Collected Animals

We've undoubtedly all experienced AnCo hate. I probably have an equal amount of friends who love and hate the band, but too many times I've been laughed at for listening to Animal Collective, both because of the music itself and the frequency with which I listen to it.

It's usually all in good fun, but I take the criticism with much seriousness. And often times I find myself defending the band to the haters. I ultimately don't think the band's music is meant to be an exclusive thing by any means. I think that given enough time anybody (or at least almost anybody) could learn to appreciate their music. And I want the world to experience the happiness that it brings to me.

Several of my friends who started out hating acquiesced to the band's music and now love it with a passion. Obviously their music elicits strong emotions immediately—it's almost like people have to make an instinctive choice to either love or hate it. But given time I think that initial hate can be overturned.

Do you guys have any arguments in particular that seem to help convince people? What are the best ways to spread the AnCo gospel, so to speak, without sounding like you're evangelizing? I personally always just try to speak to the simple beauty of a song like Winter's Love or Banshee Beat. It's accessible but still one of the greatest qualities present in the band's music. There's nothing you have to "get" about a song like Banshee Beat, in my opinion. Its beauty is evident.

There is a thread about introducing AC to your friends, but I wouldn't bother arguing about it. Everyone likes what they like. Some people here are still downers or super nitpicky or just neutral about AC despite being here, so it kinda just goes to show that there's no 'right' opinion. All I would suggest is to continue liking what you like and don't give a fuck about the haterz

exactly. typical response should be "fine then! more for me"

if friends understand how emotionally attached you are to it and they dont at least give it an unbiased try then theyre just closed-minded

How come that just about zero people i know even knows AC? But now i think of it noone in my school listens to other than top 40.... What could i expect...

My brother talks shit endlessly. Calls it "bird hoot music" and always says it sounds like shit and tells me to turn it off and that's just MPP! I tend to not play their other stuff with people in the house cause someone will inevitably make a negative comment and I hate feeling defensive or shamefully turning it off.
What I've found funny is that, like me, my brother is a huge skateboarding fan, likes workoholics and odd future. Stuff like that. When I show him pictures like AC with Atiba Jefferson, Eric Koston, Blake Anderson, Odd Future, etc. I can actually see the conflict in his eyes.

I've only known one person who I've learner was a fan and it's a good feeling but it's hard to keep yourself from wanting to talk endlessly about it with them.

I tend not to recommend the band or talk about it. Did it once and they immediately found the Today's Supernatural video and said it was awful.

I think the hate has a lot to do with the way David and Noah sing - they are not singing in a traditional FM-cock-rock über male kind of way. David has this high pitched voice and sings in a register that some would probably connect to a female voice, and Noah sings in a way you'd associate with choir singers. Not very manly, not very much like the guys singing the refrain in-between the repellent fake rapping in the nu-metal radio hits. And I love that sort of androgynous alomst otherwordly way that D&N are bending their voices. I think the easiness with which they pass between high and low pitch lies closer to soul and r'n'b than trad rock.

it's a good feeling but it's hard to keep yourself from wanting to talk endlessly about it with them.

QFT

I feel sorry for my friends that I exclusively share an interest with

tell them if they arent careful they could turn into stan. that should scare them straight

For whatever reason I find listening to modern "indie" music to be somewhat embarrassing, even though I love a lot of it, so I tend to keep it to myself via headphones or when no one else is around. Animal Collective included. If I am a with a group of people however I tend to put on fun groove music that everyone can enjoy. I might be kind of a chicken in that sense.

That said I love sharing music I've discovered with my close friends, but only if I know they're in to that particular style or sound. The idea of trying to "evangelize" or change people's tastes to be more like yours seems so...high school.

I feel you Souvlaki. I'd agree that I never want to try and force music on someone—I've had someone do that to me and it's very off-putting. I only share if there's a tactful way of doing so. Like if they're listening to something that sounds similar, I'll mention, "you should check out this other album, you might like it."

I don't want to make it about me. If I ever share music with friends, it's because I truly believe they can and will enjoy it. But if they don't enjoy it, it's all good too. Life will go on

I think the hate has a lot to do with the way David and Noah sing - they are not singing in a traditional FM-cock-rock über male kind of way.

lol what does this even mean in 2014???

