Pitchfork: Animal Collective Launch North American Tour, Panda Bear Preps Solo LP

Animal Collective Launch North American Tour, Panda Bear Preps Solo LP
Fire marshalls declare onstage campfires completely legit

Since the release of their phenomenal Sung Tongs back in June, it seems as if the Animal Collective have become increasingly ubiquitous. A quick scan of the newswire reveals no real hyper-prolific itinerary-- at least not in the Sun City Girls sense of an unending release schedule, or the Wilco sense of announcing tour dates every three days-- but an inescapable feeling of omnipresence nags at me nevertheless. There has been news, activity; a video, for example, and word of an EP with Vashti Bunyan. But that sort of thing amounts to an air of diligence, not ubiquity. This is something else entirely: a towering presence, a great and growing standing in the context of music as a whole.

Could be that their delayed recognition as a certifiable Great Band is finally catching up with them. The newly christened "freak-folk" scene is picking up speed, and alongside Devendra Banhart, the Animal Collective are at its fore. And as the genre continues to show increased promise-- seemingly by the day-- the general implication is clear, and worthy of rejoice: The Animal Collective are just getting started.

And now they even have news for us! Tonight marks the launch of their first North American tour in support of Sung Tongs. Presently, only 12 dates have been announced-- and there's no word from Animal HQ whether more are on the way-- but basically, it'll have to do. Each of these shows (except for the Other Music instore) will be with Black Dice, with whom the Collective has split a tour-only EP titled Wastered, which they'll be selling at the merchandising tables. Here's the schedule:

08-16 New York, NY - Other Music (acoustic in-store performance)
08-17 Columbus, OH - The Wexner Center
08-19 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (w/Black Forest/Black Sea)
08-22 Seattle, WA - Neumos (w/Climax Golden Twins)
08-23 Vancouver, BC - Club Mesa Luna
08-24 Portland, OR - Berbatis Pan (w/Jackie-O Motherfucker)
08-25 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall (w/Comets on Fire)
08-26 Oakland, CA - Lobot (w/Comets on Fire, Axolotl)
08-27 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (w/Ariel Pink)
08-28 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory LA (w/Mia Doi Todd)
08-31 Austin, TX - Emo's
09-01 Houston, TX - Mary Jane's Fat Cat (w/Sugarbeats)

In related news, core Animal Collective member Panda Bear is set to release a new solo album through the Collective-helmed Paw Tracks label on September 21st. Entitled Young Prayer, the record is wholly detached from the freewheeling stomp of Sung Tongs-- and appropriately so, as it was recorded in both the chronological and physical radius of the death of Panda Bear's father. Young Prayer is a chronicle of the passage into death and the absence of life, a sparse and spacious affair often comprised solely of an acoustic guitar and Panda Bear's amorphous vocal lament. Each of its nine songs are untitled.