sure who is the 'kewlest' member of AnCo. Think that Panda 'seems chill.' Not sure if Avey is 'well-branded' in a Gilligan hat/bucket hat. I feel like Geologist's gimmick of 'wearing a headlamp' seems like a great one, but I think he needs to 'commit himself' to the gimmick 100%, and wear the headlamp during all hours of the day.
If I had seen him without his headlamp, I would have called him and told him 'get your goddamn headlamp on.'
Feel like they have probably lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars worth or 'merch revenue' by not selling a Geologist headband.
Would definitely rather have a headlamp than a 'bucket hat.'
Still trying to 'brainstorm' sweet merchandising ideas for indie bands. Starting a consulting firm.
Yall. I saw this band on David Lattermen, and they seem like my new fave band. They sorta mix a lot of elements that I see in some of my favourite bands. Just like band members filling familiar roles.
According to this video, the band 'MasterKraft' consists of members in the following roles:
I think that this band might be some 'huge' megaband from England or something. I think that there has been a shakeup in 'the latenight talkshow' scene, and they are doing everything they can to 'get mad ratings.' Not sure if they still 'get ratings' when they aggregate youtube views + hulu views.
I'm glad that MSTRKRFT changed their 'band layout.' (they still might need a traditional guitar bro, and a traditional bass player bro) I used to think MSTRKRFT was 2 bros, and I think that we saw in their previous late night performance that the '2 DJ bros' model tanked.
Feel like it is better to just 'adhere to the traditional standard' of 'looking like a band' instead of trying to show the world that ur an independent spirit. That's what the Collected Animals did when they went on Letterman. Feel like they probably 'lost tons of followers on twitter' or whatever sort of equivalent 'loss of fans' metaphor u could make.
Ultimately, we're all just trying 2 sell records. It's just easier to be a traditional band, and have band member playing traditional instruments that people can recognize. This is why bands follow the 'Beatles model' to sell the most records [via U2, coldplay, kings of leon, the killers, the Black Eyed peas, etc.].
Not sure if people really know what bands like Justice/AnCo are 'actually playing' when they twist knobs. Feel excited about the future of bands. Think 'shit is really gonna get innovative.' Wonder if people are really 'ready' for our 'norms' 2 get changed.
Still feeling 'confused' about seeing an electro bro playing a grand piano.
I have been listening to some of 2k9's most relevant artists/songs, including "Cheerleader" by the Grizzly Bear. I think that the song is 'chill' but I think that in our new era, u can always find a way to dance, even if a song is sorta conceptual/chill. I am not sure what this bro is all about. I think he might be one of those bros who has a post-post-pre-ironic internet personality, just trying to be 'a think piece' on the internet 2 set himself apart from 'every other loser with a mnstrm facebook profile.'
Sorta just wanna chill, be myself on the internet. Have people 'find my vid' when they search 4 their fave band on youtube. Possibly 'become an altmeme.' Might film my cock coming out of my Am Appy briefs and 'tugging' til I cum with a 2k7 electro song in the background.
XX BONUS ANCO BRO SPORT MEME XX
Wonder if these are 'the two best songs' of 2k9? Feel like it is 'entry level' to enjoy 'Two Weeks' + 'My Girls' the most.
Kinda feels weird how these 2 bands are 'tied 2gether' in the conquest for the 'best' album experience of 2k9. Not even sure what the 'best album' of 2k9 is. Wonder what 'the internet pundits' will say is the best album of 2k9. Feel like people will pick Grizzly Bear because they are 'very personal bros', and from what I have learned, personal connections 'mean everything.' While people 'love' anco, they are still not entirely engaging bros, nor could u imagine having a 'chill convo' with them. I think that people who pick the Dirty Projjies to be the best album of 2k9 will be the 'type of music reviewing bros who are ghey/don't get girls in real life and feel closer 2 women by enjoying female artists.' Think this might be the theory that explains why St. Vincent is 'relevant.'
What's yalls fave album of 2k9?
This post is part of a continuing summer fashion series in which Carles from HIPSTER RUNOFF searches for the most authentic way 2 express urself [via fashion] during the hot summer months.
I was looking at the popular alternative mp3 blog, GorillavsBears, and I noticed that the GorillaVsBro took some pictures of popular conceptual musician Panda Bear, aka stage name "Noah Lennox", from the band Animal Collective. I saw that he was wearing a shirt that looked pretty kewl. The shirt featured several wolves 'chilling.' I thought it might be a t-shirt for a band that was named 'Wolves' or 'Wolf Collective' or something, but it was actually just a shirt promoting the generic wolf brand. Wolves for Wolves' Sake.
I feel like it might be a modern take on the famous 'child predator glasses' trend. It is a look that says 'I am a bro who values different things than u. I live in a different world than u, and I am not searching for the same things in life than u r. I am part of some sort of collective of animals who don't care about material things' and so forth, and so on... Sort of like how child predators 'just wanna get off with kidz', WolfBros 'just want to be a part of nature' or something like that. Roaming the earth.
