[kafkaesque]

Animal Collective is a such a wonderful band that sometimes it feels almost like a crime that so few people listen to them. Thankfully, one of my best friends is an avid fan, and a few other friends like at least some of their songs.

Recently, another of my closest friends questioned Animal Collective's musical consistency ("They only have a few good songs and the rest are pretty terrible!"), which sparked a pretty intense debate among him, my fan friend, and me. The conversation has been long and interesting, and it's made me realize just how difficult it is to recruit an Animal Collective fan (in its genuine sense, not just a fan of a song here and there).

So, how do you get someone into Anco? Show them the "hits"? Do your friends like Animal Collective? Do you try at all? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[DannyBrown]

It's strange that you say want to "recruit" fans. People will like them if they want to, if they don't then why bother?

[kafkaesque]

I think a lot of people like to share cool things they've seen or heard. I'm not so much interested in recruiting fans so much as I am interested in sharing a part of me--one of my favorite bands. If someone doesn't like it, I'm not going to force it, but I'll gladly show new songs to my close friends. In fact, at a summer program I attended recently, I really bonded with some people over Animal Collective and other music that they had never heard before. I can easily say we're better friends because of it. "Recruit" was probably a poor choice of a word, and I only meant it in the functional sense; I don't want to indoctrinate anyone.

Also, people can't like a band or song if they've never heard it before. Thank goodness my friend showed me Banshee Beat, or I wouldn't know the joys of Anco beyond MPP.

[terrestrialjane]

I generally introduce them to Spirit they've vanished or untitled or something in that range. They usually hate it though. Maybe this music was meant for certain ears...

[kafkaesque]

Pumpkin, I probably would have hated both of those songs a year ago. It's interesting how tastes change.

[terrestrialjane]

Beari , I've been told by my white hood friends that my shit is "corny" so apparently I'm corny. They said that about De Soto De Sun actually, and I looked at them with such disgust, thinking to myself, how dare you ! But I don't get it because I'm not about that you know...

But yeah ketchup I was just teasing about that. No way, if I was serious, would I show that to somebody for the first time listening to AC. you need to start light, like merriweather, which is always your best bet, and work backwards. You'll find many people will actually enjoy Merriweather.

[kafkaesque]

After some thought, I'm pretty sure the best introduction to Anco is a 10-minute loop of the static at the beginning of April and the Phantom.

[twoheadedgirl]

I have yet to get any friends into ALL of Animal Collective, but I've given a couple friends copies of CHz, MPP, Strawberry Jam, and FBK, and then if they like it I try to ease them into the rest. I tend to lose them at Spirit Showed my friend Forrest Gospel once... "what the fuck" I think was his response. Bastard. Around where I live people tend to be into either really average sounding rock like mcr and muse or they're into top 40, which is their prerogative I guess but it doesn't give me much to talk about.

[tomboy]

I think most people already had an impression they were just a weird experimental druggy band from New York and didn't bother giving them a proper listen. I do have a few friends that like them, but only one that is on the same page about them as me. I usually can't get along with other Animal Collective fans.

Just recently I tried to get my friend to listen to Working because it's just really beautiful and I didn't think it would be hard to get at all but she really didn't like it. And she's really into music, so... Probably because of the sudden loud noises.

[El Camino]

I introduced my brother to AC and they're his favourite band as well now. I got one of my friends into them late last year and he listens to them casually (occasionally listens to strawberry jam or mpp). One of my friends today said he's gonna download mpp tonight so i'm interested in how that'll go.

[El Camino]

I think either mpp or a playlist of their accessible songs would probably do the trick

[jay]

PumpkinsFlashback wrote:

Beari , I've been told by my white hood friends that my shit is "corny" so apparently I'm corny.

n**** you is corny

threads like this pop up on every new CA, people cant take that their friends dont listen to anco
just accept it and move on

[Ethmin]

But sometimes you can get your friends into AC but then one friend still isn't into it and grows to truly resent and loathe AC. And it breaks your heart cuz he is one of your best friends and he hates what you love. But it's okay cuz friendship is more important than AC and besides all your other friends still like AC so whatever.

[terrestrialjane]

scarybaeri wrote:

lol pumpkin, people around the burbs and at my school in the city usually refer to it as plain ol' hipster shit. i mean, they just wouldn't understand.

Call it what it maybe . To me and all of us here, it's good fricking music. and you're right Jay, you cannot convince people to do or like anything, unless you manipulate them

[kafkaesque]

Ethmin, I know exactly what you mean. Took my aforementioned "hater" friend to an AC concert, and he hated it. Oh well.

[Yegarma]

usually i show them the my girls video and they're all "oh! "

and then i show them the peacebone video and they're all "oh. "

and then we stop talking for a couple weeks.