Tell everyone else to get to fuck several months after you've bored them to tears banging on about them.

wha

I'm sure some of my friends eyeroll when I talk about AC too much, but I've converted a few people through subtle guidance

one of my friends latched onto the slasher flicks album and after I sent her feels she replied a day later with a screencap of "loch raven -- played 43 times"

I'm sure some of my friends eyeroll when I talk about AC too much, but I've converted a few people through subtle guidance

one of my friends latched onto the slasher flicks album and after I sent her feels she replied a day later with a screencap of "loch raven -- played 43 times"

Loch raven is my jam...

I was so obsessed with AC for a while that if you were spending time with me, hearing their music was just to be expected. Even my friends that didn't love them at first really came around when they had heard it in enough settings. Now, I honestly think everybody I spend time with digs at least some AC.

Still Dawg wrote:

I think the hate has a lot to do with the way David and Noah sing - they are not singing in a traditional FM-cock-rock über male kind of way.

lol what does this even mean in 2014???

well duh, obviously every single person who got into AC was listening to hypermasculine FM-cock-rock before then

I imagine David Lee Roth when i hear hyper-masculine FM-cock-rock.

But yeah, I'd agree that AC's vocals can be off-putting, esp Dave's cutesyness. In Banshee Beat he's practically cooing ("and you can laugh a little...")

... "if you give a little"?

jfw7 wrote:

Still Dawg wrote:

I think the hate has a lot to do with the way David and Noah sing - they are not singing in a traditional FM-cock-rock über male kind of way.

lol what does this even mean in 2014???

well duh, obviously every single person who got into AC was listening to hypermasculine FM-cock-rock before then

lol, it's just so wimpy when AC plays Black Dog and You Shook Me All Night Long

I laugh at the people who listen to Chief Keef ...

... "if you give a little"?

Whatever it is...I don't even know if it's supposed to be any specific words on the studio version

Hashman wrote:

... "if you give a little"?

Whatever it is...I don't even know if it's supposed to be any specific words on the studio version

there are very specific words in the studio version

I laugh at the people who listen to Chief Keef ...

cool attitude

Never met anyone that liked AnCo before (away from concerts and festivals, obviously). Me and my friend who transferred over to my college moved to a new apartment complex this fall and got assigned two random roommates. They turned out to be super cool and one of them shares really similar opinions about music with me and loves AnCo and it's been great. First time I've actually ever been able to talk about music with someone that also knew what they were talking about.

I laugh at the people who listen to Chief Keef ...

yeah get out of here with that ghetto TRASH and listen to some REAL MUSIC, am I right guys

I'm very sorry , really , for offending anybody ... I didn ' t mean to ...

I wasn't really offended and I don't think jfw7 was either

Thank you Hash : V )

Some people here are still downers or super nitpicky or just neutral about AC despite being here, so it kinda just goes to show that there's no 'right' opinion.

i dont listen to animal collective

I wonder how the people not into animal collective stumbled onto this forum.....?

I wonder how the people not into animal collective stumbled onto this forum.....?

Duh...

Pretty sure jay was into Animal Collective before now and that's how he came to the forum, he just didn't mention that

Wheeter?! wrote:

I wonder how the people not into animal collective stumbled onto this forum.....?

omg lol

HAhahah perfect

Can't believe I just tried googling it too...

jesus christ clayton i don't want to explain to the entire library why i'm dying of laughter

clay gets to be principal for a day

that is amazing

scarybaeri wrote:

There is a thread about introducing AC to your friends, but I wouldn't bother arguing about it. Everyone likes what they like. Some people here are still downers or super nitpicky or just neutral about AC despite being here, so it kinda just goes to show that there's no 'right' opinion. All I would suggest is to continue liking what you like and don't give a fuck about the haterz

exactly. typical response should be "fine then! more for me"

That is precisely what I say.

clayton. jesus. lolling.

PLAY IT WHILE THEY ARE TRIPPING AND THEY WONT NOT KNOW HOW TO DISLIKE NOTHING ABOUT IT I KNOW IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE drug MUSIC BUT SHIT GOES TOGETHER ALL TOO WELL GUUUUYYYYZZZZ