Animal Collective: Difference between revisions

The band members met in school and started recording together in various forms of collaboration from a young age. In 1999, they established the record label [[Paw Tracks]], issuing what is now considered their debut album, ''[[Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished]]'' (2000), as well as work by other artists.<ref name=IDTheory2005>{{cite web|last1=Simonini|first1=Ross|title=Interview: Geologist and Avey Tare of Animal Collective|url=http://www.identitytheory.com/animal-collective-interview-geologist-avey-tare/|publisher=[[Identity Theory (webzine)|Identity Theory]]|date=August 29, 2005}}</ref> The band's 2007 album ''[[Strawberry Jam]]'' was their first to chart on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-1-gospel-hits-album-chart/|title=We're No. 1! 'Billboard #1 Gospel Hits' Debuts Atop Gospel Albums Chart|first=Gary|last=Trust|website=Billboard.com|date=January 22, 2015|access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> Their 2009 follow-up ''[[Merriweather Post Pavilion (album)|Merriweather Post Pavilion]]'' was the band's most commercially successful album, reaching #13 on the US chart;<ref name="UncutMPP">{{Citation|title=Merriweather Post Pavilion Review|url=http://www.uncut.net/animal-collective/animal-collective-merriweather-post-pavilion-review|year=2009|quote=right now Merriweather Post Pavilion doesn't just seem like one of the first great records of 2009, it feels like one of the landmark American albums of the century so far.|author=Stephen Trousse|publisher=Uncut|access-date=April 14, 2013|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231517/http://www.uncut.net/animal-collective/animal-collective-merriweather-post-pavilion-review|url-status=dead}}</ref> its reverb-heavy [[psychedelic pop]] sound proved highly influential to independent music of the subsequent decade.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kloczko |first1=Justin |title=Heavy Reverb: The Still-Resonant Psych-Pop Influence of 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' |url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/1/4/18167715/animal-collective-merriweather-post-pavilion-10th-anniversary-panda-bear-avey-tare |website=The Ringer |date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

Records released under the name "Animal Collective" may include contributions from any or all of its members. Evolving from early collaborations between Lennox and Portner,<ref>{{cite web|last1=McGovern|first1=Kyle|title=The SPIN Interview: Animal Collective|url=http://www.spin.com/2016/01/animal-collective-painting-with-new-album-interview/|publisher=[[Spin magazine]]|date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> the collective was not officially established until all four members came together for the album ''currently titled [[Here Comes the Indian|Ark]], which was originally titled ''Here Comes the Indian'' (2003). Most prior collaborations between the band members were then retroactively classified under Animal Collective's discography.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Carle|first1=Darren|title=Everybody Hz: Josh Dibb on his return to Animal Collective|url=http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interviews/everybody-hz-josh-dibb-on-his-return-to-animal-collective|magazine=[[The Skinny (magazine)|The Skinny]]|date=October 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Abraham|first1=Barnabus|title=Dissected: A look at Animal Collective's extensive career|url=http://www.thefourohfive.com/music/news/article/dissected-a-look-at-animal-collective-s-career|publisher=The 405|date=August 28, 2013|access-date=April 8, 2016|archive-date=January 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107232932/https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/news/article/dissected-a-look-at-animal-collective-s-career|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the case of Dibb, who often takes breaks from recording and performing with the band, his time off does not constitute full leave.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Spitznagal|first1=Eric|title=DEAKIN OPENS UP ABOUT HIS ANIMAL COLLECTIVE STAY-CATION|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2696783/animal-collective-centipede-hz-interview-deakin/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104165732/http://www.mtv.com/news/2696783/animal-collective-centipede-hz-interview-deakin/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 4, 2016|website=mtv.com|date=August 27, 2012}}</ref>

