Animal Collective returns to earth with solid, not stellar Centipede Hz

I had a hard time getting into Animal Collective, until a friend gave one of the best pieces of advice ever about this band. You can't be preoccupied with what your expectations are or what you think their music should be. Each album is its own unique journey, and the listener has to be willing to let the band take them where they want you to go. They aren't the only band this applies to, but for a band as out there as Animal Collective it's non-negotiable. Take their music on these terms or not at all.

Naturally, this requires the ultimate test of open mindedness on the listeners' part. But few bands are capable of taking you to such exotic, otherworldly locales as Dave Portner, aka Avey Tare, and crew.

Coming off the career affirming success of 2009's Merriweather Post Pavillion, the band found itself in a dilemma. Merriweather was not wholly representative of the sound they had been issuing on the eight albums that preceded it. Do they be true to themselves, or streamline their sound further?

Those who jumped on the Merriweather Post Pavilion bandwagon may be less thrilled with the route they chose. Centipede Hz is a return to form for the Baltimore psych rockers, while still signifying they understand the importance of melody. It presents a dizzying blend of fuzz, static and radio waves, while projecting an image of being stranded in deep space.

Opener "Moonjock" clatters and sputters to life like a projector that hasn't been used in a long ages, then kicks into gear with a series of sharp buzzing percussive cymbal clashes before launching into a tune that sounds like Avey is broadcasting from space. It ends with a joyous climax that gives a hint of the party that Animal Collective is gearing up for.

Some songs sound like they were written by someone with severe ADD. "Applesauce" and "Monkey Riches," in particular, are a massive clusterfuck. They are characterized by an ever shifting, ever evolving gyroscope of different hooks and melodies. Keeping up with the structure of "Monkey Riches" can trip up even the most steadfast listeners; at over six minutes it can't sit still for any significant length of time. Even Avey Tare seems in awe of the staggering collection of riffs he's assembled here, as he sings: "It makes me wonder how I even wrote this song/ Does this not occur to almost everyone?" In truth, the lyric actually reflects more upon trying to make it through a tough day to day existence, but one could be excused for thinking it a comment on Portner's songwriting.

Both Panda Bear tracks are loopy slow burners. "New Town Burnout" in particular sounds like he's suffering from a drug burnout as he slowly meanders his way through the song. It captures the droning atmosphere of pieces like "Scheherazade" and "Drone" from Tomboy while also possessing a watery, fluid sound like something from Down There. The instrumental break feels like The Little Mermaid on acid. It isn't the only song with fluidy, watery beats. "Pulleys" and "Father Time" also fit into this mold, seeming to draw influence from Down There.

While Panda Bear's voice sounds very similar to Avey Tare's, there's no mistaking Deakin, who takes lead vocal on "Wide Eyed." His voice is flat, but gives the track a psychedelic Indian vibe. The track gets loopy at the end with maniacal laughing and tape loops running over each other.

There are even progressive elements in play at certain places. "Today's Supernatural," for example, goes through several clear phases, and when it ends it's clearly a different type of song than it was in the beginning. The opening verse is bolstered by a demented buzzing riff which is reminiscent of the organ grinder guy in the windmill who teaches you The Song of Storms from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. But it gets spacier and more thoughtful as it progresses, ending with Portner musing: "Today feels so supernatural."

Another key element on this album is transitions. It's something the band has been obsessed with ever since flawlessly merging together the first two tracks on Campfire Songs, and over the years they've further refined the technique. Songs seamlessly flow into one another, often assisted by spacey, radio wave effects that earmark the album. "Moonjock" and "Today's Supernatural" both float around in a warbly spacey wash of radio wave effects before transitioning into the next piece. Recognizing that the audience needs a breather from time to time, however, the band does insert clear start and end points at the end of songs at regular intervals.

Animal Collective's lyrics are often bizarre and rambling, but despite that they do manage to get a clear theme across. It's like reading an essay paper from a slacker student; there's often a bunch of excess and extraneous verbiage that doesn't seem to relate to their central point, but you can see what they're getting at. "Today's Supernatural," for instance, contains imagery including dressing yourself up in chains and paint dripping from a canvas on an easel. But the real story is told by the central refrain let-let-let-let go; the song at its core talks about relaxing, easing up, and taking things as they come.

