Song of the Day - August 29, 2006

Our Brother the Native have released a delicious, delightfully weird album with Tooth and Claw. Combining folk elements with sound samples, tape loops, and unusual vocals, Our Brother the Native create a sonic world that is at times charming in their naiveness, but also simultaneously eerie. What is even more amazing is that this album was basically created by two thirds of the trio (located in Michigan) emailing sound clips back and forth to the third member of the trio in California. Comparisons to Animal Collective have been made by others, and their influence is claimed by the band, yet the sound they create is remarkable for a band composed of two 16 year olds and the elder member of the group at 18. For a taste of the unusual give "Falconiformes" a listen. The barely intelligible vocals may be the work of aliens or something out of a nightmare; whatever the source, the overall effect causes a slight chill to transverse my spine. Song of the day honors go to "Welcome to the Arborary," which is pure psychedelic candy, incorporating drones, acoustic guitar, a similarly strange vocal treatment, keyboards, and a slightly more convential structure. Click here to listen.