In 1997, Lennox and Dibb both went off to college in the Boston area (Boston University and Brandeis University), and Portner and Weitz attended schools in New York City (NYU and Columbia University).<ref name="city paper" /> Lennox and Dibb assembled Lennox's debut album, ''[[Panda Bear (album)|Panda Bear]]'', during this time from the multitude of recordings Lennox had made in the previous years and established the label [[Paw Tracks|Soccer Star Records]] to release it.<ref>{{citationCite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach needed|date=March2019-02-14 2022|title=Panda Bear Lovingly Ranks His Solo Catalog |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/59xdgb/rank-your-records-panda-bear-noah-lennox |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref>

Abhorring the new life as a student at NYU, Portner, along with Weitz, returned to Maryland every summer to meet Lennox and Dibb and play music together. At that time Portner was also working on a record, which eventually became ''[[Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished]]''. Portner asked Lennox to play drums on the record and they recorded them along with piano and acoustic guitars in the summer of 1999. The rest of the year, Portner returned to Maryland on weekends to record overdubs and finish the mixing.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=20827&highlight=#20827 |title=Questions for the Collective~ Several Questions |publisher=Collected Animals |year=2006 |author=wheeter |access-date=April 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720171602/http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=20827&highlight= |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> It was finally released in the following summer under the name ''Avey Tare and Panda Bear''. Soccer Star morphed into the Animal label, with the intention of putting out music that came from the four musicians.<ref>{{citationCite web needed|title=Coffee with Animal Collective – Impose Magazine |url=https://imposemagazine.com/features/animal-collective-in-2005 |access-date=March2024-01-08 2022|website=imposemagazine.com}}</ref>

While studying, Dave Portner organized shows at New York University for a while. AsIn class, he hadmet classand togetherbecame friends with [[Eric Copeland]], heand Portner organized a show for hisCopeland's band [[Black Dice]] and eventually became friends with him. In 2000, ''[[Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished]]'' was finished, Lennox and Dibb left school in Boston and moved to New York, and the group's music became much more collaborative in nature. After introducing Lennox to Copeland, Portner and Lennox played their first show together in New York at ''The Cooler'' with Dogg and Pony, [[The Rapture (band)|The Rapture]] and Black Dice<ref>[http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/interviews/pandabeariw.htm Interview with Panda Bear] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222045759/http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/interviews/pandabeariw.htm |date=February 22, 2012 }}, The Milk Factory, April 2005</ref> in late summer of 2000.

This was also the first time they wore makeup and masks, which later became a prominent characteristic of the group's live performances. From there on, Portner wore a mask for the first two years of the group performing. Lennox wore a panda hood on his head and later put face paint on; throughout the Europe tour in early 2004 he wore a white wig and went by the name Edgar. Dibb performed masked during the ''[[Here Comes the Indian]]'' tour. On the Australia tour in November 2006 and inspired by Halloween, they wore masks for the last time.<ref>[http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=103313&highlight=aussie#103313 Collected Animals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929142805/http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=103313&highlight=aussie#103313 |date=September 29, 2011 }} Post by Deakin, January 9, 2008</ref> According to Portner, the reason for disguising was to "help us be more relaxed and find an easier place in that other world we wanted people to join us in."<ref name="Collected Animals">[http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=103168&highlight=flowers+masks#103168 Collected Animals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929142810/http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=103168&highlight=flowers+masks#103168 |date=September 29, 2011 }} Post by Dave Portner under the user name "wheeter", January 9, 2008</ref> They eventually stopped because they felt like it could become "too gimmicky"<ref name="Collected Animals" /> and distract from the music, although Weitz still sports a head lamp at live performances, as he did from the beginning.<ref>{{citationCite web needed|date=March2023-11-21 2022|title=Review: Avey Tare + Deakin + Geologist (Animal Collective) at Eulogy |url=https://ashevillestages.com/music/review-avey-tare-deakin-geologist-animal-collective-at-eulogy |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=Asheville Stages |language=en-US}}</ref>

