We are at the doorstep of a turning point in history. Today America will inaugurate its first black president while the indie rock world ushers in its commander in chief with the release of Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective.
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While Prez Obama will serve a four-year term in office, Animal Collective will preside over the music blog echo chamber for approximately three, maybe four months, with perhaps a surge in adulation towards the year’s end.
Obama’s historic day includes a head-spinning schedule of official protocol. Subjects of Animal Collective will go through their official routines today as well, downloading free copies from Pirate Bay or perhaps purchasing the double vinyl version from local wax merchants.
Unlike Obama, however, Animal Collective has some heavy competition for the limelight. Also coming down the new release chute today is Antony and the Johnson‘s The Crying Light, the heavily-anticipated follow up to ’05 sleeper hit I Am Bird Now. As reviews pour in expectations are ridiculously high for both these jams, though they will not be able to solve the music economy’s increasing woes.
Standing at the sidelines to these events is the Joe Biden of the situation – indie folk singer Bon Iver, who drops his Blood Bank EP today. The bearded American, who calls Wisconsin home, enjoys a grass roots appeal with his woodsy acoustic tunes.
If Canadians are feeling a little left out of the party with all the stars and stripes flag-waving, take heart because New Pornographers braintrust A.C. Newman and his Get Guilty solo offering also drops today. Admittedly this isn’t quite as anticipated since Newman’s songwriting dominates the Pornographers, thus it has little surprise factor going for it.
And that leaves the politically-void John Frusciante and his freshly minted new solo stint, The Empyrean, also out today. There’s been little advance discussion on the 10th studio effort by the RHCP shredder, but the surrealistic album cover graphic certainly raises a few questions.
