Strawberry Jam
Encyclopedia
Strawberry Jam is the seventh studio album
by American indie rock
band Animal Collective
. It was released in September 2007, the band's first on Domino Records. The title and track listing were revealed by band member Geologist on the Collected Animals message board on May 16, 2007. The press response to Strawberry Jam was highly positive, with most lauding its unique sound as a large step forward in the band's evolution. The album charted on the Billboard Top 200, debuting and peaking at #72.
. Band member Brian Weitz
explained why they chose this location on the Collected Animals message board http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?t=2623:
Moreover, Strawberry Jam engineer
Scott Colburn, who also worked with the band to record the predecessor Feels
, knew Wave Lab's owner. According to member Noah Lennox
, it was a conscious decision to record the album "in a desert setting."
Two songs that had been played extensively on the band's 2005–2006 concerts, "Safer" and "Street Flash", were not included on Strawberry Jam. Regarding the songs' absences, singer and guitarist Avey Tare
wrote to fans that the band recorded studio versions for both, but decided against including them on the album, "partially due to their length[s]". "Safer" was eventually released as the B-side of the album's first single, "Peacebone", while "Street Flash" and other studio leftovers appeared on the 2008 EP Water Curses.
About the content of "Peacebone", said in an Interview with BBC
:
as he and the band were on a plane headed to Greece for a show. Upon receiving his complimentary tray of food, he opened up the packet of strawberry jam that had been provided for the bread. As he removed the cover of the packet, he was drawn to the look of the glistening jam, and he expressed his desire for the production of their new album to sound like the jam looked, "that is to say, something that's really synthetic and sharp and futuristic looking," but also "tangy and sweet, almost in a kind of aggressive way in terms of the way it tastes".
Avey Tare created and photographed the cover art. Additional layout and design was done by Rob Carmichael, with whom Animal Collective has collaborated on several other projects.
on June 12, 2007, was notable in that it was leaked in three song clusters over a period of weeks. Geologist wrote on the Collected Animals board that the first batch of promotional copies were watermarked
, and that each journalist's name would be digitally embedded in any extracted files. On June 19, 2007, a letter from the band's publicist was sent to music journalists regarding the leaking of the first three songs:
Panda Bear talked with Shout Mouth regarding the band's thoughts on the leak:
The remaining three tracks—-"Fireworks", "Cuckoo Cuckoo" and "Derek"—-were all leaked on July 4, 2007.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
. It was released in September 2007, the band's first on Domino Records. The title and track listing were revealed by band member Geologist on the Collected Animals message board on May 16, 2007. The press response to Strawberry Jam was highly positive, with most lauding its unique sound as a large step forward in the band's evolution. The album charted on the Billboard Top 200, debuting and peaking at #72.
Recording
The Album was recorded at Wave Lab Studios in Tucson, ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Band member Brian Weitz
Geologist (musician)
Geologist is a founding member of Animal Collective. He provides electronic sound manipulations and samples for the band.Geologist grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore and currently lives in Washington DC....
explained why they chose this location on the Collected Animals message board http://rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?t=2623:
"dave [Portner] and i were talking a few months back about environments to record and one of us was like maybe it'd be sweet to make this next one a desert record and then everyone was like yeah man we haven't done that yet and it seems like it could fit the songs and the way we want them to sound. that might not make sense to anyone but us because when you think of the desert you think of twangy guitars and morricone soundtracks and jim morrison walking with the ghost of an indian, but we don't really see it that way. we looked at a bunch of studios from southern california to new mexico and settled on one we liked in tucson. plus i've spent about a year and a half of my life living in the tucson area"
Moreover, Strawberry Jam engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Scott Colburn, who also worked with the band to record the predecessor Feels
Feels
Feels is the sixth studio album by American freak folk band Animal Collective, released in October 2005 by FatCat Records. Initial copies contained a bonus disc of live material. It also appeared at #55 on Pitchfork Media's top 200 albums of the 2000s....
, knew Wave Lab's owner. According to member Noah Lennox
Panda Bear (musician)
Noah Benjamin Lennox also known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Early life:...
, it was a conscious decision to record the album "in a desert setting."
Album content
In a pre-release interview with Billboard, guitarist Deakin described the new album as "chiseled" and "shiver-inducing". According to the interview, the majority of the album's songs were played on the band's live shows from 2005 to 2006, but that there would be, "nonetheless, a few new ones that we've never played live."Two songs that had been played extensively on the band's 2005–2006 concerts, "Safer" and "Street Flash", were not included on Strawberry Jam. Regarding the songs' absences, singer and guitarist Avey Tare
Avey Tare
Avey Tare is a musician and founding member of Animal Collective. Portner lives in Brooklyn, NY.-Animal Collective:...
wrote to fans that the band recorded studio versions for both, but decided against including them on the album, "partially due to their length[s]". "Safer" was eventually released as the B-side of the album's first single, "Peacebone", while "Street Flash" and other studio leftovers appeared on the 2008 EP Water Curses.
About the content of "Peacebone", said in an Interview with BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
:
Title and cover art
The name Strawberry Jam came from singer and drummer Panda BearPanda Bear (musician)
Noah Benjamin Lennox also known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Early life:...
as he and the band were on a plane headed to Greece for a show. Upon receiving his complimentary tray of food, he opened up the packet of strawberry jam that had been provided for the bread. As he removed the cover of the packet, he was drawn to the look of the glistening jam, and he expressed his desire for the production of their new album to sound like the jam looked, "that is to say, something that's really synthetic and sharp and futuristic looking," but also "tangy and sweet, almost in a kind of aggressive way in terms of the way it tastes".
Avey Tare created and photographed the cover art. Additional layout and design was done by Rob Carmichael, with whom Animal Collective has collaborated on several other projects.
Internet leak
The album's internet leakInternet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
on June 12, 2007, was notable in that it was leaked in three song clusters over a period of weeks. Geologist wrote on the Collected Animals board that the first batch of promotional copies were watermarked
Digital watermarking
Digital watermarking is the process of embedding information into a digital signal which may be used to verify its authenticity or the identity of its owners, in the same manner as paper bearing a watermark for visible identification. In digital watermarking, the signal may be audio, pictures, or...
, and that each journalist's name would be digitally embedded in any extracted files. On June 19, 2007, a letter from the band's publicist was sent to music journalists regarding the leaking of the first three songs:
Panda Bear talked with Shout Mouth regarding the band's thoughts on the leak:
The remaining three tracks—-"Fireworks", "Cuckoo Cuckoo" and "Derek"—-were all leaked on July 4, 2007.
Track listing
- "Peacebone" – 5:13
- "Unsolved Mysteries" – 4:25
- "Chores" – 4:30
- "For Reverend Green" – 6:34
- "Fireworks" – 6:50
- "#1" – 4:32
- "Winter Wonder Land" – 2:44
- "Cuckoo Cuckoo" – 5:42
- "Derek" – 3:01
Personnel
- Avey TareAvey TareAvey Tare is a musician and founding member of Animal Collective. Portner lives in Brooklyn, NY.-Animal Collective:...
- DeakinDeakin (musician)Deakin is an avant-garde musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Animal Collective:Josh Dibb began writing and recording music with childhood friend Noah Lennox in 1991. While at The Park School in Baltimore, Josh met David Portner and Brian Weitz when they asked him to join their...
- GeologistGeologist (musician)Geologist is a founding member of Animal Collective. He provides electronic sound manipulations and samples for the band.Geologist grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore and currently lives in Washington DC....
- Panda BearPanda Bear (musician)Noah Benjamin Lennox also known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Early life:...
- Scott Colburn - Engineer