Notably, the close friendship with Black Dice has been a major influence throughout the group's career. In the summer of 2001, Black Dice took them as support on their first tour, which was captured on the 2002 live album ''[[Hollinndagain]]''. It was released by St. Ives, a boutique label run by [[Secretly Canadian]] which releases limited edition vinyl only records. Limited to 300 copies, each of which featured a one-of-a-kind handmade cover, ''Hollinndagain'' is among the rarest of Animal Collective artifacts. It was re-released, both on CD and vinyl, on October 31, 2006, through the [[Paw Tracks]] label.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paw-tracks.com/hollinndagainpresspage.html|title=animal collective "hollinndagain" press page|website=Paw-tracks.com|access-date=2017-07-25|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728033644/https://www.paw-tracks.com/hollinndagainpresspage.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After this recording session, they startedbegan to work on new material whichthat was later released on ''[[Here Comes the Indian]].'' andIt theywas wereat facedthis withtime when they began to someface serious problems within the group. In early 2002, they went on their first big tour which took them to the South of the US. andOf turnedthis outtime, toPortner be "pretty brutal{{nbsp}}...".said, "We all lost our minds on that tour", Portner recalls.<ref name="mother nature" /> Right before their next tour in summer, Weitz got the message that he was accepted to his first choice graduate school in Arizona. After three chaotic days on the road with their tour van breaking down, equipment getting damaged, bundledstruggles with a lack of money, the tour was about to be cancelled. On the Collected Animals message board, Weitz wrote, "At that point we all knew we'd get back from tour, record the songs, and then we needed space from each other, and we still had more than 2 weeks left on the road", Weitz said on the Collected Animals message board.<ref name="veyesor post">{{Citation |url=http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=16347&highlight=job#16347 |title=Questions for the Collective~ Not on Albums |publisher=Collected Animals |year=2006 |author=veyesor |access-date=April 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720171625/http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=16347&highlight=job |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

Worrying that ''Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin and Geologist'' would be too long-winded a moniker, and with record companies advising that a unifying name would be necessary for the marketplace, the group decided to adopt a catch-all name. Using their old label of Animal as inspiration, they picked "Animal Collective". This formation was intended to be different from a straightforward band, giving the musicians the freedom to work in combinations of two to four, as dictated by the project at hand or their mood. Their first entry under this name was ''Here Comes the Indian'', which was released in 2003 by their newly formed record label, Paw Tracks, formed with Carpark Records' Todd Hyman. Animal Collective makes decisions on what Paw Tracks is to release, while Hyman runs the day-to-day operations. The group was happy to find someone like Hyman, who had experience running a label and was dedicated to the group's music; the Animal label was more or less abandoned upon the formation of Paw Tracks. ''Here Comes the Indian'' was the first record to feature all four of Animal Collective.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

After the two releases in 2003 attracted much attention, Black Dice introduced the group to the [[Fat Cat Records]] label. The first Fat Cat release from theAnimal Collective was a double disc package of ''Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished'' and ''Danse Manatee.''{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

{{Main|Sung Tongs|Feels (Animal Collective album)|Strawberry Jam}}

In the meantime, Brian Weitz returned from Arizona and he and Josh Dibb joined the duo again. All four started writing new songs together which finally ended up on their 2005 release ''[[Feels (Animal Collective album)|Feels]]''. Animal Collective, as the duo of Panda Bear & Deakin (a.k.a. Noah's Ark), toured in Japan for the first time in February 2004 with Carpark Records' artists [[Greg Davis (musician)|Greg Davis]] & Ogurusu Norihide. In early 2004, they started touring with their regular setlists including exclusively post-''Sung-Tongs'' material, except for "We Tigers" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit?", which have been performed regularly up to the present. During their Europe tour, the group was introduced to [[Vashti Bunyan]] in Edinburgh, Scotland by [[Kieran Hebden]] (AKA Four Tet), who had recently played in Bunyan's band. Being fans of the cult folk singer's 1970 album ''[[Just Another Diamond Day]]'', the group had dinner with Bunyan and asked her to collaborate on some recordings. The group encouraged her to sing lead vocals on three songs left over from the ''Sung Tongs'' era, released on the ''[[Prospect Hummer]]'' EP in early 2005. Weitz, who had started a day job in early 2004, could not join this tour and therefore missed the recording session with Bunyan, but contributed one instrumental song to the EP.<ref name="veyesor post" />

