The San Miguel Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona has been a constant source of news this week. The organizers have launched Primavera TV, where a selection of past highlights will be shown online; beginning with Pavement’s acclaimed reunion tour from last year. A two-hour set that includes all our favourites and can be viewed in full for a two week period only. It will be shortly followed by sets of The Charlatans, Superchunk and local post-hardcore band Standstill, among others. Watch it here.
The first headliners for next year’s festival have also been announced, in what it looks like a mouth-watering bill for lovers of non mainstream music. Apart from being the first confirmed date so far for Pulp’s much heralded return, the line-up will also include such heavyweights as Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips, Belle & Sebastian, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, The National, Mogwai, Suicide and two classic album performances likely to become some of 2011’s live sensations: John Cale playing his solo classic ‘Paris 1919’ with a band and an orchestra and Mercury Rev revisiting their career peak ‘Deserter’s Songs’. More additions to this fantastic bill are to be announced shortly.
For its 11th edition, Primavera sound is expanding over two more days – May the 25th and the 29th- to its earlier location at the city’s stunning attraction Poble Español; where a replica of a typical square from every Spanish region will make an unusual and picturesque setting for the gathering. The festival’s core three days, from May the 26th to May the 28th, will still be held at its current Forum Park location.
The San Miguel Primavera Sound 2011 will take place from May the 25th to the 29th. For more details and ticket info check the official website.
Not content with topping the majority of ‘Album of the Year’ polls, Animal Collective have released a jaw dropping new video to accompany album track ‘Brothersport’. The playful, dreamlike sequence fits perfectly with the song, following two children as we dip in and out of an animated fantasy world. Midway the clip evolves into an almost disorienting section involving florescent egg yolks. While this may sound strange on paper, it actually works. Although the worry of inducing headaches has never troubled Animal Collective, as anyone who’s longingly stared at the artwork for ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’ can testify.
In other Animal Collective news, Panda Bear and erstwhile member Deakin have recently announced solo tours later this year. Read on for the full list of dates. Read more…
Those who like their music new and ground breaking will find little trouble at choosing their band of the decade: Animal Collective’s achievements clearly outdo any competitors.
The band’s evolution has run in parallel to that of cutting edge music in the States. From the masked live shows and psychedelic freak-folk of their beginnings in Baltimore to recently breaking into mainstream acclaim, Animal Collective encapsulated like no other the most creative sounds the last ten years had on offer. Drinking in sources as diverse as LSD induced tribe-like chants and percussion trips, Krautrock loops, sound samples, noise and drone to create intense aural landscapes.
The group was originally formed by Avey Tare and Panda Bear; with Deakin and Geologist joining shortly afterwards – a mobile line-up that has seen every member coming and going through their output. Their fifth record ‘Sung Tongs’, recorded by the Avey Tare/Panda Bear initial core, shaped their experimental ways into tracks resembling fully fleshed out songs, spawning cult classics such as ‘Who Could Win A Rabbit’ or ‘Leaf House’. It was this moment where they began gaining international notoriety, as their reputation earned them a deal with British label Fat Cat. Next giant step came in 2005 with ‘Feels’, where the embellishing hand of Dave Fridmann helped on production; in a move that was considered Animal Collective’s expansion towards more established indie circles. Read more…
Animal Collective are crowning a fantastic 2009 – a year that seen the band collecting all sort of honours for their acclaimed ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’ – with a brand new 5-track offering, ‘Fall Be Kind’.
This new EP rescues some of the tracks from the ‘Merriweather…’ recording sessions that didn’t make the final cut in another excellent collection from the prolific Baltimore combo. Some songs – ‘Bleed’ and ‘On A Highway’- were already part of their live sets and widely available on the internet, the rest are now being unveiled to the world. First, it was the festive opening track ‘Graze’ – see video above – where a fairground attraction-like hook boosts the band’s trippy excursions. And now, Pitchfork has just granted a 10/10 review to the EP’s highlight, ‘What Would I Want? Sky‘ which samples The Grateful Dead’s ‘Unbroken Chain’; the first ever (legal) sample taken from the psychedelic legends’ vast catalogue.
Full track list goes as follows:
1. Graze. 2. What Would I Want? Sky. 3. Bleed. 4. On A highway. 5. I Think I Can.
Fall Be Kind is out on CD on December the 15th and on digital format on November 23rd.
