Avant-indie rockers Animal Collective seem to elicit either a "YAY" or "nay" response from people. You either love 'em or hate 'em. I happen to fall in the head-over-heels category, and was super interested to hear of their collaboration with filmmaker Danny Perez on a feature film entitled ODDSAC.

Perez is no stranger to weirdo musicians, having worked with the likes of Black Dice and Panda Bear. The film stars the members of Animal Collective, and features an original score by the band and visual projects and art from Perez. ODDSAC is a supposed visual album, with all the songs original and exclusive to this film release. It walks the line between music, digital art and really explores the relationship between sound and visual images during the course of an album.

Screenings are scheduled for several US cities, including Seattle, and will feature members of the band and Danny Perez available for questions. The film will be officially released on June 29th, but don't wait until then to get a peek at this groundbreaking project! It's sure to be strange, intensely beautiful and certainly not for everyone.

More information and pictures can be found at www.oddsac.com.

Screenings:

March 17th   Chicago IL, USA  --  Music Box Theatre  $15  7pm, 9pm

March 20th   Minneapolis MN, USA -- The Cedar  $15  7pm, 9pm

March 22nd   Los Angeles CA, USA -- ArcLight Cinerama Dome  $15  7pm. 9pm

March 25th   San Fransisco CA, USA -- Sundance Kabuki Cinemas  $15  6:30pm, 8:30pm

March 29th   Portland OR, USA -- Cinema 21  $15  7pm, 9pm

March 30th   Seattle WA, USA -- The Egyptian Theatre  $15  7pm, 9pm

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I have come to really dislike putting together "Best Of" lists or year-ending spreadsheets of music that everyone has already heard. This time I'm gonna do it differently...Shrie -style! These are just a few albums/songs/artists that tickled my fancy and got some good stereo-play at our house. Some are indie critic darlings (and disliked by many), some are sure-fire ins and some won't be at the top ofanyone's lists this year. It's a mish-mash of sonic goodness, extrapolated on by your friendly local music writer (and sometimes critic).

In alphabetical, not ranking, order. The "Top Ten" theme is too restrictive for my wily mind to grasp.

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at The Gorge

Sasquatch was a doozy. I wrote a lil bit o' news about a few bands I saw each day via my check-in's for days 1, 2 and 3. There were people having sex during the Decemberists right out in front of {supreme being} and everyone, and I met a TON of Canadians "eh". I saw a kid wearing a fleece pajama jumpsuit all three days (shower? yeck) and my toes have never been as dirty as they were after three days of music and camping. Verdict: sunburned, dehydrated, jolly good time. The itsy bitsy press trailer was anything but cush, so I kept my ass out and about amongst the common-folk gorging themselves on the sweet sweet sounds of Sasquatch. Here is what I heard:

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Sasquatch 2009 is a mere two days away. Go see bands all three days, cheer your head off, drink some beer and/or smoke a joint. Get dirty campin' toes and sweat through your forehead bandanna (or brave kilt-lifting style winds like in 2007). Come back harried and skip out on work Tuesday. Recount every last moment, with positive embellishments, to anyone fool enough not to attend. Buy the tshirt and flaunt the shit out of it.

Here is your big bad SASQUATCH 2009 PREVIEW.

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At times elated and joyous, and other times ghostly and longing, Merriweather Post Pavilion is the most accessible, most polished and arguably the most impeccably cohesive work of Animal Collective's career to date.

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Merriweather Post Pavillion Listening Party!

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Featuring new releases from Fleet Foxes, Shearwater, Aimee Mann, Animal Collective, and more.

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Well, I'm a little behind schedule with my Billboard Album Chart update thanks to spending the last 3 days looking at auriferous gravels in the Sierran foothills.

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