Collected Animals

AmadeooedamA wrote:

https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/animal-collective-time-skiffs/
I think this has already been posted but wow, one of the worst reviews i've ever read

Yeah, it is bad. They must have gotten the bathroom flacs, because how can you begin to describe the melodies and harmonies as muddy? Like, you can say you don't like this type of music, but describing it that way is just dishonest.

the melodies and harmonies are like beautifully round stones skimming across crystal clear waters. not muddy in the slightest.

Sputnik Monroe wrote:

AmadeooedamA wrote:

https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/animal-collective-time-skiffs/
I think this has already been posted but wow, one of the worst reviews i've ever read

Yeah, it is bad. They must have gotten the bathroom flacs, because how can you begin to describe the melodies and harmonies as muddy? Like, you can say you don't like this type of music, but describing it that way is just dishonest.

the melodies and harmonies are like beautifully round stones skimming across crystal clear waters. not muddy in the slightest.

Yea like that would be the last word id use to describe them. When I hear the harmonies I feel like they are so colorful and clear.

hate to be that guy but if you criticize this album you just don't get it, sorry

"sounds like war on drugs at the bottom of a wishing well"

get ur head out of ur ass bro

I wrote avey a long and very not formatted letter of appreciation to his insta and I am afraid of his response already

the subtle neg about painting with

Objectively speaking, this album is subjectively bad. Easy picture to get guys.

Btw what's a 'channel'? is that like on your tv

u gotta be careful with these guys... my only interaction with panda and Avey were both traumatic (for them more than me probably) (handing panda a cd of my music cuz I thought I was Ariel pink I guess and immediately asking avey about unreleased DT era tour songs like some kind of weird journalist respectively) and all I hope is most of us are super chill and sweet and grateful and not asking anything of them at all. Just bein chill ya know. Don't make them read, y'know (im jk, yr fine).

Being a niche indie guy with a slavishly devoted fan base must be such a damn trip. they're troopers for sure

Avey and PB graciously let me give them a hug when I met them on the Sung Tongs 2 tour, I only asked bc someone else did and they were cool with it. Never felt like I showed my whole ass than when getting a picture with Avey and saying, "We should've done the Big Trouble in Little China sign." then seeing later that he did do that in the picture.

Don't be too hard on yourselves, try not to be weird but it can be hard sometimes if their music means a lot to you like it does to a lot of us. I was on acid for a show during PW and they were hanging out after, I was hovering behind Avey waiting for a conversation to end and felt bad after it. Ran into Jeremy Hyman after and said I wished the show was longer, which in my head didn't feel like a criticism but definitely did upon saying it. I think they have figured out how to deal with spazzy fans for lack of a better term.

^ for sure ya, there's a lot of graciousness for sure. They are super nice in person and stuff, I just wish I either didnt have a memory at all of talking to my musical idols or if I did it was me simply telling them that Im grateful for them writing [insert my favorite song from either here] or something like that. Like I wish I had just told Panda that Selfish Gene is my favorite song ever, for instance. But its cool.

Royal and Desire wrote:

I wrote avey a long and very not formatted letter of appreciation to his insta and I am afraid of his response already

the subtle neg about painting with

I've tried to love it but I cannot lie

Avey and PB graciously let me give them a hug when I met them on the Sung Tongs 2 tour, I only asked bc someone else did and they were cool with it. Never felt like I showed my whole ass than when getting a picture with Avey and saying, "We should've done the Big Trouble in Little China sign." then seeing later that he did do that in the picture.

Don't be too hard on yourselves, try not to be weird but it can be hard sometimes if their music means a lot to you like it does to a lot of us. I was on acid for a show during PW and they were hanging out after, I was hovering behind Avey waiting for a conversation to end and felt bad after it. Ran into Jeremy Hyman after and said I wished the show was longer, which in my head didn't feel like a criticism but definitely did upon saying it. I think they have figured out how to deal with spazzy fans for lack of a better term.