In October 2005, Animal Collective released ''[[Feels (Animal Collective album)|Feels]]'', recorded in Seattle with [[Climax Golden Twins]]' Scott Colburn, known for his work with the [[Sun City Girls]]. Following the release of ''Feels'', Animal Collective mounted their most extensive tour, which lasted into the Fall of 2006 and saw them visit Australia and New Zealand for the first time in addition to many European festivals and North American dates, including a headline set in the Carling Tent at the [[Reading and Leeds festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.readingfestival.com/sites/live.inviqa.readingfestival.com/files/images/history/poster/2006.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621000633/http://www.readingfestival.com/sites/live.inviqa.readingfestival.com/files/images/history/poster/2006.jpg |archive-date=June 21, 2017 }}</ref> In the summer of 2006, Dibb's father died, which led to a show breakup after only two songs at [[Rock Herk]] Festival on July 15.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=19322&highlight=belgium |title=Live Discussion~ Animal Collective @ Rock Herk |publisher=Collected Animals |year=2006 |author=catterpillarstrangle |author2=veyesor |author3=deakin |access-date=April 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720171641/http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?p=19322&highlight=belgium |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

In January 2010, ''[[LAS Magazine]]'' posted an article about alternative music financing that points out Deakin's initiative to have fans pay for a trip to perform at Africa's Festival in the Desert.<ref>[http://www.lostatsea.net/feature.phtml?fid=19012940184b602520166ab LAS Kickstart My Art article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127013306/http://lostatsea.net/feature.phtml?fid=19012940184b602520166ab |date=November 27, 2010 }}. Lostatsea.net. Retrieved on June 29, 2012.</ref>

During several interviews in the second half of 2010, Lennox and Portner mentioned plans for Animal Collective's next album, including writing all together in the same location<ref>[http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/09/an_interview_w_44.html Brooklyn Vegan] "an interview w/ Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear (about the album release date, status of Animal Collective & more)", September 7, 2010</ref> and the possibility of recording the new songs before taking them on tour,<ref>[http://pitchfork.com/news/39774-avey-tare-talks-new-solo-album-animal-collectives-future-crocodiles/ Pitchfork ~ News] "Avey Tare Talks New Solo Album, Animal Collective's Future, Crocodiles", August 19, 2010</ref> neither of which had happened for a long time. Portner revealed in October that the band would move back to Baltimore to write music there.<ref>[http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/10/19/the-self-titled-interview-avey-tare-of-animal-collective/ self-titled magazine :: self-titled daily] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716034854/http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2010/10/19/the-self-titled-interview-avey-tare-of-animal-collective/ |date=July 16, 2011 }} "THE SELF-TITLED INTERVIEW: Avey Tare of Animal Collective", October 19, 2010</ref>

Near the end of October 2010, [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] announced that Animal Collective would be curating and headlining their UK festival in May 2011.<ref>[http://www.atpfestival.com/events/atpanimalcollective/news/1010270022.php ATP: All Tomorrow's Parties] "ANIMAL COLLECTIVE TO CURATE ATP UK IN MAY 2011 – ON SALE FRIDAY", October 27, 2010</ref> It was confirmed in late November 2010 that Deakin would be rejoining the group for this show as well as the rest of the shows of their new tour.<ref name="pitchfork1">[http://pitchfork.com/news/40842-deakin-back-in-animal-collective/ Deakin Back in Animal Collective | News]. ''Pitchfork'' (2010-11-29). Retrieved on June 29, 2012.</ref> Before starting their first European tour of 2011, all four members of the band had a short tour of California leading up to an appearance at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|Coachella Music Festival]].<ref>[http://pitchfork.com/news/41310-animal-collective-announce-us-dates/ Animal Collective Announce U.S. Dates | News]. ''Pitchfork'' (2011-01-21). Retrieved on June 29, 2012.</ref> At the shows, the band mostly played their newly written songs that were yet to be recorded.<ref>[http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/7950-panda-bear/ Pitchfork] "interviews: Panda Bear"</ref><ref>[https://www.spin.com/2011/04/animal-collective-debut-powerful-new-songs/ Spin magazine] "ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Debut Powerful New Songs", April 17, 2011</ref>

