Watcha Listnin’ To? (AKA What Are You Listening To?) Inaugural Edition
by Matt McCormick ~ January 28th, 2009. Filed under: , Music.
In Lieu of doing the same old boring reviews as every other website, I thought it might be interesting to talk about what I’ve been listening to for the week — not because I’m the arbiter of what’s cool, but because it could be an interesting way to provoke thought and discussion about music and how we approach listening to it. Most importantly, I’d like to have you, the reader, respond and let me know your thoughts, disagree with me, or suggest other songs/albums that I and other readers might not have heard yet.
So for the past week, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Animal Collective’s critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion. This is by far the most accessible work of their career so far while it retains the experimentation that makes them so interesting. The Brian Wilson-esque soaring vocals that were front & center on Panda Bear’s EP Person Pitch are prominent here and make a fascinating counterpoint to the pulsing arpeggios of the instrumental backing. After a few listens, I sense that this album is a ‘grower’ — I’m not loving it but I sense that I will after a few more playthroughs. This is not a bad thing at all, as these are the types of albums that tend to be favorites for years to come.
Have you heard Merriweather Post Pavilion? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
All of the bands posted on this site are some of the weirdest I have ever heard. So I haven’t heard of Merriweather Post Pavilion. Sorry :-/
But in terms of how people approach listening to music, are you more of a melody or lyrics person? I’ve found most people listen to certain music for one or the other. I’m more of a melody person and have to concentrate to actually know what the musicians are actually singing about even if I know the words. Food for thought.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I’ve had trouble getting into Animal Collective, et al over the last couple years. I do like Grizzly Bear and I really like one AC song (which I can’t remember the name of). I’ve been wanting to give this one a try, and I will soon. Have you heard the new Bon Iver or Andrew Bird?
My most recent purchase was Glasvegas.
January 31st, 2009 at 6:55 am
Jarret – I hear ya on AC, I understand what they’re doing, I appreciate it, but it doesn’t draw me in. I have a feeling that this latest one may be the one to get me, so I’ll keep listening. I’ve heard the new Andrew Bird but it struck me as weaker than his previous stuff. That’s another one I’ll keep listening to though, I’m a huge fan.