[Miss Amanda Jones]

i'd much rather get my friends into Astrud Gilberto etc than Animal Collective in my experience people are more snobbish towards the stuff I listen to that isn't experimental

[tomboy]

Yegarma wrote:

usually i show them the my girls video and they're all "oh! "

and then i show them the peacebone video and they're all "oh. "

and then we stop talking for a couple weeks.

[IkoOvo]

I showed the first friend I made in high school AC, and she was in love with their music!
I burned her MPP on a CD.
She discovered Strawberry Jam on her own after that (then she made a sick piece for the art show based on Fireworks!)
Then I gave her the rest of the albums (excluding Danse and Hollinn) on a flash drive.
Then she came with me and some other friends to see AC last September

It feels way cool when you show someone something you're way psyched about, and they love it as well!

[El Camino]

IkoOvo wrote:

It feels way cool when you show someone something you're way psyched about, and they love it as well!

Sure does!

[nevermind]

I was so into strawberry jam when it came out. fireworks was my fucking JAM. i used to play the guitar and sing so loud every time. and i guess the intro with the doot-do-da-loo was so infectious i literally got my housemates singing a long. we'd have big sing a longs. so i didn't really get them into animal collective, per se, but just fireworks. man, such good times.

[StrangeClams]

Lol we're not juggalos or something...people listen to it if they like it. Everyone I've played animal collective for either immediately enjoyed it or hated it. Those in category 1 usually become obsessed then.

[El Camino]

Yeah, doesn't seem to be much middle ground with AC, I don't know of anyone who just thinks they're okay.

[sugarpants]

All of my friends have hated/made fun of all ac I have played them and those who got me into them are no longer interested. My buddy that only listens to jambands has taken an interest because him and his moron gf like to eat drugs and go to "indie" "hipster" shows. I really hope they don't get tickets for the 930 show. I'm absolutely sure they won't get it and be a total drag.

[Dead in Light]

bribe them.

[Stanshant]

I just unsubscribed from all my friends instead. Easier.

[AmadeoFaingold]

well, we can all start with Doin it Right ft. panda bear.. My female friends dont listen to anything other than stupid pop, electronic or reggaeton, but strangely they enjoy this song, so last night I got over excited and started saying: The singer in this song is actually a member of a band that isnt so mainstream and they do weird and wonderful music! and I was about to tell the whole story but they got bored and just listened to the song, disregarding who the singer actually was...so yea

[IkoOvo]

I feel like doin it right is giving panda a lot of publicity.

[terrestrialjane]

I'm doing it right !

[El Camino]

If someone likes doin it right, then surely they can at least get into panda bear, though it seems like a lot of people are apathetic towered listening to music outside their current interests and whatever's in the Top 40. It used to annoy me but I've just accepted that a lot of people just aren't that obsessed with listening to different types of music, as weird as it is.

[Yegarma]

El Camino wrote:

a lot of people just aren't that obsessed with listening to different types of music, as weird as it is.

yeah, i've thought about this kind of thing quite a bit
like, will bands like AC get the kind of recognition (that i feel) they deserve in the future? or are big pop acts like jay-z or taylor swift gonna be remembered as the "classics" of our time? idk, just food for thought i guess

[terrestrialjane]

El Camino wrote:

If someone likes doin it right, then surely they can at least get into panda bear, though it seems like a lot of people are apathetic towered listening to music outside their current interests and whatever's in the Top 40. It used to annoy me but I've just accepted that a lot of people just aren't that obsessed with listening to different types of music, as weird as it is.

Aren't those people always like...

I listen to everything !
And I'm like what ?
And they say Oh you know lil wayne Drake Macklemore
And I'm like that's awesome !

end of story...

[El Camino]

Yegarma wrote:

El Camino wrote:

a lot of people just aren't that obsessed with listening to different types of music, as weird as it is.

yeah, i've thought about this kind of thing quite a bit
like, will bands like AC get the kind of recognition (that i feel) they deserve in the future? or are big pop acts like jay-z or taylor swift gonna be remembered as the "classics" of our time? idk, just food for thought i guess

They'll definitely be remembered for a long time, but not really by most people as a "classic", people who know much about music would probably hold AC in high regard in 20-30 years, but who knows.

[terrestrialjane]

Introduce them to weed.

[jovian]

PumpkinsFlashback wrote:

Introduce them to weed.

seriously, most of my friends weren't real into them or actively disliked them until i did my patented "get 'em stoned and put on leaf house" technique. pretty much all my close friends that i've been hanging out with since the first few years of getting into AC are fans of at least some of their albums thanks to this

[dance avey dance]

jovian wrote:

"get 'em stoned and put on leaf house" technique

lol

[terrestrialjane]

A friend with weed is a friend indeed.
A friend who likes Animal Collective, is your friend forever

[ZGecks]

Yeah I never really got them myself until I got stoned af and watched the Brother Sport music video.

[El Camino]

lol am i the only one here who's never been stoned?

[jovian]

Nah I think there's plenty. Y'all missin out