Some songs provide more clarity. "Applesauce" is quite clearly about the awesomeness of eating fruit, while "Moonjock" charmingly tells the story of a long backseat ride on the way to a family vacation. "Amanita" is the best representation of that childlike parading off into the forest vibe they championed on Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished. Portner sings: "What are you gonna do? Go into the forest/ Until I can't remember my name/ I'm gonna come back and things will be different/ I'm gonna bring back some stories and games."

Animal Collective have employed a masterful range of sounds and musical concepts throughout their career. Their albums have focused on everything from gentle campfire acoustic music to sounds fully drenched in electronica, and some albums have even bordered on freak folk. Centipede Hz sounds like a logical progression from Feels and Strawberry Jam, with Merriweather being the true outlier in the band's catalog.

Yet Centipede Hz, which was influenced by CDs of radio station call signs, doesn't live up to some of its predecessors. Some of the ADD pieces, particularly "Monkey Riches," get a bit wearisome  and some of the drone/burnout pieces don't quite hit the right notes. Yet Animal Collective succeed in playing to their key strength. The new album is every bit as endearing and charming as anything they have put out. Though it isn't perfect, it fits in perfectly with the rest of their output.

Score: 82/100

Tomboy's densely layered melodies among top treats of 2011

One of the most exciting parts of following music today is finding someone who pushes the envelope.

With all the stale ideas floating around in many music circles today, an innovator, a pioneer is what we need. I jubiliate when I find someone with new ideas, with the potential to push music forward into the future.

I think I've struck gold with Panda Bear.

Noah Lennox, better known as Panda bear, better known as a member of the indie/electronic pop supergroup Animal Collective. Tomboy, Lennox's fourth solo release, highlights his best attributes as a composer and also showcases much of what made AnCo an indie sensation.

You may remember Avey Tare, Animal Collective's other major player, released his solo debut Down There last October. If that disc championed the band's more exotic and experimental side, then Tomboy is a picture perfect demonstration of Lennox's ability to create rich layers and textures upon a musical landscape.

Rich with lush, vibrant, and deeply detailed layering, and featuring Panda Bear's pristine vocal harmonization, Tomboy stands as one of the most exciting works of the year thus far.

There are a couple of remarkable different things he is able to here. Most songs can be classified into general melody based songs. Here, you'll find some real gems, including Surfer's Hymn, Slow Motion, Last Night at the Jetty,and my personal favorite, Alsatian Darn.

Then there are what you categorize as being mood pieces. The sixth track is pervaded by an eerie ominous buzz, with scant vocals that seem to drift along, but you're never quite sure where they came from or where they're leading you.

The vibe and feeling created by the song can be perfectly described as a drone, which is why it's so fitting that that also happens to the the title of the track.

"Scheherazade" is even more haunting, with its minimalist techno and elegiac ,subdued vocal that seems to drift up from the depths of Lennox's tortured soul.

Tomboy is also strong lyrically. Panda's main strength is to take a single statement or concept, simple but profound, and to create a rich texture with it.

"Slow Motion" questions conventional wisdom and declares that it's more important to look within yourself, while "Last Night at the Jetty" takes a simple moment spent with friends and turns it into a powerful testament about how happy memories can have a dynamic impact on the fabric of life.

Tomboy floats by like a hazy, half realized dream, which reveals more and more of its subtle nuances and secrets each time you relive it. It sounds like nothing, acts like nothing, and more importantly feels like nothing that I've heard in quite some time.

Score: 90/100

Totally Unauthorized: 2010 Album of the Year Awards

Alright, so 2010 is now in the books, what a great year it was, yadda yadda yadda. The closing of a year means it's now time for my 2010 albums of the year segment.

Well, in all seriousness, it was a pretty great year for music. As always, the indie scene had tons of great stuff coming out. I guess with the diversity of everything that could be considered indie, that's pretty much the norm. Bands like Vampire Weekend, Spoon, Gorillaz, and Deerhunter had traffic stopping releases this year, but will it be enough for them to claim a coveted award here or will some young up and comer snatch it away?

Rap also had a pretty solid year. Nas and Damian Marley treated us with some reggae infused hip hop with Distant Relatives, and new personalities like Drake and Nicki Minaj got their first big shot on the major stage. But the rap year in 2010 will likely be known as the year of the comeback, as Eminem and Kanye West made big returns from slightly disappointing previous releases, and Big Boi made his emergence as a solo artist.

