Animal Collective

I've been living with Merriweather Post Pavilion for a month now and i must say its impact has not waned one bit. So much has been said about this album already that there is no point trying to add anything to the conversation. However, if i can say one thing at all, it is that i am sure that when i listen to this album in a few years time i will always remember that initial encounter with the album when it blew me away for the first time. I will remember it as fondly as those first listens of 'Funeral' by Arcade Fire, 'Unknown Pleasures' by Joy Division or 'Illmatic' by Nas. It will go down as a timeless classic and will always poignantly reflect my 2009. even though it's just begun.

I thought it would be timely to trace animal collectives development from their early experimental, more chance based recording to their recent explorations in the possibilities of pop music.


Chocolate Girl
from Spirit They've Gone, Spirit The've Vanished (2000)
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In The Singing Box
from A Danse Manatee (2001)
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Doggy
from Campfire Songs (2003)
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Hey Light
from Here Comes The Indian (2003)
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Leaf House
from Sung Tongs (2004)
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The Purple Bottle
from Feels (2005)
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Chores
from Strawberry Jam (2007)
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Street Flash
from Water Curses (2008)
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Lion In A Coma
from Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
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Things you see when Driving.

As i was driving home from a pretty crap day from work, around the corner from my house i saw an old man with an ipod & earphones in his ears, casually walking with some runners, cargo shorts and a shirt.

The catch is right, that his shirt was buttoned by one button, meaning as he was walking i saw his entire left breast. Now i know alot of people salivate when seeing something lyk this, i just found it classic, classic enough to write about it. That was pretty much the highlight of my day. If only i could see more old man boobs on days where i felt lyk crap. I would never have to drink my sorrows away again.

Now everyone wish for Andrew Sinclair to get a job at 78's, he had his interview today so hopefully he gets it. He's deserving of it, music is definately his forte & sure knows alot about it. Wish him luck !

P.S. Don't forget about the visual of the old man with his shirt open listening to some probably very funky music, funky enough to let his shirt rip open to show everyone the man he is. A sensible man.

Signed, Natasha, who obviously needs to find another job & better things to look at in her spare time.

CRYSTAL CASTLES !

When i found out they were playing, i pretty much wet myself with excitement. Luckily for me i got a ticket for le freee from a dear friend. I;d heard, namely from Andrew. S, that Alice from Crystal Castles was capable of riots and threw a really big show. It;s all true, well without the riot.

We managed to get a spot upstairs at Capitol overlooking the stage, i was wearing these big high heels and they were half an hour late. I started getting a bit grrrrrrrrrrrrry. When they finally came on, i literally went WOAH ZOMG AMAZING BIG LIGHTS YEH HOTNESS OF BAND ! They really started off with a bang, strobe lights were going off in big spurts, i wasn;t drunk nor on any illegal substances (they;re illegal gosh !) but that first song did something of the sort that substances could produce. It blew me away.

Alice, she looks fucked up, as in oh em gee is she overdosing ? on videos i;ve seen, but she was lyk that, it wasn;t played up, it was real. Half the time i was terrified that she was about to die, the other half was thinking wow this is a good show. She jumped around, stood on the drum kit, broke the fallback speakers (repeatedly), kicked off a security guard from grabbing her out of the audience, hit people behind the stage, lay on the floor, smacked microphones into the broken speakers, pushed those speakers to the floor (the sound guy ended up giving up and leaving) ha !, she was literally fucking crazy. She sent the mosh pit crazy, it was so fucking hot in Capitol, to be pushed against a number of other people, i don;t know how anyone survived that heat and pushing, but people endured it and loved the show. Whenever Alice was in the audience, she copped a good feel. Boys.

It was really a show, a t-shirt was even purchased, i wear it proud. Listen to airwar, it;s my favourite track off the album. Those who weren;t there, totally missed out. It was fucking awesome.

On more serious news, this credit crunch fucking sucks.

Sincerely yours,
Natasha.

Mixtape #4 - February 2009

download part 1
download part 2