I don't really expect a response, maybe even a 'like' if I'm lucky. I often do wonder what they think about their (sometimes more than comfortable) giving fans though. I do wonder if they look at reviews of PW-like aka not MPP or the media reception and if it bums them out.

i met slasher flicks at fyf fest 2014 and i had just come directly from work and all i could do was talk about how tired i was. everyone has the embarrassing fan moment but all you can do is just try to be normal next time

wild speculation on my part but I think that Mitski getting reviewed today and not getting it's ok is paving the way for TS to get a “comeback” it's ok review this friday. idk why but it feels like that to me. or the Cate le Bon album could get it's ok. one of those 3 was bound to get it this week.

I don't really expect a response, maybe even a 'like' if I'm lucky. I often do wonder what they think about their (sometimes more than comfortable) giving fans though. I do wonder if they look at reviews of PW-like aka not MPP or the media reception and if it bums them out.

A: There are a lot of emotions when you put out a record. First and foremost we have to be psyched on it, and usually that can carry you through any negative reviews. I think it helps that we put out a lot of stuff before we really became popular. I once saw a great quote by Jack White that said something to the effect of it's healthy to make music for a long time and have no one give a shit, because it forces you to realize why you give a shit and want to continue making it. I've carried that with me for a long time, and I think we achieved that level a long time ago. That being said, we're always proud of what we put out into the world, and usually feel like it ranks up there with all our other work, so it can be jarring when people seem to hear it completely different than we do. It can trigger some immature emotions, but they don't overtake us. Have you seen End of the Tour yet? It's really good. The conversation they have in the Mall of America about critical/commercial success is a good one. We are always able to stay level headed about it. I had a teacher in high school that used to have really strict rules about arguing with other students in class. He allowed it as long as you attacked the person's idea, and never the person. No ad hominem as he would say. So when I see a negative review it can be tempting to attribute it to something personal about the reviewer, like I can imagine their record collection sucks and we just come from different places, but that's unhealthy for all. And in times of click bait, I think it adds to the meanness, but I always imagine if I sat down for a drink with the most vicious people, it'd be cool. At the end of the day we all like music and are on the same team.

Got the full interview from that? Unless that was a response to a fan

Sorry, it's from a Reddit AMA

Q: Hey guys, huge music nerd and huge fan right here. I think you guys should always be considered for most creative and influential bands of the 2000s. Not just influence like Nirvana spreading grunge, but almost more influence for just spreading creativity. Like, really, thank you guys for letting the world see all the crazy things going on in your collective minds. It's been a wonderful and insightful ride.
With that being said, how do you guys feel about the criticism with your last two albums? You'd have to be aware that it's a general consensus that post Merriweather hasn't been received quite as well as everything else you guys had going on. Pitchfork even, the team that adored you all the most it seemed, has not given praise to the last two pieces.
Sorry if this comes off as rude or anything, it would just mean a lot to me for an answer on this. Bands never seem to want to comment on their shortcomings and you know, I'm sure you guys will have a million other fun and easy questions in here.
Thanks in advance for an answer or comment and have a great day. Thanks for the AMA.

A: Hi, it's Geo. There are a lot of emotions when you put out a record. First and foremost we have to be psyched on it, and usually that can carry you through any negative reviews. I think it helps that we put out a lot of stuff before we really became popular. I once saw a great quote by Jack White that said something to the effect of it's healthy to make music for a long time and have no one give a shit, because it forces you to realize why you give a shit and want to continue making it. I've carried that with me for a long time, and I think we achieved that level a long time ago. That being said, we're always proud of what we put out into the world, and usually feel like it ranks up there with all our other work, so it can be jarring when people seem to hear it completely different than we do. It can trigger some immature emotions, but they don't overtake us. Have you seen End of the Tour yet? It's really good. The conversation they have in the Mall of America about critical/commercial success is a good one. We are always able to stay level headed about it. I had a teacher in high school that used to have really strict rules about arguing with other students in class. He allowed it as long as you attacked the person's idea, and never the person. No ad hominem as he would say. So when I see a negative review it can be tempting to attribute it to something personal about the reviewer, like I can imagine their record collection sucks and we just come from different places, but that's unhealthy for all. And in times of click bait, I think it adds to the meanness, but I always imagine if I sat down for a drink with the most vicious people, it'd be cool. At the end of the day we all like music and are on the same team.