It's weird how we are in this Am Appy era of solids + stripes, but it might be time to 'break free' from this minimal branding, and start wearing t-shirts with various nouns on them, represented via images (no words).
Srsly. The more I see Wolf t-shirts, the more it 'makes sense.'
Seems like 'wolf' might be my power animal [via the Fighting Clubs]
Wolf Altbro #1
Wolf Altbro #2?
Wolves roam together in packs, sort of like how I envision a 'perfect scene' where every1 gets along and there is no 'drama'
Wolves can also be 'lone bros' who 'just chill by themselves' and are 'happy' with a life of solitude
Yall. I <3 music festivals. As I always say, they are the only place where I feel like I am 'home.' I get to chill with people who like like me and have similar interests, and I get to see my fave alt celebs performing/spy on them through the security gate.
Feel like I missed out on a lot of meaningful experiences.
I could have beta tested new Am Appy designs with Karen O of the Ya Yea Yeas.
Could have seen some zany bro.
Could have made zany faces while singing meaningful Passion Pit songs
Could have made zany faces while singing meaningful AnCo songs [via Avey Tare]
Could have made scary faces while singing with King Of Leon alphabro
Are alt music festivals all going 2 have comedy now? Might watch ADULT SWIM LIVE starring Tim and Eric. I read in a blog that they direct music videos or something.
Could have sang Karaoke with my political science professor/T.A.
Could have made angry faces about TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek about having to play to a crowd of bros even though ur a production genius
Could have talked about music industry issues & channeling ur hurt/anger into transcendent rock anthems with Trent Reznor.
Could have chilled with Kevin 'Bisexual JokerAlt' Barnes during a zany OfMonty set
Could have had 'my junk' eaten out by a tiger
Just coulda chilled with bros, sat in the sun on a blanket, listening to some sweet, sweet alternative tunes.
Might have also met a tuggle of entry-level girls who were just under-18 who u get drunk & 'take advantage' of.
Whenever I miss a music festival within 3000 miles of my own home, am I missing out on one of the most potentially meaningful experiences of my life?
[Photos by Chris Graham via Brooklyn Vegan]
WHERE WERE U WHEN ANIMAL COLLECTIVE PLAYED ON THE DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW?
///REAL STORIES FROM REAL HRO READERS ///
Jeff, 13 year old from Minneapolis - "I was trying to get control of the tv, but my dad was watching baseball. Every night he comes home and drinks a 6 pack of tall boys. I thought he was sleeping and tried to change the channel, but then he work up and got really mad at me and hit me. I just wanted to see Animal Collective... sigh."
Mattie, 46 year old from Manhattan - "I took off work to try to get tickets to the Late Show, but showed up 10 minutes too late. It was alright because I had seen Animal Collective at the Bowery Ballroom, but I just ended up drinking some box wine after putting my son to sleep, and enjoying the beautiful performance...."
Jessica, 19 year old college student from Maryland - "I live in an all girls dorm, and there's a group of us who call ourselves Da Hipstaz... Anyways, we reserved a lounge on the 5th floor of our dorm, ordered some pizza, and enjoyed the performance. We are going to see them next tour, so just more to look forward to."
Frank, 29 year old freelance blogger and music journalist - 'The thick waves of goodness filled my apartment's living as a wall of sound moved forward, similar to the wall used during Human Tetris. Selecting a song to play when all of your songs are masterpieces is a difficult task--yet AnCo brought something new to the table, miniscule elements that only the most devoted fans could identify. It is these subtleties which have elevated Animal Collective from buzzband... to band of the century. MP3s after the jump..."
Antonio, 22, Houston, TX - "I got hella blazed, then chilled, watched the performance, listened to StrawbJam on vinyl. Popped in a dvd and fell asleep. twittered about it once. Going to eat a burrito tomorrow."
5/7/2009 - WHERE WERE U?
INDIE/CONCEPTUAL CORE has FINALLY ARRIVED.
WE MADE IT, YALL.
THIS IS OUR TIME.
Yall. Heard a new conceptual buzzband. They are called Passion Pit. They seem like a chill band who is always down to either grow a beard or wear glasses. Heard this one song called 'Sleepy Head.' I think it is 'pretty good.'
[MP3]
Passion Pit Sleepyhead
Saw this live performance of the song. Think they are one of those bands who care about making music that is conceptual, 'produced at a high level', and 'doing a good job of replicating the album experience with the live show.' These are elements of music that I value in the modern world.
From what I have read in some blogs, they have a new album coming out. Wonder if it will 'leak.' Will probably actually just buy it on vinyl or something. I think 'vinyl' is the only way that artists get paid these days, from what I have read on the internet music websites on the internet.
