Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Does the image appear to move if you take the inlay out of the case? (I mean, apart from moving, errr, out of the case...)

apparently, it doesn't move or not as much on the physical object as on screen.
weird.

it's not a traditional cd case, it's just a card thing with a little folding thing inside with the cd and inlay and stuff inside. presumably done so to give the full effect of the illusion but it just doesn't work. still looks cool though.

I'm going to use this .jpg as my desktop wallpaper and see how long I can stand it.

i've looked at the vinyl cover and it does move but not as much as that .jpg above.

you could use it as your FLAT's wallpaper (extra special touch : on the ceiling) !

I guess it has something to do with the backlight of a screen compared to printed paper...

maybe the SIZE too

well the size of the picture above is roughly the same as a CD, right ?

that would DEPEND

oh great, I've just discovered that when you scroll the screen up and down while left clicking on the scrolling block thingy on the right of the screen frame (dunno what it's called) instead of scrolling with the thing on the mouse, the little "beans' in the picture move in circle !
(not sure my whole description is crystal clear...)

"my friend argues that the album reminds him of The Beta Band.
after rejecting that opinion cause i hate Beta Band's latest records, i think he is right at least to some extent."

Good call! One of my first thoughts while listening the album was "what a pity that The Beta Band couldn't make it". I like Beta Band's later things though.

everything sounds like the beta band, when will ppl realise

I must have been listening to a different Beta Band. What are you people... British??!?

"I will now sell five copies of...oh great, you shitheads downloaded it already."

inhibitionist, did your review by chance mention how their singing is often times annoying (maybe in more clever words)?

No, because on Merriweather, the two vocalists' voices are at their least annoying, imo. However, if you can't tolerate Beach Boys-like vocals, you may find this album tough going.

While the Beach Boys are certainly a reference point I'm always reminded much more of the Hollies when it comes to the harmonies and vocals of AC. The Hollies (circa 1968) walking in on Disco Inferno and early Mercury Rev making out on the couch before joining in on the fun themselves. There we go.

Welcome!

Oh, and an update on my own situation: I'm teaching English in Korea now. Still basically a bum.

OK, that was meant for 'Introduce Yourselves'. Now I look silly.

Hey I just got this album. It sounds quite good so far.

So what's been happening in this thread then??

xxxposts

ok, so I've checked the vinyl cover. the optical illusion does not work on it. weird.

i don't get this thing with the scrolling, etc.

i think the cover's cobblers to be honest. saw that optical illusion months ago on an ILE thread.

Maybe this is another thread, but these ones actually worked IRL:

http://bigbeat-record.jp/pic-labo/faust3.JPG

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/131140.jpg

bridget riley is a bit of a headfuck.

what is this one's supposed to do ? I don't see anything special.

Yeah, and her stuff is actually very beautiful to look at too - most optical illusions are pretty gross. (x-post)

ok, so I've checked the vinyl cover. the optical illusion does not work on it. weird.

Yes it does.

let's talk about that some more

I think I can see Rick Astley in it lol

This thread! How did I miss it?

I saw AC last night and they were pretty uncategorisably great. My brain's still recovering nearly 24 hours later. But I've never really loved their recorded output (caveat: Feels onwards only) except Person Pitch which I thought and still think is awesome.

To these ears, the new one sounds like a jump on from Person Pitch, rather than a jump on from Strawberry Jam, but that suits me fine tbh.

This thread, though! Bloody crikey. People are amazing.

this band sucks balls tho tbh

yeah i agree which is why i am more comfortable discussing that craaazy album cover; just tryin to keep it positive for 09.

Ultimately this band strikes me as one of those fever-dream groups people want to will into greatness because it draws on so many things that folks can get invested heavily into. Conversely, that's a step I'm not interested in taking (though I've given into it before, no question -- and may yet again) and while I can't hate 'em, my lord can I ever not love them either.

That very point has been made repeatedly on the former Stylus message board, with varying degrees of effect.

I can imagine!

they would be better w/good singing and songs

"this band strikes me as one of those fever-dream groups people want to will into greatness because it draws on so many things that folks can get invested heavily into"

would probably make more sense for someone like, Burial?

anyway Ned, this "step" does it involve actually listening to the record? ... because it's you I'll take it as read that you have and fine, if you're not into it that's cool.

otherwise, I'm glad people are still happy to churn out one line "I don't like it = it is not good" posts in the '09. Really bringing the board to life guys.

anyway Ned, this "step" does it involve actually listening to the record? ... because it's you I'll take it as read that you have and fine, if you're not into it that's cool.

Whoever said this album was the progression from Person Pitch in the end was right because I have the same reaction to both albums -- "Oh -- that's it?" (Mentioning Burial is perfectly appropriate too because I feel the same exact way about his stuff!)

ned, you liked person pitch!

I would not call this a rave review:

Person Pitch is very much an end product of a variety of musical trends in whatever can be called indie rock in the early 21st century — big-sounding, absolutely dedicated to texture and sonic playfulness, and somehow aiming to make a lot of interesting ideas seem kinda flat.

I did give the album credit and highlighted what I felt were its best moments but I stand by my overall take.

I like animal collective

haven't heard this album tho

Whoever said this album was the progression from Person Pitch in the end was right because I have the same reaction to both albums -- "Oh -- that's it?" (Mentioning Burial is perfectly appropriate too because I feel the same exact way about his stuff!)

funny, portishead is what came to my mind

Imagine an album flatter than Person Pitch, with novel sonic ideas compressed behind gnomic declarations of domestic bliss.

lawn gnomic or wood gnomic

many xposts- as for "drawing on many things" ... well, I kinda can't stand Beach Boys vocal affectations normally, think of this WAY more as a post-rock record in the MBV/Seefeel inspired sense of things than anything which implicitly/explicitly reminds me of erm.. Kompakt? or even something on DFA (to really stretch it), freak folk?? god I went blue in the face trying to explain why I thought "Ys" was yadda yadda a commendable piece of art, but actually smelt real bad as a record you'd actually want to listen to.

and yet I quite like this album :/

so I don't think it's really a "sum of a load of cool parts" thing going on here, even if I understand why people might be sceptical, it's not a more than the sum of it's parts either... it's actually something else? that they're managing to make work and good on them for it.

calling this album "flatter than Person Pitch" which actually sounded like it was spliced straight onto tape, the tape set to play, and then sung over the top is about as close as you can get to an outright lie in describing a record's sound really :/

anyway, I'm glad my own cynicism has temporarily left me for a moment here (can't help wondering what spirit Ned went into the listening of this though?) Alfred's against-the-grain schtick is as tiresome as always... I'd best leave before I get insulting here.

So, "My Girls." I've listened to it loud and soft, I've listened to it on speakers and headphones, and if a big part of this band's appeal is that they're so sonically rich and expansive, why does it sound like someone's my first MIDI program decked out in a lot of reverb?

I'm really trying to understand how music that sounds so singularly punchless to me becomes so heavily praised (incl. by people who opinions i respect and usually understand). I'm not suggesting that they need to make it "rock" or use live instruments or something but could there not be a single disruptive, interesting sound on the track? As it is it floats by and I barely remember it was ever there.

one last thing, I don't know *quite* why people are freaking out over "My Girls" to the exclusion of nearly all the rest of the album (and the closer)? Just because it has a bit of boompty bump and a "whoo!" ?

I mean I like it too but apart from a dip near the 2/3rds mark, this record is pretty consistent right through in sound & songs I find....