Animal Collective’s big show at Terminal 5 is only a couple days away (two to be exact), and while fans are excited, or disappointed (because it’s sold out), or frantically trying to get tickets off of Craigslist or Ebay…I personally have my own concerns.  I have to say that I am excited to see AC, but my initial excitement has definitely died off since I first got Merriweather Post Pavilion.

AC isn’t really what I’m concerned about though.  While I am sure that I this show (and tour for that matter) can be a big break for their opening act, Grouper, I have my fears about how this might turn out. Don’t get me wrong…I think Grouper (Liz Harris) is an amazing musician, and not a totally odd choice to pair with AC but I am worried about the crowd.

Grouper is great live, and her movies that are projected behind her while she plays are just as good as the music (I was lucky enough to catch her with High Places at the New Museum).  I’m sure that some AC fans are going to truly dig her music, and many might even pick up a copy of her phenomenal album Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill…but these aren’t the AC fans I’m worried about.

Terminal 5 is a 3,000 person capacity venue, and if it was filled with the people that helped make the initial press of 3,500 copies of their new LP sell out in less than a week I think this would be great opportunity for any opening act, especially Grouper.

But we need to think about this in reality.  AC is drawing acclaim from all realms of the music industry, not just indie music listeners and this isn’t a bad thing.  I have even heard people refer to them as the new Radiohead (what does that mean?  I don’t know…I don’t really like Radiohead all that much).

Back to my point, I want to enjoy Grouper’s set.  My fear is that…I’m not sure what the right term to use here… dudes or bros or frat guys are going to be there to see AC…and while I’m trying to listen to the beauty that is Grouper I’m going to have to hear their stupid banter. You know what I’m talking about…when you are around a bunch of people at a show (3,000 to be exact)…and you just want them all to shut up so that you can hear the music, but there are just too many of them.

This is my fear.  Hopefully Grouper will have the noise factor on 10, and blow everyone’s ears out…we will see.

Listen to Grouper:

[mp3] Grouper- “A Cover Over” (via Raven Sings the Blues) (Buy it!)

more on Grouper here.

Animal Collective is on tour with Grouper until the end of May.  Full set of Animal Collective tour dates here.

Grouper’s tour dates (other than the Animal Collective tour) can be viewed here.

Please note that Terminal Five is advertising “3 Nights”  of Animal Collective, and the dates say: “Wed. 5/13- Sat 8/15.”

That appears to be much more than three nights. ha.

Last Friday I received a call from Permanent Records.  Marjorie, the owner, was calling to see if I had already found a copy of the Australian/New Zealand tour split 7″ that Grouper had done with Pumice (again a super limited record.  500 copies on Soft Abuse.  You might be able to buy one mail order here).  I had not, and she held a copy for me until I could make it there after I got off work.  The couple copies that the store received were gone by the end of the day. Thanks Marjorie!

I feel a little bad because I haven’t been up to this store quite as much as I would like to in recent weeks.  They are always friendly, and extremely good to their regular customers.  I get calls when ever they get a rare record that they think I might be looking for, and it is typically my normal stop for new releases.

My old routine used to be Greenpoint Coffee House (I haven’t been there in a while either) and then Permanent on Saturday mornings…but I realize that this has kinda stopped since Steph stopped working at the record shop (this is not a direct correlation, but what it comes down to is…We miss you Steph!).  Maybe I need a new routine… Wednesday afternoons…new releases at Permanent and then a growler of beer?

Permanent is just about the only record store in New York City that will special order records for you, and I think I need to give them a call today.  I can’t find a copy of that new Julie Doiron album I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day anywhere.

Here is a track from the Julie Doiron album I’m looking for:

[mp3] Julie Doiron- “Consolation Prize” (Buy the album here)

I previously wrote about Permanent Records here, and Greenpoint Coffee House here.

Grouper (Liz Harris) hails from Portland, Oregon and release a really killer LP, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, and a wonderful split 7″ with City Center in 2008.   Both of these releases are beautiful, and deserve your attention (they sure got mine…see my best of lists: LPs & singles). Mary Pearson, of High Places, I think put it put it best:

If I were better at controlling my dreams, I would make them sound like this album.