I saw this 'making of' video where they corral some sort of innercity children's choir to sing 'backup' on their conceptual album. I think there is a funny part where the 'make sure that the kids hit 6 distinct notes.' (at the 2:50 mark)
Hope they took the kids out for Happy Meals or something. I wonder how Justice compensated the kids in the popular song 'D.A.N.C.E.'
I wonder what it would be like to be a child growing up in the city, going to a school with a name that was some sort of combination of letters and numbers (instead of the name of an astronaut/former President/supreme court justice/ regional historical icon). Wish I had some sort of inspired Teach for America bro as my teacher who inspired us to sing pop music hits that were filmed and 'meant to go viral.'
Hope he makes a movie kind of like 'Mr. Holland's Opus' + 'youtube.' I think the lead singer bro of Vampire Weekend was a Teach For America bro. I wonder if he got to opt out of his 2-3 year commitment after he 'got famous' and found a better way to pay off his Ivy League Stafford/Perkins loans.
"I used 2 rule the world." -innercity kids b4 the grow up/Chris Martin
Do yall know who is the next Animal Collective? Really want to 'look forward' to an album again to 'the point that it is unhealthy' and leads 'the internet' to question 'why' we even listen to/like music.
Sort of wonder if the 'conceptual-core' genre of 2k9-2k10 will just be remembered as this 'weird time' where we 'worried about backlash' and never even 'really appreciated the music.' I just want to keep pretending I am some1 who 'listens to music' for 'all the right reasons' without considering the context by which I consume new music.
Here are general statements about my perception of how this album will sound without 'actually hearing it':
What are some predictions that yall have about the future of the Conceptual-Core genre?
Passion Pit is a bleepy bloop indie pop band that tons of entry-level alts <3.
Read more>>>>
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
I remember last Halloween, all I wanted 2 do was be the ex-popular band Justice. I think in 2k9, I will still want to be a relevant band, but I'm not sure who is gonna 'be on top' then. 2k9 has been a really weird year.
Should I be Animal Collective 4 Halloween?
Do u think a costume is successful if you have 2 write lyrics to 1 of their popular songs and tape them 2 ur back?
(miss u Deakin)
Not sure if Animal Collective is 'interesting' enough to be for Halloween. Seem a little bit too 'low key.' I'm not sure if Mainstreamers are supposed 2 be able 2 identify who u r, or if the goal is 4 people not to recognize u.
Might need to be Lady Gaga for Halloween, but I'm not sure if I will have the budget 2 dress like a tired, middle-aged Italian woman wearing a 1 piece bathing suit and a platinum wig.
Might also be 'a tween' or 'a blog' 4 Halloween. Might also be 'Wavves' 4 Halloween
What are u gonna b 4 Halloween? Or is it 2 early 2 start thinking abt?
In an interview with NYLON.TV, the popular post-bloghouse, conceptual-core band Animal Collective shares answers to questions that people have been wondering 4ever: "How did yall come up with yalls names? o keut. how abt ur album name? o. kewl. what animals would yall be?" (U also find out that Noah Lennox would want to be a Janitor if he wasn't the #1 Musician of the Past 10 years.)
Kinda wish I could work for a magazine/youtube channel so I could ask hard-hitting questions, and then edit the video together using zany transitions and images ffffound via Google Image Search. Does n e 1 have any stories about interacting with the AnCoBros? Do u find AnCoBros to be 'accessible'? Are you comfortable with them being the #1 American Band of the Modern Era?
I think it's funny when some1 asks u 'what bands have u been listening 2 lately?' and u have to say what is popular+relevant, but then u have to think 'is this person really asking me to recommend Animal Collective to them?' I remember ppl thought that AnCo was going to be Top 40 radio after MPP, and eventually knock the Jonas Brothers down from #1 since they would teach the world what 'good music and good feelings' sounded like. Hope they are able to handle the state of things.
I feel kinda down. I remember the day that the Merriweather Post Pavilion leak came out, and it felt like we all had a reason 2 b alive again. Have only listened to it like twice. Feel bad. It seems like ppl didn't even focus on the album--they were just interested in 'analyzing the hype' behind Animal Collective.
Can't believe the conceptual-core era is already dead. Was shorter than the bloghouse golden age.
Goodnite moon.
Yall. I feel like I'm getting older--not like actually falling behind on trends. But more of like 'confused and lost.' I think it's cuz I can't tell the difference between OPTICAL ILLUSION MEMES and Animal Collective Album Art. Kinda frustrating. Wish AnCo would put their name on their albums so that I wouldn't be so confused.
Merriweather Post Pavillion Meme
Untitled EP ?
The Zany Spinning Lady EP?
Krazie Roulette Wheel EP?
Searching for Grey Dots between the lines EP?
The Circle of Life EP?
Can some1 please tell me which of these are album art, and which of these are just memes?
WTF is the difference between design, art, and memes?
What is the best album art of all time?
Is it Santana's SUPERNATURAL [ft Michelle Branch and Rob Thomas]?