Having you around as an interview encyclopedia is amazing Fov, and I hope no one takes it for granted.

I also just realized how much I loved the WGB line:
"It's up the Pleiades
And down the Marrow"
Not only how my brain struggles to figure out how the hell they were able to so clearly meld like 4 vocal tracks together, but also-- just fuck me it's so beautiful.
What a succinct and abstract way to not only tie the universe to biology so elegantly, but also to tie the left and right sides of the brain together. The lyrics for all these songs have been some of the best poetry I've really seen in ANY lyrics, like way evolved from the abstract, limbic kinda figurative motifs they used to use. I love Fireworks but "Frightened Baby's Poo" was never intended to be a line for everyone, as genius as it is in the context of perception, nostalgia, and romanticization.

wild speculation on my part but I think that Mitski getting reviewed today and not getting it's ok is paving the way for TS to get a “comeback” it's ok review this friday. idk why but it feels like that to me. or the Cate le Bon album could get it's ok. one of those 3 was bound to get it this week.

Pitchfork's glowing mid-2000s reviews of their albums were the reason i found out about AC in the first place, so if they were to it's ok the new album it'd almost be like that moment when your friend agrees with you on a topic you've been at odds with for a decade. sure it really doesn't matter what they think of the record, but it's one of the "nice to have you back" moments that always feels good to experience as a fan.

they'll surely it's ok Cate Le Bon, and maybe Black Country New Road too, so it could mean anything

Idk if telling him you listened to the freebird was a good move.

I talked twice with Noah at lenght and he was the best, I have a great memory of those. I guess the thing is to remember they re just normal guys when talking to them

Yeh the only one of them I’ve met was Josh back in 2006. He was just a normal dude like me. We chatted about pretty normal stuff: how hot he got under the weird bird mask he wore during the show, how he felt the show went, how he was enjoying Australia, which beer he tried, which albums we were currently into etc.

They’re all just normal dudes. We’ve all got special talents of some kind. It’s just that their talent is extra special I guess. I mean, in a lot of ways I see the music as existing beyond the person anyway. It’s a kind of magic that gets channelled through the medium of a person/people, it just ‘appears’ and then it’s almost like it’s not yours anymore. It’s everyone’s.

That’s not to say that it isn’t a very personal thing. Certainly, part of AC’s magic is how personal and idiosyncratic it is.

Anyway, Josh was a champ.

I wrote avey a long and very not formatted letter of appreciation to his insta and I am afraid of his response already

I gotta be honest.... this sucks... lol

Madonna Walker cover when

Yeh the only one of them I’ve met was Josh back in 2006. He was just a normal dude like me. We chatted about pretty normal stuff: how hot he got under the weird bird mask he wore during the show, how he felt the show went, how he was enjoying Australia, which beer he tried, which albums we were currently into etc.

They’re all just normal dudes. We’ve all got special talents of some kind. It’s just that their talent is extra special I guess. I mean, in a lot of ways I see the music as existing beyond the person anyway. It’s a kind of magic that gets channelled through the medium of a person/people, it just ‘appears’ and then it’s almost like it’s not yours anymore. It’s everyone’s.

That’s not to say that it isn’t a very personal thing. Certainly, part of AC’s magic is how personal and idiosyncratic it is.

Anyway, Josh was a champ.

I met Avey at U-Street Music Hall in DC back in June of 2011 during his Down There tour. He had just ended his set, I walked up to the bar to get a drink and lo and behold there was Avey ordering a shot of Johnny Walker. I got to speak to him for about five minutes regarding the set and the "RadioShack synth" as he referred to it. I think it was called a "Realistic II" or something. Probably an off shoot of an Emulator II. I was unaware a line had formed about 5 feet from him and that I had seemingly cut that line, but he was very down to Earth and didn't seem to notice either. Where my moment of cringe lies, was handing him my project Royal Pelt on CD. I essentially begged him listen to it if he had the time. He told me he always listens to demos if a fan hands them in personally but he was probably just being nice. Really chill dude, and it was such a fantastic show.