And in country music, it was also the year heralded duo Brooks & Dunn broke up. Also huge was a string of concerts by a certain country legend known as Garth Brooks, that took place toward the year's end.

But now, seriously this time, here are my picks...

Folk Album of the Year

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

The indie folk scene is well known for producing great music. We've gotten such great artists as Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, and even the legendary Jeff Magnum. But this year none were able to top the Dylan-esque stylings of Kristian Matsson, better known as The Tallest Man on Earth. 

His guitar is crisp and clean, and much of his playing has a wonderful made-for-NPR type of sound. His vocals are a little rough, but in time you'll come to love them. But what really astounds is his lyrical content. 

The title track, which has been on heavy rotation on my IPod for months, delivers a poetic message that you can't be afraid of life or death and you just gotta take it as it comes. Kudos to you, Kristian.

Runner up: Phil Selway - Familial

Jazz Album of the Year

 

Brian Culbertson - XII

2010 was a solid year for jazz. Guitarist Pat Metheny, a legend in the field, released a great digitized jazz album with Orchestrion, Vijay Iyer showed off his piano virtuosity with Solo, while Paul Motian's Lost in a Dream and Brad Mendelau's Highway Rider also lit up audiences this year. 

But I'm going in a little bit of different direction with my pick. I love jazz, but I also love groove, and I think a lot of other people do too. Enter Brian Culbertson, a jazz pianist with some definitely funky stylings. 

His piano work is accessible but still respectable, and XII features jaw dropping guest appearances from Faith Evans, Brian McKnight, and Avant, among others.

Runner up: Pat Metheny - Orchestrion

Country Album of the Year

 Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song

It may be lonely at the top, but it's a bitch at the bottom. After cutting his teeth for the last four years (which included being dropped by his label, BMA, in 2006) it's safe to say things aren't a bitch for Johnson anymore. His double album, The Guitar Song, is easily one of the statements of the year.

In a time when the country music industry is brimming in music that is brimming with corporate manufactured sheen, Johnson delivers something that feels true and organic.

At times the line tends to blur between rock and country, as there is some great guitar playing to be heard here. And Johnson's deep, rugged voice spins a message that just won't let you go.

Runner up: The Secret Sisters - The Secret Sisters

 

Biggest Disappointment 

of 2010

M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\

Coming off the release of her stunning Kala album three years ago, 2010 was shaping up to be a defining year in the career of Maya Arupugilism. But the wheels started to fall off before the album even released.

Maya was caught up in ugly battles with the pres and had her credibility undermined, but had a chance to make up for it. But for the first time in her career Maya simply fell flat. The personality and creativity that made her first two albums stand out so much was nowhere to be seen here.

It all degenerated into loops of electronic garbles coupled with a blatant attempt to to appeal to the party/hip hop/club scene. After finally cracking the mainstream, it looks like Maya tried to cash in on it. Unfortunately, she missed the mark here.

Runner up: Vampire Weekend - Contra

Most Out There Album of 2010

Avey Tare - Down There

No surprises here. The mad genius who helped engineer Merriweather Post Pavillion returned in 2010 with his own solo LP, and it becomes very obvious where the main influence in Animal Collective lies. 

Tare has once again assembled what essentially is the soundtrack to an acid trip, but there are some departures from MPP's formula. Down There has a much murkier vibe, with an ever-present water theme providing a unique coloring to the album. 

Complete with twisted vocals, bizarre lyrical imagery, and beats that can only come from a mind like Tare's, it's harder to get much more out there this year than Down There.

Runner up: Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

 Most Overrated Album

Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot... Son of Chico Dusty

Critics and fans alike raved about the debut solo album from the other half of the dynamic Outkast duo. Virtually everyone I've heard from says this album is the second coming of Biggie or something, but you'll have to color me unimpressed. 

My main turn off is the super sleek pop sound presented on this record. It doesn't sound like anything currently being played on MTV, but it sounds like something that could be. I also found this record a bit over the top at times. And it's hard to deny that Big Boi's lyricism is nowhere near what it was during his Outkast heights.