Is it Matchbox 20?
Is it Deep Blue Something?
Is it SantosGold?
Or is it the GooGoo Dolls?
Do yall think artists who still sell CDs with packaging are ruining our environment?
What should I do with all of the jewel cases from my youth?
Should I buy a CD binder and have it stolen from my car [via 2001]?
Should I get an iPod with a lot of space and brag about how many songs I have on it?
Should I boycott artists who do non-digital releases?
Do yall think it is funnie when a local band thinks they have 'made it' when their music is on sale at iTunes?
Feed / The /Animals / Yall
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
[Via Music Television Buzzworth Blog]
We finally did it.
We "made it."
We are more than just blogworthy--We are buzzworthy.
When I was young, I would watch MTV, and watch 'rock stars'
then 'rock stars' turned into 'hip hop stars'
then 'hip hop stars' turned into 'alternative rock icons'
then 'alternative rock' turned into 'indie'
then 'indie' kinda of turned into some weirdo 'power pop stuff'
I sort of grew out of what MTV told me was 'cool'
but like the Martin Lawrence King Jr.--I had a dream
A dream that one day
the mainstream perception media moguls
would realize that the alternative population was justified
for being vehement supports of 'what we like'
That it is better than what they listen to
because the reason we like it
is more 'organic' than the reason that they like it.
One day we will take over
and mainstream will be alt
and alt will be mainstream
and the term 'maltstream' will no longer describe things like the Garden State Soundtrack
Our minds will be free of the 'pressure' to think about so many external factors
and bros will no longer be able to argue 'Why can't u just like the music because it sounds good?"
Because there will be no more external factors
Because we will all like the best music for the right reasons
The must will just sound good.
We are buzzworthy.
We are more than just a meme.
We have created an artistic space
where the mainstream can consume us.
This is every artist's goal [via monetization].
"We're in this together, yall." - the Nine Inch Nails
Previous 'highly bloggable post'
Animal Collective is a band Created by/for/on The Internet
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
I have really been enjoying the rebranding of Pitchfork Media. I used 2 h8 them for 'being ghey' and other arguments like that, but now I think I can really identify with them. Glad that they got 'a new tone' that appeals to the snarky demographic/the 'too cultured and above mainstream bullshit demographic.' Hope p4k is paying these bros at least $15 /hr, or $100/review, or $30/meme.
Glad that they decided 2 review the latest AnCo album [via Vlog] instead of the traditional review. Happie that they invested in p4k.tv. Feel closer 2 them. Feel like they are making social media that matches my attention span + mental capacity.
Do yall agree with the vlog review, or are they 'teens having 2 much fun with a Macbook'?
What's the difference between a 'tween' and a 'teen'?
Whose opinion is more authentic: a fan, a tween, a teen, a music writer, a music blogger, a vlogger, a magazine critic, or God's?
"What is the future of music journalism?" - the Hipster Runoffs, 2k8
I was watching a couple of music videos that were 'kinda conceptual.' I wasn't sure which 1 I was supposed 2 like the most. Music videos really 'get my mind jogging', thinking about the identity of an artist, the purpose of a music video as a marketing tool/brand enhancer, and what I expect from a meaningful/conceptual music video.
/// Just want 2
/// look at shit
/// that looks 'cool'
/// on the internet
/// then re-blog it
/// making my own blog
/// look 'cooler'
/// we are branding 2gthr
////////////////////
Animal Collective - My Girls
It's always interesting when a widely respected band makes a 'mediocre conceptual video' that is excessively 'praised'/'meme-ed' as an extension of the band. Kinda boring video, never really 'goes anywhere', and just makes you think about how 'uninteresting' AnCo are as humans. Sure they 'make good/relevant music', but videos like this make u wish they 'had more to offer' as humans/ambassadors of some 'message.' But I guess that's why it is easy to 'like' them since they are 'just music-making bros' and not Bono/Chris Martin/Ricky Martin/Brandon Flowers/Susan Sarandon/ Ben Gibbard / Kanye West, etc.
Overall just kinda tired of reading reviews/hearing dbags say that Animal Collective's music is 'textural', and this video kind of just reminds me of how much i h8 pre-modern music criticism / when people try to describe the non-aural elements of sound (if they exist). But ya. the video is s0000 textural, just like their music.
N e ways, do yall like AnCo showcasing their meaningful technological instruments in this vid?
/////////////////////
Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
I liked this vid/song more than I liked the "My Girls" experience. It makes me feel more 'alive', and 'looks cooler' than the AnCo video. Sometimes, u just have 2 admit that some things are 'cooler' than other things, and 'coolness' is the most important thing sometimes. The song kind of makes me want to 'buy a car' after being inspired by an upbeat/meaningful/dancey song in a commercial.