A shot of whiskey, nice. Dude was down there for sure

i just love how they referred to the freebird as a freebird in the message

wild speculation on my part but I think that Mitski getting reviewed today and not getting it's ok is paving the way for TS to get a “comeback” it's ok review this friday. idk why but it feels like that to me. or the Cate le Bon album could get it's ok. one of those 3 was bound to get it this week.

lol there is no way this album is getting it's ok'd, theyre going to give it a 7.5

I wrote avey a long and very not formatted letter of appreciation to his insta and I am afraid of his response already

I'm sure you're not actually pretentious, but this really comes off that way... I think Avey would probably get more out of something that is honest, brief, and human than something so deeply coated in metaphor. Just unnecessary.

an open letter to mr tare:

dear avery, first off i just want to say thank you. your songs mean a lot to me. royal, desire, and car keys are three of the best songs i've heard since my girls! second off i just want to say thank you.

lol

Lololol

u gotta be careful with these guys... my only interaction with panda and Avey were both traumatic (for them more than me probably) (handing panda a cd of my music cuz I thought I was Ariel pink I guess and immediately asking avey about unreleased DT era tour songs like some kind of weird journalist respectively) and all I hope is most of us are super chill and sweet and grateful and not asking anything of them at all. Just bein chill ya know. Don't make them read, y'know (im jk, yr fine).

Being a niche indie guy with a slavishly devoted fan base must be such a damn trip. they're troopers for sure

Lol i feel this hard. Avey and Abby walked into my subway car in 2019, the same day he was playing a show. i shot up out of my seat and went over to talk to them. Immediately babbled about their new material, showed my AC/PB tattoos, and flexed my superfan muscles. He definitely was put on the spot but honestly I dont fully regret it. Part of me felt & still feels that it is important for him and the band to know about how much their music means to people and how important what they are doing is.

i just love how they referred to the freebird as a freebird in the message

oh my god

solid B from the av club

https://www.avclub.com/animal-collectiv ... 456198/amp

Met PB before the first Buoys show in Manchester and he was really chill. He was actually just walking to the venue with his crew and had stopped to look at his own tour poster on the wall lol. I shook his hand, told him how much his music meant to me, told him how excited i was about the show, then moved on.

As far as "celebrity" interactions go, I was pretty happy with it. I never want to overstay my welcome and make an ass out of myself. I was once extremely drunk and introduced myself to HEALTH, luckily i can't really remember how much of a fool i acted.

I've messaged Avey a few times after the odd track or whatever has been released and just been like "cool stuff love it", and he usually just responds with a positive-seeming emoji. Not sure how he'll respond to a novel like that haha.

I wrote avey a long and very not formatted letter of appreciation to his insta and I am afraid of his response already

an open letter to mr tare:

dear avery, first off i just want to say thank you. your songs mean a lot to me. royal, desire, and car keys are three of the best songs i've heard since my girls! second off i just want to say thank you.

touché, lol. I wasn't trying to be mean I just felt a lesson needed to be learned

as if I even know what the right thing to do is.. indicating tone through text is a complicated thing and I'd argue that meeting your idols online is just as awkward as in person, if not *more*. so, no shade.

I aint never dm'd them or anything. sounds wild. shit maybe I should try. but again, all I'd want to do now is hype songs they made that seem "underrated" or deep cut. Or I'd write them a 300 word indie tone poem based on the world/characters they have created. Adventures of Chocolate Girl in Crumbling Land etc

solid B from the av club

https://www.avclub.com/animal-collectiv ... 456198/amp

"merriweather park pavilion" ... subjectivity is fine (nature of the beast, etc.) but from a journalistic standpoint, glaring inaccuracies like these make me seriously question how carefully these reviewers actually listen to the albums they're reviewing.