Nature’s Radio Plays Music In Our Homes

Animal Collective “Grass” – After teasing their audience with occasional dabblings in quasi-pop songwriting for as long as they have existed, the Animal Collective have finally caved and made a (relatively) accessable art rock record with some songs that could fit comfortably on the radio alongside The Arcade Fire, Mercury Rev, Modest Mouse, Interpol, and The Flaming Lips. Now I don’t want to seem as though I’m accusing them of “selling out” or being crass – if anything, I applaud them for showing some sign of careerism and the common sense to continue to cultivate and expand their already inexplicably large audience. (The Sun City Girls surely never had it so good.) I suppose what I appreciate the most about this new record is that it seems so deliberate and disciplined, whereas much of the material released after Spirit They’re Gone Spirit They’ve Vanished often seemed like tossed-off improvisation that was only ever as good as chance would allow. (Click here to pre-order from No Karma.)

The Rosebuds “Blue Bird” – Video treatment: A man in his early to mid 30s is cleaning his apartment. He’s not freaking out, but he’s clearly a bit anxious – you can see him second guessing himself in some minor decisions along the way, and you can get the sense that he’s not particularly happy with his home. It’s a very modest apartment at best, and he has a bit too much stuff and not enough places to put things. He hides a few potentially embarrassing items from plain site, and foregrounds some other things (i.e. strategically chosen “intellectual” books and magazines). You see him leave and go to some stores – he buys some wine, some food. He gets home and begins to cook. You see him struggle a bit, but he’s not an incompetant. He goes back out into his living room and continues to clean out of nervousness. He tries to read, but he can’t concentrate. He checks his watch. As the song concludes, the doorbell rings and you see him buzz the guest up. In the final moments of the song, he answers the door and his date enters. She’s about the same age and is pretty but not model/actress/Suicide Girl-ish at all. She smiles, and as she enters the door closes behind her, and we fade to black as it shuts. (Click here to pre-order it from Merge Records.)