On July 15, 2015, [[EastWest Studios]] announced that the band had finished recording a new album in their Studio 3 room.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=Jeremy|title=Animal Collective Have Finished Recording Their New Album|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/60403-animal-collective-have-finished-recording-their-new-album|website=Pitchfork.com/|date=July 15, 2015}}</ref> On November 25, the album was reportedly named ''[[Painting With]]'', and debuted over the speakers of [[Baltimore-/Washington International Airport]], playing on loop until the evening. Tare confirmed that "[[FloriDada]]", the impending single from the album, would be released on November 30.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Young|first1=Alex|title=Animal Collective are debuting their new album at BWI Airport right now|url=https://consequence.net/2015/11/animal-collective-are-debuting-their-new-album-at-bwi-airport-right-now/|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|date=November 25, 2015}}</ref> The album was released in February 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interview/9782-animal-collectives-primitive-future|title=Animal Collective's Primitive Future - Interview|last=Gordon|first=Jeremy|date=January 4, 2016|website=pitchfork.com|access-date=2016-08-13}}</ref> On November 16, the band released "Mountain Game", a song that was rejected for the ''[[Red Dead Redemption]]'' soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kevin Lozano |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/69879-listen-to-animal-collectives-unreleased-red-dead-redemption-song-mountain-game/ |title=Listen to Animal Collective's Unreleased "Red Dead Redemption" Song "Mountain Game" |website=Pitchfork.com |date=2016-11-17 |access-date=2017-07-22}}</ref>

On February 14, 2017, the band announced the release of ''[[The Painters]] EP'' later that week on the 17th. It features two songs recorded during the ''Painting With'' sessions, as well as two songs recorded for the EP, "Kinda Bonkers" and a cover of [[Martha and Thethe Vandellas|Martha and the Vandellas']] "[[Jimmy Mack]]".<ref>{{cite web|author=Matthew Strauss |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/71539-animal-collectives-new-song-is-kinda-bonkers-listen/ |title=Animal Collective's New Song Is "Kinda Bonkers": Listen |website=Pitchfork.com |date=2017-02-13 |access-date=2017-07-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dominorecordco.us/usa/news/13-02-17/animal-collective-announce--the-painters-ep--watch-the--kinda-bonkers--lyric-video/ |title=Domino USA &#124; News &#124; Animal Collective announce 'The Painters EP'; watch the 'Kinda Bonkers' lyric video |website=Dominorecordco.us |access-date=2017-07-22}}</ref>

{{Main|Time Skiffs|Isn't It Now?}}

On June 26, 2023, the group released the 22-minute song "Defeat", both digitally and as a 12-inch vinyl record, as the lead single from their next album. On July 24, the group announced the album would be titled ''[[Isn't It Now?]]'' and revealed its album art and track listing. Like the previous album, ''Isn't It Now?'' will also bewas released by Domino on September 29.<ref>{{cite web|date=2023-06-26|title=Animal Collective Share 22-Minute New Song “Defeat”"Defeat": Listen|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/animal-collective-share-22-minute-new-song-defeat-listen/|access-date=2023-07-24|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2023-07-24|title=Animal Collective Announce New Album 'Isn't it Now?'|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/animal_collective_announce_new_album_isnt_it_now|access-date=2023-07-24|website=Exclaim!|language=en}}</ref>

