Collected Animals

don't question the way I'm separating these out or I could get banned for life.

obviously the new band era has now begun which I will currently refer to as the Return-to-Form era/Abbey Road era but obvs its home will be firmly in the beginning of the 20s.

smdh voting for first era makes it seem like yal just like last decade better in general smdh.

I went with p-dub era for the shows, Sleep Cycle and album + extras but Homies/Music Box era is also very very dear to my hear (and tangerine is like, nice)

The last eat stuff/solo era shows something special, and we will receive the fruits of this next year.... but the Greaper boots era kept me hooked for so long, I can’t go past it.

Went with MotW Sung Tongs era cos it also includes the decade's best AC release which you forgot to mention

which was what tho. Sea of Light? I'll add it... And that era plus the one after it with Tangerine Reef/Music Box/Homies is technically the same era so they should be understood to accumulate their votes as one...

so that's like tied with Slasher/Reaper for 2nd currently..

I feel like 4 of these are basically tied for me as 1st place. I mean it's so hard to fuck with DT/Tomboy and Oddsac but that has also had the most time to age and I started college in '10 which is like the peak of when most people are obsessive music listeners. But yeah those releases kinda feel like the most legendary at this point.

but then Chz era and chz radio was great and that was the first time I saw them live.

Reaper/Slasher can suck it honestly, I think I was mad depressed during that time, and like 3 tracks on Slasher are some of my favorite Avey tunes ever but reaper took like way too long to come out and I still think its packaging/roll-out had a like needlessly douchey vibe. plus the EPs were better.

And everything post- PW is kinda Gucci, they get more consistently prolific and more flexible with working solo or in smaller groupings (avey/geo on MotW and psycho actives, avey/panda'a live ST, panda-less ambient-psych morphologic trio/music box, Jeremy becoming an increasingly present member of the X-men etc.) They've kept that energy rolling since '17 and I love it.. I think they leveled up around '16/'17 after what might be described as very slight... stagnation in the first half of the decade if im dramatic/lame

Almost every year has had something great, whether it's a couple of songs or some interesting live surprises or whatever but a lot of it has been underwhelming/slight/emotionally or melodically weak compared to the last decade.

If the People EP is probably the weakest/most slight release of the previous decade, it is still well better than:

Everything Animal Collective has released in the following decade.

Live, they've continued to be brilliant although I found that the post-CHz infinite greatest hits tour was the most creatively redundant thing they've ever done.

Avey's solo live stuff is the best of the decade, then Noah's live stuff, then AC live stuff. Their recent stuff gives tremendous hope that they will start the next decade with an album on par with the first but that's tempered by their creative choices in the studio over this decade.

ah come on man you think People EP is better than everything. that's needlessly hyperbolic unless thats the joke, I mean come on People EP is basically ass insofar as any AC is bad, cuz you know, I'm a zealot-ed blind fanboi for life.

But I will say, when I wrote out these categories I think I did realize that their solo stuff was easily stronger than their full band efforts this decade. And there's just more of that. Like I guess it's reasonable to include ODDSAC and Tangerine Reef as full LPs, but if you didn't, then that means they put out all of 2 freakin LPs this whole decade compared to Decade 1's like 7 or 8. And like TTG and MotW as like little EP type things with not even full representation.

I mean they really be 'collective'-y as hell this decade. And them leaning into that in recent years and maybe being a little less precious about releases has only been good.

but uh I totally agree, I was NOT a fan of the vibe of the typical setlist of the CHZ tour, post album. Like those jams were great when they were first working them out pre-release. But a show with My Girls, WWIWS, Bro Sport, Purple Bottle etc a la Live at 9:30? Just felt weird honestly. It almost seemed like they thought they were gonna break up after that or something. It was like too much and there wasn't a cohesive enough vibe. Felt dad-rock-y in a not great way. So agreed there!

I think LP12/13 or whatever the fuck will save the world and fix music

I'd honestly say to my tastes, the song People is better than any AC song this decade, besides Applesauce and NTB. If I count Oddsac, I'd say Mr Fingers is probably as good as People. I've always adored it, though, so maybe it's not a fair choice. It's a distilled feeling of when everything they touched was special or special to me, which probably explains a lot more. More of my usual, to be honest.

I have to say I appreciate your enthusiasm for what they've done this decade and trying to celebrate the diversity and the deep cuts and it's been an eye opening reminder of how much they've actually done. I just feel like a lot of it is neither trying anything new nor on the level of anything they did last decade.

I am also really aware that it's a self-fulfilling idea to think of a bygone 'golden era' because I'm setting up a dynamic that nothing else can match up to. That's not actually been my experience, though, and I would love little more than to fall in love with an AC album as much as I did with literally everything from Spirit to MPP. There have been some absolutely amazing songs and performances this decade which have got me excited but they've mostly either lost something in translation on the record or been surrounded by less consistently great songs.