//////////
The Coldplays - Some song about Puppets
Coldplay has a pretty interesting existence as a 'globally recognized band' because they don't really have a vision of 'what they want to be as a band'--instead, they just kind of re-use already accepted concepts/ideas that were already executed by highly regarded bands and artists. I wonder what 'the mainstream world' is looking for when they decide to 'honor' the Coldplays as a relevant/listenable band.
Can't believe they are sticking to the 'colonial war' uniform gimmick [via puppets].
"I used 2 rule the world." - George W. Bush + The Coldplays duet
//////////
BUT SRSLY
Which conceptual music video do yall 'like' the most?
Or is 'the music video' a dead art form?
In the future, will all music vids look like iPod commercials/capture the same positive consumer-core zeitgeist?
I'm not sure which 1 is the official version of the Animal Collective's new song "My Girls" (starring Macauly Culkin), but I think it might be this 1, because it showcases a massive record collection. (And also has meaningful howling for the last 10 seconds of the video.)
We are living in a Post Merriweather Post Pavillion World///
and I am a conceptual bro ///////
Here is another video of "My Girls" uploaded by youtube user FreakFolk391.
Not sure which 1 is more authentic, but I am a little bit relieved that 2k9 will require less equipment to 'follow my musical dreams' than 2k7-2k8 required. I remember back then, u had to buy a Macbook and a copy of Ableton. These days, all u need is an acoustic guitar. Kinda relieved that we are 'getting back 2 basics' because I'm not even very good at technology.
Things are getting sooo conceptual. Not sure if my primary/secondary education was progressive enough to stay afloat in this era of alt.
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
I listen to the Animal Collectives on a weekly basis. I think I 'like' them because they are differentiated from 'traditional music' and 'modern indie music.' When I listen to them, I exist on a higher plane of musical appreciation and consume products for 'all the right reasons.' For the past couple of months, the whole world has been awaiting the LEAK of the album Merriweather Post Pavillion. I was one of them. I was not awaiting the chance to purchase physical copy of the album, but instead I was a proud member of the LEAK HUNTING army for this album. Fortunately, a conceptual Santa slid down my chimney to deliver the best xmas gift of all--the leak was officially released by the Internet around Christmas of 2k8. When I first saw the album art for the new AnCo album, I knew it would be amazing. I knew the album was more than just a series of bloggable mp3s, and the album art was more than just a meme. 
I like 'looking forward to things' because it is a gimmick that makes my life worth living. With all of this anticipation for the album release of what I perceived to be a relatively-niche band, I wonder if I am living in a world that is completely out of touch with 'what real people listen to/consume/value in music. How BIG OF A DEAL is the new Animal Collective/what social constructs do I realisticially expect it to break down? Can they be 1 of the newest relevant crossover alt artists? Even if you put AnCo head2head with other 'alternative artists' who 'have a worldwide universal appeal on a commercial/spiritual level' and are regarded as 'being culturally relevant' and 'progressive' at the same time, do u think Animal Collective can compare to these bands? Is Anco as approachable as U2? Is Anco as approachable as the Coldplay? Is Anco as approachable as Radiohead? Is Anco as approachable as the Arcade Fire? Is Anco as approachable as Feist? Is Anco more/less approachable for Joe Suburbia to consume than _________? Where does Animal Collective realistically sit in this hierarchy of critical acclaim vs. pop appeal vs. actually selling albums? I feel like they are sort of like a 'really funny, progressive comedy that got cancelled from cable TV' in band format, except they are a band so they don't get 'cancelled'--they get the opportunity to move forward become more authentic, letting their fan base 'grow' with them. When I first started listening to Animal Collective, they had a smaller following, and playing them in my car for a group of friends was often met with a lot of 'what is this krazie noise, yall?'s. Back then, AnCo was way more acoustic/conceptual/NOISECORE/lofi/etc. These days, they are a bit more electro conceptual tribal. Animal Collective uses progressive samples and instruments to make 'modern pop music.' Not every one is ready to embrace this concept. Not every one is able to say 'OMG. they have the pop sensibilities of the Beach Boys' because they probably don't read+regurgitate music tidbits & opinions from the internet on a daily/weekly basis.
Photo caption: Remember this album from 1989? 
I remember when I saw AnCo live in the post-Strawberry Jam world, it was swarming with entrylevel alts who were looking for a more meaningful experience than just a 'marginally dancey Cut Copy show.' At Animal Collective concerts, people are willing 2 unite, kind of like meaningful core during its peak days (ie the DeathCab TRANSATLANTICISM era). Do u remember OLD Animal Collective LIVE was like this, instead of a couple of dudes pressing buttons and 'bobbing their heads to the music' on stage? Were u 'there' b4 they were 'big'?
(You probably got lost in this clip because it was s00 RAW and not 'poppy enough' 4 ur tastes.)
Animal Collective is an interesting case study when u analyze them with these 2 questions driving ur analysis. Kinda makes u wonder if they are the perfect storm for 'existence within a malstream environment'. Theoretically, I am living in a world where a progressive album is critically acclaimed/successful. Is this 'utopia' or am I just disconnected from reality / living in a world where my values are too internet-buzz-centric? 
