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Animal Collective

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 4

The 2 Chainz full-length Dope Don't Sell Itself is on our shortlist of the best albums out on Feb. 4. The Atlanta rapper says it'll be his final trap album. Wynton Harvey/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Wynton Harvey/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 4

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the final trap album from Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz, '80s-flavored pop from Mitski, Animal Collective's return to form and more.

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 4

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New Music Friday For Aug. 17: Seven Albums You Should Hear Now

Mitski's Be The Cowboy is on our shortlist for the best albums out on Aug. 17. Bao Ngo/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bao Ngo/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday For Aug. 17: Seven Albums You Should Hear Now

New Music Friday returns from a two-week break with some of 2018's most anticipated releases, from Death Cab For Cutie's Thank You For Today to Mitski's Be The Cowboy.

New Music Friday For Aug. 17: Seven Albums You Should Hear Now

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Animal Collective Walks In The Beach Boys' Footsteps (Literally)

Animal Collective's new album, Painting With, comes out Feb. 19. Tom Andrew/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tom Andrew/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Animal Collective Walks In The Beach Boys' Footsteps (Literally)

The band usually road tests its songs before recording them, But for the new album Painting With, they started in a studio — specifically, the acoustically stunning room where Pet Sounds was created.

Animal Collective Walks In The Beach Boys' Footsteps (Literally)

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Menomena, Matthew E. White, Animal Collective And More

Menomena (clockwise from upper left), Cat Power, Matthew E. White, Buke & Gase Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

Menomena, Matthew E. White, Animal Collective And More

Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are back from their 2012 World Tour, which is to say they visited Seattle and Portland, Ore. last week, and have returned with a batch of new songs to share.

Menomena, Matthew E. White, Animal Collective And More

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First Listen: Animal Collective, 'Centipede Hz'

Animal Collective's new album, Centipede Hz, comes out Sept. 4. Adriano Fegundes/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Adriano Fegundes/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Animal Collective, 'Centipede Hz'

Centipede Hz is jagged and assertive; it snarls and heaves, supported by electric musculature. The album captures the sound of studio wizards who are once again ready to unleash some sweaty savagery on the live stage.

Hear 'Centipede Hz' In Its Entirety

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Guest DJ Panda Bear

Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear, spun a playlist heavy with friends and contemporaries on this week's show. Brian DeRan/Photo courtesy of Force Field PR hide caption

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Brian DeRan/Photo courtesy of Force Field PR

All Songs Considered

Guest DJ Panda Bear

The experimental music maven spins some of his favorite songs from contemporary artists — including his Animal Collective bandmate Avey Tare — and previews some of his own upcoming album, Tomboy.

Guest DJ Panda Bear

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Animal Collective: Starring The Grateful Dead

"What Would I Want? Sky" is lush, rewarding and a welcome rebuttal to critics of music sampling. Atiba Jefferson hide caption

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Atiba Jefferson

Review

Song Of The Day

Animal Collective: Starring The Grateful Dead

"What Would I Want? Sky" is the first song to legally license a Grateful Dead sample. And, in a smartly subtle move, Animal Collective doesn't even unveil it until three minutes in, after a dense, psychedelic junket through a sea of vocals and unintelligible sounds. The result is a colorful, lush, rewarding and, above all, a welcome rebuttal to critics of music sampling.

'What Would I Want? Sky' by Animal Collective

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All Songs Considered Listeners Pick The Best Music Of 2009

The Best Music Of 2009

All Songs Considered Listeners Pick The Best Music Of 2009

We could tell early on that 2009 was going to be an outstanding year for music. Here are the top 25, as selected by All Songs Considered listeners.

All Songs Considered Listeners Pick The Best Music Of 2009

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Discussion: The Decade Defined

All Songs Considered

Discussion: The Decade Defined

It's hard to believe, but the first decade of the new millennium is rapidly drawing to a close — and it's been a remarkable one for music. In this edition of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen looks back at some of the defining trends, sounds and historic moments that made the '00s stand out, in a roundtable discussion with Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson.

Discussion: The Decade Defined

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Live in Concert

Animal Collective In Concert

When the enigmatic rock group Animal Collective released Merriweather Post Pavilion in January, it became an early frontrunner for 2009's best record. Hear the band perform a full concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., recorded live on May 11.

Animal Collective In Concert

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Review

Music Reviews

Animal Collective: The Electronic Turns Organic

Animal Collective is an experimental pop band that's cultivated an air of mystery over the past few years, as well as a passionate following. Will Hermes reviews the band's new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Animal Collective: The Electronic Turns Organic

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