the dance party inside my head.

i've been really bad about keeping a promise i made to myself a year ago to purchase cds on a weekly basis. after the success of andrew bird's "armchair apocrypha" (and the failure of his lackluster concert [i still heart you andrew in case you're reading and yes you can serenade me with the sweet sounds of your violin]), i think i was too worried the next musical choice would only be a disappointment.

such is life.

venturing into soundfix on saturday afternoon, i couldn't resist taking home animal collective's "merriweather post pavilion" and beirut's "march of the zapotec and realpeople holland." while no match for mr. bird, both cds ended up appealing (and somewhat disappointing) in their own ways.

animal collective

merriweather post pavilion

maybe i'm not hipster enough to fully understand this release. maybe i anticipated too much when pitchfork rated it a 9.1. maybe i was hypnotized by the green and blue album cover. maybe i fail at life.

i was completely entranced by "my girls" back in january when it was put on their myspace and dreamed of the other tracks to come. nothing quite reaches the appeal of "my girls" and while i'm not completely blah about the album, i guess i just wished for something more. since i have no real input when it comes to assessing music, i'll simply say it's an interesting effort, but nothing timeless.

beirut

march of the zapotec and realpeople holland

how could i not pick up an album that hits home about two countries on two continents with bittersweet memoirs? oh beirut, how you remain an international sensation in my heart of hearts!

the first half of the cd focuses on mexican wedding and funeral music. beirut incorporates his classic eastern european/gypsy flair with the sounds of chorizo and death -- a curious development. i wasn't really struck by any of the songs, but i do want to know where he's going to go with this on his future albums. for the record, it does not compare to ever lovable soundtrack of "la mutualista."

realpeople holland is more electonic and "scenic world" esque. i enjoyed the likes of "my wife, lost in the wild" and "no dice," but overall prefer his previous efforts. i do like that he's expanding his musical influences and think they will find a place somewhere only he knows.