Animal Collective is an important band because they are one of the first 'transcendent' independent bands to gather most of their acclaim on the internet. While they probably had a few recordings before every one turned utilized the internet to find the newsest, alt-est music, you can't really deny that they grew at a healthy rate in internet-acclaim-perception over the past couple of years. If you grow too fast, you will be discarded as inauthentic (The Black Kids). If you grow 2 slowly, no1 ever really identifies with ur brand and think that you are just a newsbit that has been around 2 long for no good reason. The internet is a difficult environment in which to grow because virality rates are difficult to control. Most 'revolutionary' bands that douchebaggy music blogs+news sources+magazines cover have a life before and after the internet. Kind of like college rock bands around the year 2000. Bands like INTERPOL that were 'good' but then had to find a new life in an inauthentic altradio context. Or other bands kind of shriveled up and died after the internet made bands 'release content+memes more frequently' and some bands were unable to respond. If you think about AnCo, much of their 'acclaim' has come in the post-p4k era. Probably gaining a lot of steam back when Pitchfork anointment meant a little bit more to the 'standard pre-altbro music fan' who still J.O.ed while reading p4k/there weren't as many other sources that were 'unearthing' bands at the time. Now there are probably too many sources 'unearthing' shitty bands, so we are returning back to our Pitchfork + GorillaVsBear roots to prepare for the unknown year of 2k9.
It is important to remember that today's 'most connected' music fans use the internet to judge what are the most relevant+progressive bands/brands. In the musicsphere, there are a few key tastemakers of different scales, and most of them have aligned to tell you that Animal Collective is relevant+progressive+transcendent. Keep in mind that the most relevant members of culture exist solely on the internet and can only value what is valued on the internet. Which band/meme/topic generates the most blog posts? Which 1 generates the most comments? Which 1 gets the most praise/transcends snark+hype resentment? So I'm not sure if this internet-centric praise economy for Animal Collective means that they are 'bigger' than I think they are, or if we are just so caught up in what's happening on the internet that we fail to realize 'these conceptual bands don't matter to most people and probably never will.' So while you are 'acclaimed' by the top 0.5% of culturally relevant society, you have to understand that these people are the ones who are too smart to pay for music. Fortunately, AnCo has a meaningful live show, which is always important to value in the 'rise' + 'sustainability' of artists.
Animal Collective-Brother Sport "live at Midi festival " 2007 French - Riviera (wish it didn't take 2 years for this song 2 get recorded/leaked) If u can't tour + get a room of bros to buy t-shirts and vinyl albums for bros who don't have record players, then u can't 'make it big' in altville. Another factor to keep in mind is 'how willing is ANCO to use the internet as a gimmick' to maintain interest. It seems like in the past the internet has kind of 'fucked them over' when it comes to LEAKAGE, but it's tough to say whether that worked for/against them. Will they 'pull a GirlTalk/Radiohead' and be the next band that the NY Times writes about because they 'gave away their album for free' and 'have a culturally relevant following'?
Always remember that you can do better. 
You need 2 be the best. 
If u make urself proud, u will make the critics happie. 
Never give up. 
Make ur parents proud. 
There is always room for improvement. 
I want 2 get an 11 from the pitchfork medias (The HRO EP: Coming Soon)
There is nothing more annoying that Conceptual Artists/Bands who have allegedly garnered mainstream praise. For example, the Radioheads. Or maybe the zany broad BJORK. Maybe Sigur Ros or Arcade Fire (those 2 are a lil different/smaller). I think the main gimmick behind these bands is convincing yourself that their 'product' stands for something more than most music. They are pretty much a lifestyle brand for every sort of alternative ideal possible: social change, innovative instruments + recording techniques, reflections on humanity, usage of performance + visual art during the live show, environmental awareness, anti-War, embracing technology, innovative/meme-able music videos, having opinions on politics, and stuff like that which makes the band interesting/easy to write about. 
I'd say bands on this level exist as sort of a 'non-profit lifestyle brand' and have a progressive simpleton fan base that can't really 'see' what's going on. The bands are probably all way more 'deliberate' than we give them credit for, but also kind of excessively 'grassroots/organic' in an annoying way. U kinda just want them 2 embrace their mainstreamness and focus on being mediocre. The people who 'genuinely' like these bands are not worth taking seriously because they didn't really know how to use the internet to find their 'favourite band.' Instead, they picked the artist on what they perceive to be 'the extreme left' in the lineup of mainstream artists. In essense, they want to identify with generic alternative ideals that they think a band is supposed to represent. So while the artists themselves may be 'truly expressing themselves', it is hard for an internet-centric bro who 'has the whole internet at his fingertips' to take these artists seriously when we have found a whole new world that makes Bjork/Radiohead seem like a concept/band for simpletons (kinda like The Matrix).
