Out in support of their refined, surprisingly poppy, and energetic tenth album, Painting With, Baltimore-bred musical supergroup Animal Collective will return to Nashville’s own Marathon Music Works tonight, May 6 (where they last played in 2013, after a series of delays) along with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. One of the most versatile, compelling, and dynamic groups in the scene, we shouldn’t have to tell you about Animal Collective’s dense, electronic, and experimental flavor of psychedelic, poppy, freak folk; they’ve been around more than 15 years now, and have dropped some of the best releases of the last decade. Whether you’re a longtime fan, or, somehow, you’re just now jumping on board, this will certainly be a spring show not to miss, and, while they last, you can still grab tickets right here! Read on for more about the lineup!
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Not exactly a band, per se, but, as the name implies, more of a collective, Animal Collective‘s origins can be traced to the ’90s, when its four members, Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz), met at various points of their childhood and teens, collaborating in different incarnations before becoming more serious in college. Though they wouldn’t formally start using the name until 2003, early releases came through their own “Animal” label, and carried the name of the specific members attached, before retroactively being classified Animal Collective albums; something of a catch-all term for any record where two, three, or all four members were involved. An attraction to psychedelic music, electronic, experimental pop, and freak folk fueled tons of early genre-bending experimentation, but a busy summer spent songwriting in Portner’s New York apartment is said to be the genesis of what would ultimately become Animal Collective’s sound. As the foursome came and went, dealing with various life hurdles and distractions, Animal Collective began to pick up steam as a unit by the mid ’00s, generating buzz in the blogosphere and touring more frequently, eventually drawing the attention of Domino Records, who would release their breakthrough seventh album, Strawberry Jam, in 2007. It was 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, however, that truly made Animal Collective a household name, landing atop countless end of year lists, making them mainstays on the festival circuit, and scoring spots on late night TV. They’ve released two LPs since, most recently the frenetic, poppy, and polished Painting With, and have seen Deakin’s involvement become more intermittent (he took part in their last album, but sat absent from this one), all the while prolifically pursing solo endeavors as well. One of the most talented collections of artists making music today, we’re thrilled that Animal Collective always find time to collaborate year after year, and we encourage you to see them any chance that you get.
KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH
Raised on Orcas Island, off the coast off the Washington coast near Seattle, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith‘s early love for music manifested in studying composition and sound design at the Berklee College of Music, first with a focus on voice then later guitar and piano. It wasn’t until she got her hands on her first synthesizer, however, that Smith really found her musical calling, soon experimenting with creating new sounds, textures, and patterns, all shaped by her upbringing and connection with the world around her. Definitely a kindred spirit of Animal Collective, Kaitlyn has, over the past few years, developed an amazing ear for weird, electronic, and hypnotic tunes, making her a mesmerizing and thrilling new artist to watch.
Animal Collective and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith will perform tonight, May 6 at Marathon Music Works. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available for $25-27.
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