Inevitably, demoitis is a factor there and it's telling that I heard very little or nothing of my favourite albums of the decade, Buoys and Down There, before they were released. On the other hand, that was the case for the majority of AC stuff this decade, too, and I think that most of it is weak in pure songwriting terms, and I feel the same about plenty of the solo stuff, too. There are fewer really strong songs.

I think that the last few years have seen an attempt to recapture the emotions of old and perhaps a sonic sensibility (without saying they're retreading old ground) and so stuff like Eucalyptus and Cows, in particular, sounds much more emotional and mysterious and 'classic' AC but the actual songs just aren't as good. They sound like Dave is trying to find something which has naturally faded away, and it pains me to say that. That said, the Cows songs were much better live and the Music Box stuff is far better than anything they've written this decade, to my tastes, so I do feel like they've still got it creatively, as a band.

Meanwhile, Noah has recovered from what I consider the stifling overworking of both Tomboy and Greaper and both Homies and Buoys have a zesty spirit to them which I have really enjoyed. Buoys is especially good because it feels like he's finally moved on from the 'chunky' Tomboy style of sequenced songwriting. There's a looseness which we haven't heard from him on a record since PP. I do feel like Greaper could and should have been one of the albums of the decade but these beautiful chunks of marble were chiselled and chiselled and chiselled and embellished until they lost their natural sheen. Compare this approach to what Rusty did with Buoys and it's quite heartbreaking. It's like when cooking you need a delicate touch to elevate the natural flavour and texture and colour of the ingredients to enhance them, rather than smothering them in technique. Greaper was like serving a perfect slice of apricot tart with four sauces, two gels, a jus and a foam. In the end, it's just a claggy sticky sweet mess of nothingness. Hey, did I ever fuckin mention this before Jesus Christ yawn.

Hopeful for the future, grateful for the amazing bootlegs and a few great albums this past decade.

which was what tho. Sea of Light? I'll add it...

Eucalyptus ya mad thing

Ooooooooooh shiiiiiit.

That's an acoustic as fuck era man daMN

Stan live and speak yr truth as always. We're moving away from the "Goldilocks zone" death trap and returning to the spirit zone but it's a long return after a fall from Grace. Plus avey is so addicted to weed. They're trying and that's all I can hope for. I'm a weird contemporary-ist in that I like what's fresh. literally only SJ, MPP and PP compete with this decade and that's partly cuz I'm a young baby child. and the future is for the children, even if ac themselves are now Old Men. Bless.

if the tangerine reef and meeting of the waters/eucalyptus micro-eras were combined I would've voted for that

They are the same essentially, so as I said, a vote for one is added to the other, it's currently 2nd place with slasher/reaper which is semi surprising.

Should I have just made them the same? Perhaps. But first half of 17 and second half of 17 to beginning of '18 is sooooo different (??). That really is a sexy lil stretch tho

U like Man of Oil, Stan? Shit sounds Pullhairish

Eucalyptus comes out on top for me... So many incredible songs on that one and the sleepy Hawaii at dawn vibe is great

I will say euc. was the first time all decade since 2010 that the band reminded us that they weren't exclusively set on making psychadelic cartoon music for babies, a la Nickelodeon core psych a la reaper/PW and basically everything around that. Which like I love that stuff. I think this goes back to how much avey hates radiohead and is reticent to make "sad adult" music but um yeah word they can do boff, I like when they're sad..

Yeah he fucking hates them and sad British people

Avey comparing In Rainbows to the Sea and Cake is what got me into the Sea and Cake, haha

Anyway my vote went to this most recent era. Every release was an event for the first time in years. Got to see Avey live in Knoxville. Conference of Birds might be my favorite AC-related thing of the decade. It ended things on a fabulous note, especially with the October full-band material, and makes me really excited for the '20s.

eucalyptus is my fav release this decade and is up there with there best from last decade. so glad he streched his legs on that one. it was exactly what i wanted from him, season high and when you left me are classics and steel guitar avey sounds amazing. the emotional release of that album is alike their best and in a tier of its own since its thru a different older perspective.

@ppl i hate people boys. why did they record that one and not spongeluke. the people ep is actually my least favorite ep cuz people is the only time i ever thought an animal collective song was corny, and my favorite colors shouldve been on the album with daffy duck. tikwid is amazing!!!

y'all about to make me put on Euc. for first time in a long while and vibe out, light some incense and shit smh. coral lords is massive..

poll commentary update: the solo-heavy eras are dominating while full band eras are languishing, ESP Chz, wow we really hate that one (I don't, they're all perfect), But also ODDSAC really tips things semi-unfairly for that first era and IS a full band effort but um yeah like I said they started on that thang in like '06 right? so who even knows maaaan

Chz is top 3 for me, but it's kinda hard for me to judge objectively because I listened to it so much when it came out. I honestly think this year has just been the best overall though, like Buoys is a total AC classic and dominated the early part of the year for me and continues to amaze... And we got all the sick Avey solo stuff and a bunch of random stuff this year, Playing the Long Game, etc... Tons of old stuff, new stuff, I really need to get off the AC train for a bit lol

Looks like this first and last year are the strongest,mostly for solo reasons. This confirms that this is their 70s insofar as they are the Beatles and they've essentially broken up while also still coming together every 3-5 years (or less in smaller sub groupings). So we get our cake/eat it as well. Avey is clearly John but I think slasher Flicks band and the Jeremy/deakling band are actually Wings and NOT plastic Ono.