After understanding the internet-era and the pressure for bands/labels to create these non-profit lifestyle brands, you can now begin to explore the 'types of fans who love Animal Collective.' They are probably a sampling from the absolute worst type of people to 'talk about music.' In their world, music is the most important art form, and Animal Collective is the master of the arts. Animal Collective shits on everything else, whether or not is art. Most of the most ardent Animal Collective fans are 'failed creative-types' who have convinced themselves that they 'could have made the music that Animal Collective made' if they 'just saved up some money to buy ________(type of instrument).'
These are Anco fan stereotypes: a) the bros who are waaay too connected to 'new bands' and 'music news' and 'whatz goin on' in the world of independent music b) bros who 'don't care about what's going on in the altmusicsphere' because they 'only care about how music makes them FEEL' c) bros who pretend to only care about judging music based on 'how it sounds' but secretly check P4k rankings on a weekly basis to construct what they 'like' based on how they perceive the masses are digesting new content. I feel like the most annoying thing about Animal Collective fans is their 'evangelistic' tendencies. It's kind of like a 'cult' that is asking you to 'trash your pre-existing tastes and experiences when it comes to music, and join the AnCo army.' To them, Animal Collective is a band that satisfies 'what they are looking for in a band' from a musical and social perspective. They have told themselves that in their perfect version of society, every one will participate in communal sound sessions. Every sound ever made in this perfect society will be recorded, and later used in a meaningful song. We will all have animal/weird names and be inducted into THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE at sundown on Sunday nights. We will sacrifice humans who do not appreciate our society. 
Animal Collective fans may or may not be as 'differentiated' as they think they are. Animal Collective fans may or may not exist on a more organic/authentic plane of existence than 'generic music fans.'
I feel like if you talked to most ardent AnCo cultmembers, they would tell you that Anco is 'eventually going to take over the radio and everything on FM radio will sound like AnCo.' After thinking about AnCo's place in the internet-perception economy, and how that has nothing to do with 'the empty mainstream BritSpears world', it is easy 2 see that AnCo will never 'cross over.' They will stay in a good place for them--Kings of Smart People Who Accumulate Ideas, Opinions, and Art From the Internet. I think one of the most important tests for an artist's crossoverability is 'Could I put this on a mix CD for 1 of my parents, or is it too far out?' I'd say 1/10 Animal Collective songs are mix-cd-able for your parents, and that rate is just too low to expect tweens who listen to Fall Out Boy/Pink/Brokencyde to 'get' AnCo. 
I feel like Panda Bear's "Person Pitch" is one of the most important catalysts for AnCo 2.0. It was Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox who really 'created the cultural marketplace' for Animal Collective as a band. His songs are more approachable for people without a conceptual appreciation of music. In addition, 'Panda Bear' helped us buy into the idea of The Animal Collective, as opposed to them just being 'weird dudes who make weird music that I am apparently supposed to like.' Panda Bear is the bro who made the Brand more authentic. Otherwise, there is a chance that most of their albums would just be sort of college radio concept rock fodder. 
Never underestimate the significance of branding. I think most people who are 'really into Animal Collective' don't really understand branding/would tell you that 'they are not a brand--they are just passionate musicians making art.' They have done something relatively impossible--making a brand that is 'authentic' and 'transparent' and 'immune to hype' and 'invincible against negative criticism' and 'opening up new artistic spaces which leave critics unable to evaluate it with an existing set of standards.' One of AnCo's best gimmicks is operating for 'art's sake' as well as they can. Instead of 'creating excessive blurbably content', they usually let the Music New Meme economy generate their own memes about what AnCo is up to. They will definitely have an infinite life as an 'acclaimed alt band', but their core competencies don't really mean that they will 'blow up' because only really 'guitar rock n roll with male singer' alt bands or 'artsy girls who play multiple instruments and sing kinda kute songs' can CROSS OVER. If anything, AnCo is lucky to 'crossover' to people who don't use the internet. This is kind of like the genre of FestivalBros/ drug users who listen to old music / weirdo old people who like new stuff that they think matches their weird personal brand. Just can't imagine "Brother Sport" playing at a high school homecoming dance. As meaningful as you think it would be, it probz just won't happen ever, yall.
I think the music reviews of Merriweather Post Pavvy will probably be 'the last great music reviews' of all time. In our current information economy, it takes less time to sample an album than it does to read a review with big words describing sound + references to bands that we don't know + references to tidbits of information about the band that we don't know. Are Music Reviews meant to be read before or after a reader hears the album? I feel like people use them to a) find out what is good, usually based only on a number (9.6/10) and b) to reaffirm that an album is good after they have already decided that they liked an album. If I were running a review site, I would try to keep everything positive so that I wouldn't alienate one, kind of like Amazon reviews. In order to build a meaningful online brand, you must pick a type of music that you consider to be irrelevant + inauthentic, and continue to give these bands poor scores.