Runner up: Vampire Weekend - Contra

 Best New Artist

Best Coast

I've got to admit I was on a Bethany Cosentio trip for quite awhile. Nevermind Katy Perry; if you've ever had a fantasy about the perfect indie chick, Cosentio is your dream girl.

She's the perfect combination of rocker/hipster/stoner all wrapped up into one babe. Oh yeah, and then there's also the music. With their debut Crazy for You, Best Coast presents a lo-fi brand of sunny California surf rock that sports a retro vibe.

It all floats by like a breezy summer day and its hard not to get caught up in Bethany's sugary melodies. I wish they all could be California girls...

Best Live Show

Paul McCartney at the Bridgestone 

 

Well, obviously. How is anyone supposed to outdo Hey Jude, Blackbird, Let it Be, Yesterday, Pepper's Theme, The End, and the list goes on. But it's all just more reasons why I can't deny that Mr. McCartney put on the best show I saw this year.

Paul brought his band to Nashville for the first time this summer and did his best to convince us that he's an "up and coming artist," but that's about the only thing he wasn't able to succeed at. Other highlights included his performance of Something as a tribute to George Harrison.

Toward the end, he even allowed a pair of fans up on the stage to get autographs and to rock out. It's hard to get much classier - or better - than Sir McCartney

 

Electronic Album of the Year

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

 

Crystal Castles began carving out their niche two years ago with their self titled debut. It was big on electronic pyrotechnics and video game/arcade sounds, but here the Edinburgh duo opted for a slightly different approach.

Ethan Kath displayed a brilliance in composing dreamy soundscapes that I haven't seen in years; truly no one can quite arrange .midi files quite like this guy. And Alice Glass made major strides forward in being an anything goes vocalist with mind boggling assortments of different vocal effects from song to song.

Tracks like Intimate make it easy to get your rave on, Doe Deer will make you think you had a bad trip, but perhaps the most interesting experiment comes with the Sigur Ros sample on Year of Silence.

And even though the remixed version wasn't included on the album, the duo's collaboration with Robert Smith on We Are Not in Love captured headlines all over the musical world.

Runner up: Yeasayer - Odd Blood 

Rap Album of the Year

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The word for Kanye this year was rebound. 808s and Heartbreak, quite frankly, wasn't that great, and Kanye had taken several hits to his image after sloughing through numerous PR failures. 

But that all came to an end with his Good Fridays series and the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an effort that is being lauded by practically everyone everywhere. Some even argue that Kanye is redefining rap. 

But however you look at it, it's hard to deny the creativity and ingenuity displayed here. And it isn't just Kanye who lights it up here. Everyone from Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Pusha T came out in full force to make this album a stunner. 

Masterful use of samples, undeniable rhythm and flow, and brilliantly selected guest spots enable Fantasy to shine with the brightest of 2010.

Runner up: Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives

Rock Album of the Year

 Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Finally, Arcade Fire will be known for something other than Funeral.

Their previous effort, Neon Bible, may have been considered something of a step backward but the Canadian septet made it all right with The Suburbs. It's more of a rocking, Springsteen-esque album that focuses on the inevitably of growing up and getting stuck in a routine.

It's easy to hear the frustration and tension in Win Butler's voice as he imagines being stuck in a boring white picket fence 9-to-5 type of life.

Musically, the album moves around from the driving rock of Empty Room and Month of May to the electro pop of Half Light II (No Celebration) to more relaxed mellow rockers like Ready to Start and Deep Blue.

And let's not forget the bouncy 80s pop vibe of the unforgettable Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). With The Suburbs, the Canadian septet has painted a breathtaking portrait of the world growing up, and Arcade Fire is growing up along with it.

Runner up: Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Metal Album of the Year

Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR

It's hard to deny that 2010 was a pretty lackluster year for metal. Iron Maiden flamed out spectacularly, and not much else really notable came to the forefront. Still, Orphaned Land was a bright spot.

The Never Ending Way of the ORwarriOR was the long awaited and anticpated follow up to Mabool, released all the way back in 2004. It was a long wait, but Orphaned Land's tale of good vs. evil, of light against darkness was well worth it.

The prog metallers from Israel combine death metal and progressive metal with folk elements into a dazzling array of Middle Eastern flavored folk/metal. About the only band capable of pulling that vibe off better is Opeth, which is no small praise.

