what is animal collective?
animal collective are a band from maryland. formed in Baltimore County in 1999, their unique brand of experimental music spans genres including electronica, noise, psychedelia, art rock, pop and folk.
i first encountered animal collective around the age of fourteen, which seems to be a common thread among fans. they're a band that often reflects the awkward in-between stages of puberty and development, the ambiguity and confusion, and their music was an important outlet to me. the first record of theirs i fell in love with was merriweather post pavilion, which is easily their most popular. its esoteric dance-pop melodies made for instant earworms to my ninth-grade brain. soon after, i found strawberry jam, the preceding record, which would become one of my enduring favorites.
to date, they've released 15 albums, 3 soundtracks, 12 EPs and one visual album, ODDSAC.
who is animal collective?
animal collective are made up of four members. though their contributions have varied across records, their lineup has remained the same since the band's inception.
panda bear, (noah lennox), vocals, drums, percussion, samples, synthesizer, electronics, guitar
avey tare, (david portner), vocals, guitar, synthesizer, sequencer, keys, piano, bass guitar, percussion, autoharp
geologist, (brian weitz), electronics, samples, minidiscs, synthesizer, piano, vocoder, hurdy-gurdy, percussion
deakin, (josh dibb), guitar, synthesizer, vocals, keys, percussion, sequencer, sampler, drum pad, bass guitar