Song Networks

The past month provided me with a much-needed break, one that allowed me to take a break during a time in which artists are usually reluctant to release material. After all, releasing an album in late December or early January bears the risk of being overlooked for year-end honors. It is not that most artists [...]

Named after their favourite 1960s rock venue and featuring no songs longer than six minutes, Animal Collective’s hugely-anticipated ninth album is their most “pop.” And yet, initially it makes no sense at all. Why are they combining hallucinatory kaleidoscopic sounds with thundering, almost junglist beats? What right has an avant-garde Baltimore folk-rock sampler band got [...]