4500 vinyls, sent out, ten a t a time (if that) to 450 independent record stores throughout the nation, that means in each city there is an average of 10-30 people who own that album. that is cool and all, an I would die of happiness if any music I made was so purchased, but it is really a trickle.

my point is that AC has been growing by way of fantastic music... hype has been at a fever pitch with last year's live shows, as fans eagerly awaited to hear the live songs be put through the studio process, and like many predicted, they made their best album at the best possible time. they sold as many vinyl of the new album in 1 week, as their last album sold altogether. and most kids don't have record players.

It ain't an interesting discussion. It's people staying on their position without moving the slightest bit and rehashing the same arguments over and over. It has absolutely no interest. Plus I don't see any interest in discussing whether 4500 LPs and 15 000 000 tracks on last.fm sold means popular or not

Cool. Everyone else who's replying finds it interesting, though, and that's why they're replying. Sorry the current discussion within this 11 page thread isn't interesting to you. We'll get back to discussing the album shortly.

That was an interesting part of the discussion

you're gonna be surprised how many sales were directly from the label... are there even 450 independent record stores left?

most everyone i know of pre-ordered through the label.

Rob, this is a bit unrelated, but I'm curious if you think Mindless Self Indulgence are a "popular" band. I have a point to make here, but I'm going to wait.

MTV is impressed when Jay Z can find his tiny cock. fuck them and their attempts at remaining relevant by trying to latch on to the Pitchfork hype surrounding AC. yeah.

i bet all 4500 was sold in williamsburg.

Well, the vast majority of the population in the world likes shit music. If anything the above reinforces what I knew already. Still, thanks for reminding me once more.

I agree man, and all praise be to their talents and skillz, but I was just trying to clarify "popular" when used in the context of Animal Collective

its not only pitchfork... AC are in GQ and National Geographic Adventurer. SY was never in National geographic Adventurer, were they?

so they're on the same websites that usually report jay-z, and the trendiest music site on the whole internet is hyping them

that means they're popular

cannot judge for that is the first time I have ever heard that name (if it really IS a band ;) )

i think they were pretty popular at one time. i'm not sure about now. i think ac is more popular then them at this point.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

ooooooooooooooooooooooh:D

Haha, nevermind, Rob didn't really answer so I have no point to make now... Carry on.

u older guys are missing the point.

the point is they make good music... and this sales number is some historic shit in the digital age. even if you don't like it, you can't say all of their music is bad... or you can, but then you'll be found out as the pretentious-prick-who-just-likes-to-argue that you are.

You didn't believe I'd keep the promise, did you? C'mon, they're just some shit band, that's all.

hype is the PRELUDE to propularity (sometimes, other times it is just a smokescreena nd popularity never comes)
HYPE exists to increase the audience for an otherwise little known artist. Hype for BIG, KNOWN artists ussually means that their last records sucked ass and they need to create interest in the new one.

I did answer. I dont know who that is.

I think this thread needs some real unfriendly blowouts, and none of this understanding sarcastic cooperative disagreement nonsense.

Here's a knife.

No, I think that if you need to point out that me and Rob are older, the point is being missed by you, not me. If anything I bet on average I listen to way more young bands than you do, so there. And Animal Collective happen to be shite, young or not. K?

i really don't like their music. except for one song. if that makes me pretentious that's fine, but people have different tastes in music.

more insults please, don't be shy.

"Yes" or "no" are answers, not "I dunno". Anyway, I just think you're a bit behind the times on what people are actually listening to. No offense.

who?

dude, there is a big difference between statements that AC's music is crap, and the statements that one does not like AC's music.

I can hear the inventiveness, and the expansive scope of what AC do musically. I think they are innovative within the context of their chosen medium, and I like their aesthetics (the art and live show surrounding the music) and can appreciate all that but the MUSIC, the most important crucial part, the songs themselves, I do not enjoy very much, any more than I enjoy taco's Puttin On The Ritz. that is just a matter of personal taste.

I can go into much detail about what I do not like in their music, but it would just be masturbatory.

like what? they're almost as bad as mgmt?

Hey Dave, curious, how active is the collected animals forum versus this one?

no, i pointed it out because you and Rob are probably the 2 oldest ones still arguing, and you both have the same stance.

you probably do listen to way more young bands than i do. it probably helps in your dismissal (of AC) that you can rattle off so many new bands that you could listen to instead. it also helps to hide behind all the obscure names you know

Scissor Shock, Robe.

Real people listen to Linkin Park, Coldplay, The Beatles, Jack Johnson, and one randomly selected mid-level band such as Animal Collective, MGMT, or Radiohead.

You forgot My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco.

My point about MSI is that they don't seem popular because they kind of stay out of the public's eye, but if you do a little research, they're fucking huge, with a really devoted fanbase, albums and tours that are eagerly anticipated and sell out immediately. Nearly everyone I personally and professionally know (including myself; Tight-era only!) has been a fan of them at some point in the past 8 years though they may not be now.

Anyway, they never even made it on the Billboard top 200 and are never covered in magazines (aside from Alternative Press), but I would consider them a "popular" band just because of how many listeners they have!... Anyway, I was just curious about what Rob thought of them, because they're probably the biggest band to NOT be covered by the mainstream press at all.

So, me considering Animal Collective popular.... I'm just basing it on the people I personally know in real life. I think Rob leads a very differant life than me and doesn't know all the young kids and what they are actually listening to on their ipods and shit. Not that I'm an expert, but I can name 30 people I know in real life at the top of my head that listen to and enjoy Animal Collective. That's more than I can even say for Sonic Youth, actually! They may not all be buying their records, but I dunno if record sales are the only way to define a band's popularity.

Anyway they're only going to get bigger...

Oh right. And Incubus. Or are they dead yet?

^^ oooch i'm not real. I always thought something was wrong with me.

so you are still stuck in astone age aristotlian logic system of YES/NO?
MAYBE and I DON'T KNOW are equally valid answers man.

I think if you are concerned with being "up" on what people are actually listening to, as if that is a barometer of sorts, or an indicative of what YOU should listen to, then I don't know what to say man. In 1977 people by the millions were "actually" listening to Fleetwood Mac and that shit is pure garbage to me. what does that even mean man?

now that cantanky is gone... its not even close... I'm sure it'll slow down a bit when the new album gets a few months old. hell, checked the last.fm shoutbox for AC since MPP leaked?? new replies every 10 minutes or less usually.

ok, well I can't fault you for that. if it's not yr thing then no prob. as long as you've given it a listen, which it sounds like you have