It’s 2009 now,  and Grouper is on her way back to NYC this weekend to play two shows,  Australia, New Zealand, and a couple other scattered US dates. (All tour dates via Grouper’s myspace.)

Listen to Grouper:

mp3- “A Cover Over” – from Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (one of my favorites off the album… courtesy of Raven Sings the Blues)

Grouper – “Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping” (also from Dragging a Dead Deer…)

Buy Grouper’s Dragging a Dead Dead Up a Hill from insound.

Photo via City Center’s blog.

UPDATE: It looks like a dead deer was actually dragged into NYC to promote the show at the New Museum.

UPDATE II: I’m sorry if my original update implied that the Liz Harris/someone related to Grouper was responsible for the prank (I’ll be more careful with my wording next time).  Liz Harris clears this up below. Thanks Liz.

This list has taken much longer than expected.  There were a bunch of albums that I liked in 2008, but I feel that this is pretty comprehensive, but the ones that made this list I truly liked from beginning to end…in my opinion solid records.

For example, I really loved the No Kids record (Come into My House), but I was much more into the R&B songs versus the world music songs…and for that reason it didn’t make my list.

Some things got left off because I didn’t get them til early 2009 (examples are Wavves- s/t and Castanets – City of Refuge), but somethings that I didn’t get into until the end of 2008 shot up to the top ten (mainly Grouper).  I was going to do a top 10, but I have been into the blogging and I wanted to do something bigger (also see my best of 7″ and 12″ singles of 2008).

Welcome to my Top 25 albums of 2008:

25. Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls (Mauled By Tigers Records / In the Red)

24. Eat Skull- Sick to Death (Siltbreeze)

23. Abe Vigoda – Skeleton (Post Present Medium)

22. Desolation Wilderness- White Light Strobing (K Records)

21. Matmos – Supreme Balloon (Matador)

20. Arthur Russell – Love is Overtaking Me (Audika)

19.  The Dodos – Visitor (French Kiss)

18.  Xiu Xiu – Women as Lovers (Kill Rock Stars)

17. David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything that Happens Will Happen Today (self released)

16. Beach House – Devotion (Carpark)

15. The Magnetic Fields- Distortion (Nonesuch)

14. Titus Andronicus – Airing of Grievances (Troubleman Unlimited)

13. Bonnie Prince Billy- Lie Down in The Light (Drag City)

12. Lord Dog Bird - s/t (Jagjaguwar)

11. Burning Star Core – Challenger (Hospital Productions/ Plastic Records)

10. No Age – Nouns (Sub Pop)

9. Thee Oh Sees- The Master’s Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In (Tom Lab)

8. Times NewViking- Rip it Off (Matador)

7. High Places- High Places (Thrill Jockey)

6. Karl Blau- Nature’s Got Away / AM (K Records / Whistler)

5. Grouper- Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill (Type)

4. Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. (Kranky)

3. Mount Eerie- Dawn / Lost Wisdom / Black Wooden Ceiling Opening (P.W. Elverum and Suns)

2. The Music Tapes- For Clouds and Tornadoes (Merge)

1. Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster / We are Beautiful, We are Doomed (Wichita/Arts & Crafts)

Here is my big Friday Post for you!  My Top 10 7″ singles and eps of 2008!

1. City Center- s/t 7″ (Invisible Friend)

2. Thee Oh Sees- Peanut Butter Oven 12″ (Awesome Vistas) (this blog seems to have a download of the hard to find ep)

3. Grouper/City Center- split 7″ (No Label)

4.  Times New Viking- Stay Awake 7″ (Matador)

5. Mount Eerie/ No Kids – Spilt 7″ (Caff/Flick)

6. Atlas Sounds – Atlas Shrugged/Dub Narcotic Disco Plate 7″ (K records)

7. Desolation Wilderness-Until Forever 7″ (K Records)

8. High Places/ Xiu Xiu – Split 7″ (Aagoo)

9. OM – Sub Pop Singles Club 7″ (Sub Pop)

10. Mountain Goats – Satanic Messiah 2×7″ (Click thru for pay what you want digital download)

something that was totally awesome, but slightly holiday themed that didn’t make my top ten was:

Blues Control- December Sup Pop Singles Club 7″ (someone seems to have posted a download…follow the link)