zero vu

The first week of the new music year seemed to me to eclipse most anything released in 2008.

Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion is the first Animal Collective CD that I have been really interested in. Although I was a big fan of Noah Lennox’s (sic?) side project Panda Bear in 2007, I felt distinctly lukewarm about releases like Strawberry Jam.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is ambitious but a bit more accessible than previous releases, and I think throws down the gauntlet for everything AC has tried to accomplish over the course of almost 10 records. It is stil chaotic and pretty challenging but it feels like the album AC has been working towards. Pre-release of the vinyl came out Jan 6 and the CD released on the 20th.

You could have dropped another $15 on January 20 for AC Newman’s Get Guilty and heard songwriting as good or better than anything released in 2008.

Sorry to be so down about ’08 but it just didn’t do a lot for me. I haven’t delved much deeper than the first few songs of Newman’s second solo release but it should be worth the price of purchase strictly for leadoff “There are Maybe Ten or Twelve.” Last check Slowtrain was sold out but that was about a week ago.

AC Doesn’t get any closer than Portland for the next couple of months, touring with Dent May who plays a mean ukele but doesn’t do a lot for me. If you get a chance here are the Pacific Coast dates: