How many times can one style or genre of music be praised, then beat down and berated to the point that its cliche, only to come back again a few years later heralded as a breath of fresh air, new and exciting? It is easy to hear influences in songs, in entire genres of music, and usually this produces a lackluster piece of art (the neo-new wave explosion - in itself a hilarious name -- a few years ago? anyone?). True master works, the music that fills your head and makes you listen and re-listen obsessively, takes those influences and synthesizes them with something unique, creating something that is above the fray, something sublime. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) this is rare; and I understand: it is hard to make a quality piece of art. Which is why we, the discerning public, have to be diligent in what we claim to be masterful, groundbreaking, etc.

This slightly pretentious opening leads us to a recurring feature that we at SCS will be calling: "How Many Times Did That Reviewer Just Mention Gang of Four?" aka "THE BATTLE FOR THE DERIVATIVE!"

First up:
"Animal Collective Vs. Fleet Foxes: Who's Got the Most Beach Boys at the Party?"

At the years end, as I am sure you know, all blogs/websites/magazines/whatever put out their best-of lists. At the top of most for this year were Fleet Foxes, almost all combining the EP Sun Giant and the full length Fleet Foxes as one album to review (I'll be doing that as well). Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion was released in the beginning of this year and is fast becoming THE album of the year. I've had both albums for some time (Fleets Foxes longer...), and generally like them as background music to complement something else, a nice non-offensive way to say to anyone at my house or in my car, "I like good music, just not the stuff I have to pay attention to." So, I was pretty surprised at the immense critical acclaim they received. They're not bad (read: I'll play it quietly at an intimate house party), but they're not Earth shattering (read: if you don't like this, I will never speak to you again, period).

So I did a little research.

The common thread I've found in repeated listenings to the albums, and in repeated readings of the reviews/anklejobs for both bands, has been... The Beach Boys.

Anytime a band is compared to/said is influenced by the Beach Boys, I'm going to take a listen. Honestly, it's kind of hard to find a band that hasn't been influenced by them in some way. But the critics are right: Fleet Foxes and Animal Collective take this influence to a new level, and I think they're better for it. But making something truly great out of that... I don't know.

So the real question is: who out-Beach Boys's who?

-Harmonies: What's more Beach Boys than massive, lush, multi-part vocal harmonies? Animal Collective has them, but they always have that spaced out chanting thing going on; Brian Wilson and co. could chant it up with the best of them, but it always had more of a melody. Fleet Foxes on the other hand are slightly more melodic, and the pristine quality of their harmonies is gorgeous, consistently layering their tracks with folky multi-part vibes. I'm still in church, but this one has movement (and one of those crazy snake-wrangling preachers). WINNER: Fleet Foxes

-Beautiful Musical Production: From the beginning of Merriweather Post Pavilion, it is clear that Animal Collective is reaching for artistic heights, and the production and intricately placed sounds are proof that something extremely positive is going on. The sounds of "In The Flowers" wash over you, envelop your senses, and accurately portray a band that spends a lot of time honing their big, lush sound. This is a calling card for the Beach Boys ("Good Vibrations" comes to mind...), and Animal Collective uses it well. Fleet Foxes, to their credit, aren't necessarily going for that feel. The simple, quiet, and at most times beautiful production is just what their music needs. No bells or whistles, just the organic sound of the melodies laid bare with acoustic flourishes. In this category, the Beach Boys they are not. WINNER: Animal Collective

-Transcendental Spiritual Quality: Put on Smile or Pet Sounds and try not to be moved. The songs flow into and out of each other, sounds come in that you at first can't believe (the squeaky clown horn in "You Still Believe In Me" still gets me every time...), and by the end you are awash in the emotional landscape of Brian Wilson (kind of a scary place to be). Both Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes are capable of this kind of transportation. Merriweather Post Pavilion is full of moments of ecstasy (pun fully intended), where in the swirling electronic sounds and chanting lyrics create a mantra-induced state. That's a pretty nice place to be. Fleet Foxes though create a less hectic, more reverential space inside the listener's head; so much so that its hard to envision this music any place else but in a run-down backwoods Baptist church in Washington state that's been taken over by a cult dedicated to worshipping the nature gods. As far as spirituality goes, Fleet Foxes give the Beach Boys a run for their money. WINNER: Fleet Foxes

Most Derivative: FLEET FOXES

Tune in for the next installment:

"Who owes Led Zeppelin (via Robert Johnson) the Most Money?: The White Stripes Vs. The Black Keys"


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