Runner up: Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time

Song of the Year

 Kanye West feat. Pusha T - Runaway

2nd Place: Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

3rd Place - The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Runaway is an obvious pick for song of the year. It's tough to think of a song that emboides so many elements, and pulls them all off so well. 

You have catchy hooks, impassioned R&B singing, well placed samples, solid rapping, and a very outside the box vocoder piece that even fuses a bit of electronica into the mix. 

Granted, the vocoder part runs on a little long, and with all the quiality competition out this year that was almost enough to knock it from the top spot. But in the end, Kayne's toast to the douchebags runs away with Best Song of 2010 award.

Album of the Year  

Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR

2nd Place: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

3rd Place: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

On my short list you have two albums that are trendy picks to win this category. I decided to go in a slightly different direction.

I found Orphaned Land to be slightly more consistent here; The Suburbs had a few sleepy tracks and as big of a fan as I was of Kanye, there were a couple of tracks I could live without.

That's not to say that every track on the ORwarriOR is necessarily perfect, but with this album Orphaned Land takes you through a mystical oddesy that weaves so many different elements together. It's just enough to lift Never Ending Way of the ORwarriOR into this year's top spot. 

Avey Tare album should tide over fans of AnCo, but not much more.

Genre: Psychedelic/Experimental
Paw Tracks
Running Time: 34:44

2009 was easily the year of Animal Collective. That was the year the avant-garde indie/electronic rockers, to that point fairly obscure, dropped their glittering opus of totally tripped out electronic pop influenced album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and the rest was history.

The band has spent this year on the sideline, but that hasn't stopped frontman Avey Tare from diving in headfirst with his debut solo album, Down There. Being as Tare is one of the biggest influences on his band's sound, you can expect Down There to offer heavy helpings of the trippiness that makes Animal Collective so unique. The sound you'll hear here is much closer to the signature Animal Collective sound than, say, a Panda Bear album.

The opener, "Laughing Hieroglyphic," features a demented accordion playing over gurgling electronic beats, while Tare's loopy vocal engages you and won't let go. At the same time, there definitely are some departures from Animal Collective. For starters, Avey's disc tends to be much more minimalist in nature than some of AnCo's works.

For those who tried to get into Animal Collective but were turned off by just how over the top it was, you might want to give this one a shot. The relatively subdued nature of the songs means that it's nowhere near as grating as some of Animal Collective's more over the top compositions.

But they also aren't as fascinating, either. Remember how the shimmering wall of synthesizers took your breath away the first time you heard "My Girls?" Or how about the brooding, all over the place vocal melody from "Summertime Clothes?"

Nothing on Down There can come close to the majestic results we get when the foursome of Animal Collective get togehter, but there is a lot here to like. One of the elements that make this album unique is its water theme. Worked into the mix are plenty of dripping, splashing, and tinkling sounds. It's like you're sitting in an underground basement while water leaks out of the pipes, listening to Avey spin his tale.

As far as the vocals go, no one's ever going to accuse Tare of being the greatest singer. But he covers that up a bit by submerging his voice into a myriad of different effects. I swear he's got a new distortion for every song. It gets to be so much that after a while you could start listening to the title track off Radiohead's Kid A album and think it sounds perfectly normal.

Instruments? Well, there's not a whole lot I could make out on this album. It's mainly driven whatever electronic effect Avey's got programmed into the background, thought I wouldn't be surprised if there was a guitar here and there.

Vocal samples also prove to be a considerable part of Tare's repitorie. "Glass Bottom Boat" begins with a guy looking for directions to a cemetery, and a stranger offers to give him a boat ride there. "Oliver Twist" features some guy talking about someone who looked into a rock and saw a skull or something. It's strange, but it fits the mood.

Some of lyrical themes are also pretty out there. "Ghost of Books" is, I'm pretty sure, a song about a guy who wants to make love to a ghost. But there are also some more evolved lyrical themes. "Heather in the Hospital" talks about feelings of depression when a loved one has to go into the hospital, while "Cemeteries" deals with feelings of anger and fear.

Perhps the biggest strength of Down There is its uniqueness. No one can make an album quite like Avey Tare, and you certainly won't hear anything else like this album this year. It comes off as more of an Animal Collective-lite, but if you're a fan you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you've been intrigued by the Collective, but find their sound to be too oppressive, you might find Down There to be a little more palatable.

Score: 70/100