Now that we have finally found 'the perfect album', I think we really need to re-evaluate what a 'music review' means in today's consumer economy. Should 'music reviews' be renamed 'product reviews' in order 2 stay relevant/appeal to self-aware markets? We are hearing too much about these artists that were 'cultivated on the internet' in sources like magazines + weekly MTV shows. h8 living at a time when magazines are 'going to the internet' to report about 'what's happening', so it feels like we are getting bombarded with too much praise for these Blogville AllStars. (just want magazines 2 be burned, yall). I think consumers find solace in the internet because they can block out this formulaic praise/writing/'journalism' and just sample the music directly. It's also just annoying 2 hear about artists that you have already aligned ur personal brand with 1.5 years ago--it's kinda like ur mom 'reminding u 2 file ur 1040EZ/clean your room for the 5th time.' It just makes u want 2 have a whole new life without being reminded of the traditional constructs of society. When I listen to Animal Collective, I may or may not still live in our mnstrm society.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Opportunities:
Threats:
N e ways... haven't listened to Merriweather Post Pavillion in a meaningful context, so I don't know how good it is. Might need 2 buy some Peyote/heroin and drive to a desert. Hope yall take some time to think about the internet-world that u exist in, and how Animal Collective is a band that has grown to be relevant alongside web-publishers rise to relevancy. It is a symbiotic relationship. We need them to be 'considered good/relevant' so that we can be 'considered good/relevant.' Now that they have 'made it', webzines/blogs/pitchforks can pat themselves on the back because this is our child. We raised them. We pulled them from the womb of the obscurity, raised them, fed them, nourished them, created them, loved them, used them, experienced them, grown with them, and now they have grown to have an alledged impact on modern society. <3 u AnCo <3 thnx 4 'making us think' abt 'reality'/'music'/'art'/'media'/'journalism'/'blogs'/'technology'/etc. I guess yall win no matter what yall do. Kinda jeal. We are living in a Post Merriweather Post Pavillion World, And I am a Conceptual Bro.
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
Panda Bear is a member of Animal Collective. He wrote the hit album "Person Pitch" but failed to deliver in 2k10 with TOMBOY.
Read more>>>>
[VIA HELLOOKS]
So this is the new year,
and I don't feel any different.
I am the ringmaster,
in a world of zany zaniness.
This world is like a circus
kinda like the Britt Spears song/album
and I am in the middle
and every1 is looking @ me
and things are crazie
Circuses are metaphors
for when
the world
getz 2 zany 2 handle
and the whole world
is watching
(me)
I want the whole world
2 watch me
bc my prsnl brnd
is worth watching
What will I do next?
What will I wear next?
What will I say next?
What will I be next?
This was a poem that I wrote to support uniforms + dress codes in public school.
XX BONUS FOREST ALT XX
This bro lives in the forest, free from society, and free from design/fashion norms. His life is simple, yet conceptual, and he has a clearer state of mind than you.
[via lookbook]
In 2k8, there was the electro jungle, populated by entry levels in Am Appy headbands + neon/Afrikan leggings & altbros in oversized graphic print tees. Now that we live in a less-electro era, we will venture into the Conceptual Forest. In this forest, we can hear songs more conceptual, open-ended songs. The Conceptual Forest is an incubator for authentic expression and progressive techniques of recording sounds.
In the Conceptual Forest, our minds are free, and we seek 'meaning' that we cannot find in a major metropolitan area. We are alone in this Conceptual Forest, allowing us to get in touch with who we truly are.
Will u leave a major metropolitan area 2 find urself [via the Conceptual Forest] in 2k9? (At least maybe take a weekend trip?)
/// We are living in a Post-Merriweather Post Pavilion World
/// And I am a Conceptual Bro
I only listen to vintage AnCo.
I only listen to AnCo in free-spirited zany college acapella group format.
Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Geologist (& Deakin) do not colour coordinate in free spirited primary+secondary coloured outfits/bros who 'wear all black except for a coloured tie.'
In 2k9, acapella will emerge as the most alternative + authentic form of music, since the singers unify as a group to take a song to the next level, usually filling a room with smiles, laughter, and a feeling of hope. Indie bands have attempted to inspire similar emotions for the past 10-15 years.
"This house is sad."
-The Animal Collectives
"Our house--in the middle of the street."
-Madness
Should Carles "blog" about the popular new album Merriweather Post Pavilion, or should I just go on with my normal life (utilizing the album cover as my eCum rag)?
XX BONUS ACAPELLA GROUP OF BROS WHO WEAR ALL BLACK EXCEPT FOR A COLOURED TIE XX
Should I blog more about acappella covers? Should I blog more about 'failed altbros'?
"Been Thinking A Lot 2day" -Ben Folds+"the Stereotypes" about which gimmicks/trends will emerge 2k9
Animal Collective is the definitive band of the Era of Internet Indie Music Discovery.