Portner, Lennox, Weitz, and Dibb began as [[lo-fi music|lo-fi]] indie rock musicians who, by high school, had amassed individual bodies of work recorded on cassette tapes. Influenced by horror film soundtracks and 20th century classical music, along with a shared passion for vocal harmony the group progressed to "walls of drones with guitars and delay pedals and us screaming into mics," in Portner's words.<ref name="mother nature" /> In college, Weitz and Portner listened to avant-garde records while Lennox explored electronic music, a style he took interest in after listening to [[The Orb]]'s ''[[UFOrb]]'' (1992) in boarding school.<ref name="mother nature" /> When the group (sans Dibb) convened in 2000 after the recording of ''Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished'', they conducted improvisational music sessions which used vintage synthesizers, acoustic guitars and household objects. In 2005, Lennox spoke of it as a defining era: "everything since then has been a variation of what we explored that summer."<ref name="mother nature" /> The following album, ''Danse Manatee'' (2001), drew from freak folk, [[noise rock]], [[ambient drone]], and psychedelia.<ref name=allmusic_bio>{{cite web|last1=Monger|first1=James Christopher|title=Animal Collective - Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/animal-collective-mn0000919603/biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref> Genres that have been used to label the band include [[experimental pop]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Animal Collective: The Electronic Turns Organic|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99419750|publisher=[[NPR Music]]|date=January 21, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=King|first1=Allison|title=Finding order in the surreal - Animal Collective, gig review|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/finding-order-in-the-surreal-animal-collective-gig-review-a6982911.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/finding-order-in-the-surreal-animal-collective-gig-review-a6982911.html |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The Independent]]|date=April 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Pratt|first1=Timothy|title=Musicians trade in boycotts for activism to fight North Carolina's 'bathroom bill'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/11/animal-collective-mumford-sons-north-carolina-bathroom-bill|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://diymag.com/2015/01/12/so-you-think-you-know-animal-collective|title=So You Think You Know...Animal Collective|first=El|last=Hunt|publisher=DIY Mag|date=January 12, 2015|access-date=October 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-animal-collectives-jubilant-song-lying-in-the-grass-20160201|title=Hear Animal Collective's Jubilant Song 'Lying in the Grass'|first=Ryan|last=Reed|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 1, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2017}}</ref><ref name="boise" /> [[electronic music|electronic]],<ref name="esq">{{cite web|url=http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/music/434/the-album-centipede-hz-by-animal-collective/|title=The Album - Centipede Hz by Animal Collective|date=August 29, 2012|access-date=November 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031029/http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/music/434/the-album-centipede-hz-by-animal-collective/|archive-date=November 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="boise">{{cite news|last1=Young|first1=Catie|title=Animal Collective, Centipede Hz|url=http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/animal-collective-centipede-hz/Content?oid=2758463|work=[[Boise Weekly]]|date=November 7, 2012|access-date=February 16, 2017|archive-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217063716/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/animal-collective-centipede-hz/Content?oid=2758463|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="axs">{{cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/the-10-best-animal-collective-songs-30609|title=The 10 best Animal Collective songs|first=Gary|last=Hill|website=Axs.com|date=November 29, 2014|access-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref> experimental,<ref name="esq" /><ref name="axs" /> [[indie rock]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/18/animal-collective-album-review-merriweather-post-pavilion|title=Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion|first=Paul|last=Mardles|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=January 18, 2009|access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name=allmusic_bio/> [[avant-pop]],<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Dolan|first1=Jon|title=Animal Collective: Painting With|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/animal-collective-painting-with-20160219|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=December 17, 2016|date=February 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Dolan|first1=Jon|title=Animal Collective: Painting With|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/animal-collective-painting-with-20160219|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=February 19, 2016}}</ref> [[art rock]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Animal Collective to Take Over Guggenheim Museum|last1=Dombal|first1=Ryan|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37942-animal-collective-to-take-over-guggenheim-museum/|website=Pitchfork|date=February 17, 2010|access-date=November 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dombal|first1=Ryan|title=Animal Collective to Take Over Guggenheim Museum|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/37942-animal-collective-to-take-over-guggenheim-museum/|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=February 17, 2010}}</ref> [[freak folk]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bemis|first1=Alec Hanley|title=Freak Folk's Very Own Pied Piper|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/arts/music/12bemi.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=August 2, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 12, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Mumford|first1=Gwilym|title=Horse Thief: Trials and Truths review – earnest, check-shirted Americana|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/26/horse-thief-trials-and-truths-review-bella-union|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=January 26, 2017}}</ref> [[noise pop]],<ref name="noisepop">{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=August|title=Review: Animal Collective and Flying Lotus at the Hollywood Bowl|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2012entertainment/sepmusic/la-xpm-2012-sep-24/entertainment/-la-et-ms-review-animal-collective-flying-lotus-hollywood-bowl-20120924-story.html|access-date=August 2, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fingal|first1=Jim|title=Animal Collective Draws Herds|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2004/11/12/animal-collective-draws-herds-despite-the/|work=[[The Harvard Crimson]]|date=November 12, 2004}}</ref> {{nowrap|[[neo-psychedelia]]}},<ref name=Christgau>{{cite magazine|last1=Christgau|first1=Robert|author-link1=Robert Christgau|title=Strawberry Jam|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rs/animalcollective.php|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 20, 2007}}</ref> and [[psychedelic pop]].<ref>{{cite web|title=All Songs Considered - Animal Collective|url=https://www.npr.org/artists/14993047/animal-collective|website=[[NPR]]}}</ref>