Also, avey+deakling+Geo trio saved the end of this decade while panda slutted it up with his feature addiction cuz he's a hater and wants to leave since bros

Happy to see so many people love Eucalyptus. I'm definitely just out of touch there. Good news for Dave, though. I can see him playing some mildly psychedelic folky rock into his 50s and beyond. I'll always be there listening and beating up younger people on the front row of his shows.

eucalyptus became meaningful to me during a big emotional shift in my life. It helped me process and heal. I don't know how they do it but most of the releases both solo and band seem to tie in somehow to my life and what I am dealing with which is why its so hard for me to rate the bands output. I emotionally latch on to these songs and they truly guide me. I get to let go and look outside myself and its always helpful.

Tunnels and caves
We're here to help you are you feeling low?
Feeling low
Feeling low
Feeling low

I love that lyric. Sweet to hear your perspective on their music, as well. I definitely had that with Tomboy but most of their stuff I love most was more about bursting with life when my own life was in constant uncertain renewal. There's a freshness and anxious excitement to that which their music complemented perfectly.

smh calling greaper/slasher flicks the "slow years"

That's just by far the longest era up there. Many are just a year but that one is '13 to '15 and i just remember it feeling like reaper was never gonna come out before it did. Idk I guess that's not as long as I was thinking but yeah it's a little longer. That's when I was "smoking the most weed" so time was slow and depressing as well..and slow doesnt mean bad. It's tied for 3rd so it's fine

reaper was my favorite time as a fan / on the boards but not my favorite release for the reasons stansh. keeps hammering and hammering and hammering on. if i've gotta pick a studio release it's either the earliest or the latest stuff.

Don't think it's unfair to characterize that era as slow. Don't think it helped they did a DJ tour, so they were on our radars but not in a satisfying way if that makes sense.

oh shit I forgot about that DJ tour, I saw one in New Orleans w/ friends too. It was cool and chill but like... did feel a little 'extra' or something? idk. I mean they were probably literally trying to keep revenue up since they had chilled out so much, to like fund PW maybe? idk how that shit works. And it did like thematically prep us for the the PW live shows which are like DJ sets + modular synth explosion + Jeremy (who was introduced as honorary AC during the Slasher tour the year before). it all comes together man..

also was that the first time they were doing panda-less shit in a bit maybe? Panda probably wasn't at the oDDSAC screenings because of how he doesn't care about anything except his Portuguese family.

reaper was my favorite time as a fan / on the boards but not my favorite release for the reasons stansh. keeps hammering and hammering and hammering on. if i've gotta pick a studio release it's either the earliest or the latest stuff.

Sorry. My five-year grace period of moaning is now up. Never again.

he's moaned his last greaper groan, folks. a monumental day indeed. I think now-- at long last-- we can all bid the last decade adieu and turn our thoughts towards the future, and remembrances of forgotten friends (Auld lang Syne), alas, another page turns, as time slips through our fingers like so many infinitesimal grains of sand~

And thus began the era of moaning about Mothlight Midnight Special.

Joke. I actually like the studio version now. I'm a new man.

^ holy fuck I'm personally blown away by that admission/concession. wow thing's really have changed... I'm open to it now, indeed.

PW live baby!

ODDSAC and Down There are two of the best things any of them have ever done, it's not such a fair fight

Man, looking back on the last decade it’s been nothing but good times:

2011 - posted on CA regarding an Aussie record store that had received Tomboy early which led to another member freebirding the album (beat me to the store by a few hours), saw Panda Bear and Sonic Boom perform at the Hollywood bowl later in the year whilst traveling
2012 - had coffee with Josh / Deakin in Sydney, Australia prior to their show at the Enmore Theatre. He introduced me Noah afterwards.
2013 - saw Animal Collective at the Wiltern in Los Angeles while traveling
2014 - moved to LA (a move I probably never would have made if it weren’t for CA). AC DJ set later that year at Los Globos in Silver Lake, just a short walk from my new apartment.
2015 - Panda Bear @ the Roxy
2016 - Sleep Cycle released, I had backed Deakin’s Kickstarter in 2009 so surreal to finally receive a cassette and listen to this release. Painting With also released, my partner and I travel to Big Sur for the camping weekend.
2017 - Avey + Panda at Desert Daze (debut of Homies), travel to NYC to see Sung Tongs live at P4K’s 21st.
2018 - See Sung Tongs live a couple more times in LA
2019 - Buoys live x2, travel to Big Sur once more to see the band’s last show of the year.

Coffee with the big man, damn. How did that come about?