With more recently-released 7″ singles, you never really know if it’s 33 & 1/3 RPM or 45 RPM. Many do not say. With this single, I started out on 33 & 1/3 and it took me a moment to realize it should have been on 45. That’s the beauty of Animal Collective: it could almost work on both levels. Animal Collective is one of those special groups that will never hit mainstream, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good music. The group’s distinct sound is made up of impossible-to-decipher lyrics, shrieks, and random loops.

“Grass” is one of their more accessible tunes, one with what sounds like an actual theme. It comes off their LP Feels. The signature lyrics are apparent over heavy bass-drum beats and droning guitars while the screams front cymbal-heavy percussion. “Must Be Treeman” finds the group diving into heavy electronic loops for a trance-like sound. While much of Animal Collective’s music is trance-like, few are as electronic as this tune. “Fickle Cycle” carries on the same style of lyrics and beats and screams as “Grass”, but it adds a more harmonic sound.

As a whole, the Grass single is more approachable than the Animal Collective full length albums; each song represents a single entity rather than seemingly random, disjointed songs that flow together at mind-boggling points. It is a good starting point for those just introduced to the Collective, a test of the waters and a determinant whether or not to continue on toward bigger albums by the one of today’s more prominent indie acts. For those who are already fans, it’s a must-have AC collectible that blends together very well with strong A and B sides.

This review was originally posted June 27, 2006 on the old version of FensePost.

With their upcoming new release, I figured revisiting a review of old would be appropriate. Looking back, I disagree slightly with some of my earlier statements; after all, despite the band’s steadfast experimental nature, they do seem to be entering a more accessible arena in terms of the common music fan. Still, even in their earlier days “accessibility” did come into play, as I so appropriately mentioned. Surely not for everybody, don’t be surprised if that young tanned blonde in the sports car next to you starts blasting the new Animal Collective, as they so astonishingly did with Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear. Keep an eye out for AC’s new album.

FatCat Records [7" Single, 2006]

1. Grass
2. Must Be Treeman
3. Fickle Cycle

Oh I like this. Frightened Rabbit is slated to release a new single in mid-November on FatCat Records, and “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” is the a-side. Its a deep and powerful song, filled with a fair share of repetition and immense emotion – yet the song is wholeheartedly upbeat. The focus is Scott Hutchinson and his deep melodic vocals; the dark performance hall and flashlight-lighting provide an excellent effect. You might miss it the first listen, but “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” has a stunning string arrangement by label-mates Hauschka.

Digging deeper into the song, Scott notes:

“’Swim Until You Can’t See Land’ was the title I had in my mind before I even started writing the album; I was becoming more and more interested in the idea of a rejection of the habits and behaviour most people see as normal, and in turn embracing a certain madness. It’s about losing your mind in order to reset the mind and the body. Forget what’s gone before and wash it out. This is not necessarily a geographical journey, as the ‘swim’ can involve any activity in which you can lose yourself. It’s a good introduction to the record as the theme unravels therein.”

That alone is enough to warrant Frightened Rabbit’s pending sophomore release “highly anticipated.”

It’s astonishing how earnest and endearing a lone man with a guitar can be. On occasion, such an artist comes along that can move people based on this minimalism. Tom Brosseau has the capabilities to do so, and his latest LP, Posthumous Success proves it. Opening tune “Favourite Colour Blue” includes a rambling guitar and folk-worthy howls.

Similar artists exist: Daniel Martin Moore, David Karsten Daniels, Will Oldham. And all often collaborate with other artists; Posthumous Success quickly moves from the solo Brosseau into full-band works “Been True” and “Big Time”, which include accompanying vocals and a shuffle percussion propitious to folk.

While some tracks include the prominent placement of others, to the point where the song without them would not be as effective (as heard in “You Don’t Know My Friends”), others like “New Heights” find Tom dominating despite accompaniment. The same can be said for the clever instrumental “Youth Decay”.

Brosseau concludes Posthumous Success where he began — with “Favourite Colour Blue”, this time with the full group; the differences are amazing and it leads to a known conclusion. The best artists are those that can carry a tune, with a full band and without.

Tom Brosseau: Favourite Colour Blue [mp3]

Fat Cat Records [CD, 2009]

1. Favourite Colour Blue
2. Been True
3. Big Time
4. Boothill
5. You Don’t Know My Friends
6. New Heights
7. Youth Decay
8. Drumroll
9. Miss Lucy
10. Axe & Stump
11. Chandler
12. Wishbone Medallion
13. Favourite Colour Blue

Pleasant solo acoustic folk acts are a dime a dozen, but few ever break the tradition of mediocrity to reach out and above the others as they fall. Immediately, one has to think of Will Oldham and his empire of monikers. But Oldham will not reign supreme forever. Quickly approaching his trail o’ dust is David Karsten Daniels (MySpace), thanks to his — dare we call it epic — 2008 folk release Fear Of Flying.

Building softly upon the barebones acoustic found in “Wheelchairs”, Daniels quickly disassociates himself from becoming strictly a one-instrument artist. Sounds build in “The Knot Unties” and “Martha Ann”, tracks two and three respectively, going so far as to include the deep growl of a tenor or baritone sax. Possibly the album topper is the near jazz-influenced bouncy folk rant “Falling Down”.

What makes an album like Fear Of Flying so great is that, in all actuality, it is not pleasant solo acoustic folk music. It’s got hints of jazz (the aforementioned “Falling Down”), heavy doses of folk-rock (“A Myoclonic Jerk”), and traces of experiementation that touch virtually every song, from the early moments to the latter half but most prevalent in the midsection. But it’s not above tossing in a more minimal tune like “Wheelchair” and “Everytime A Baby Is Born”.

To tell you the truth, this review is at least seven months late. I should have written this back in June, but life got in the way. Furthermore, Daniels has been making music for years; Fear Of Flying comes as his second Fat Cat release, after 2007′s Sharp Teeth. But even then, his releases stem back to 2000. I guess I have some more catching up to do. And, looking forward now, one thing is sure: next time Daniels drops an album, I’ll be paying attention right away.

Download the David Karsten Daniels Daytrotter Session.

Fat Cat Records [CD, 2008]

1. Wheelchairs
2. That Knot Unties?
3. Martha Ann
4. Falling Down
5. A Myoclonic Jerk
6. A New Garment
7. Everytime A Baby Is Born
8. The Caretaker
9. Oh, Heaven Isn’t Real

Written by Fense

Silje Nes is a Norwegian artist whose songs are masqueraded as minimal pop gems. Her voice is high pitched and sometimes childish, but the music she makes displays an inherent knowledge of songcraft, from the experimental “Over All” to the softly romantic “Drown”.

This duality may be surprising to some, but to know her past is to understand just how cohesive this music is—not only has she played in an indie pop band, she played timpani in an orchestra and bass drum in a marching band. With such an eclectic background, it should be no surprise that FatCat Records—the folks that unleashed Animal Collective on the world—decided to release Ames Room, her 2008 album.

Nes likes to change things up. Her songs are often schizophrenic in that there is no transition between one song and the next, as found on many albums that dabble in experimentation. Instead she’s more apt to have an accessible pop song next to an eclectic, avant garde one.

Silje Nes: Ames Room [mp3]