** name comes from letters he used to write to other members under the pseudonym Conrad Deacon{{Refn|group=nb|He has used different spellings of the name on different albums: "Deaken" on ''[[Here Comes the Indian]]'', "Deakin" on ''[[Feels (Animal Collective album)|Feels]]'' and "Deacon" on ''[[Strawberry Jam]]'' and the single "[[Grass (Animal Collective song)|Grass]]" Dibb went back to the moniker "Deakin" for the ''[[Centipede Hz]]'' album. Having been absent from the band's tours since early 2007, he began a solo tour in 2010 using the spelling "Deakin" at the request of fellow Baltimorean musician [[Dan Deacon]], in order to avoid confusion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview: Deakin//Josh Dibb |url=http://bmoremusic.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-deakin-josh-dibb.html |date=May 17, 2010 |access-date=April 14, 2013}}</ref>}}

** named for the headlamp he wears in order to see the electronics during live shows, and from a friend mishearing his major in college ([[marine biology]]) <ref>Explained{{cite oninterview |subject1=Avey Tare |subject1-link=Avey Tare |subject2=Deakin |subject2-link=Deakin (musician) |subject3=Geologist |subject3-link=Geologist (musician) |title=Animal Collective visit WNYC's "|work=Spinning Onon Air", July|interviewer=[[David 30,Garland (musician)|David Garland]] |date=2004,-07-30 |publisher=[[WNYC]] second|location=New hour.York}}</ref>

!scope="col"| [[Avey ''Spirit They're Gone...''Tare]]

!scope="col"| [[Panda ''DanseBear Manatee''(musician)|Panda Bear]]

!scope="col"| [[Geologist ''Campfire Songs''(musician)|Geologist]]

!scope="col"| [[Deakin ''Here Comes the Indian/Ark''(musician)|Deakin]]

!scope="row"| Panda Bear''[[Sung Tongs]]''

!scope="row"| Geologist ''[[Centipede Hz]]''

!scope="row"| Deakin ''[[Isn't It Now?]]''

| -

* ''[[Here Comes the Indian|Ark]]'' (2003) <small>(f.k.a.reissued as "Here Comes the IndianArk")</small>

* ''[[Feels (Animal Collective album)|Feels]]'' (2005)

[[Category:NeoAmerican neo-psychedelia groups]]

[[Category:Musical quartets from Maryland]]