In fact, In The Flowers could well be my SONG OF THE YEAR. I’m hard-pressed to think of a song more alive, more urgent than this when the middle kicks in. It’s a rush of blood to the head, a total high.

So I was pretty ecstatic when this sneaky little gem got posted online last week, no muss, no fuss, while we wait for the upcoming video for current single Brothersport.

Directed by Abby Portner (Avey Tare of AC’s sister), it’s exactly the kind of weird ass explosion of vivid, wacky, whimsical whirlwind of lo-fi random life imagery I would have hoped for a song like this.

Except for the dancing mannequin head at the end. That’s just scary.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware that Brooklyn’s mighty Animal Collective has come into the zenith of their musical heights in 2009, delivering one of the year’s biggest indie albums with the very genius and critically ravished Merriweather Post Pavilion.

It’s an album of epic, deliriously happy and head-spinning squelchy summery psych-pop proportions that you can bet your bottom dollar will be topping a number of end of year polls and lists. Oz fans have been (rightfully) whingeing and crying Collective tears since 2006 – the last time the band toured for Feels – that they would come back and bestow their live shows on our shores again… Well your prayers have been answered, so don’t say the indie Gods never give you NUTTIN!

The promised ones will be headlining Meredith Music Festival (SOLD OUT!! Most demand for tix they’ve ever had) and HEADLINE shows that you’ll be cursing yourself if you miss out on. So a word to the wise, DON’T and get yourself a ticket when they go on sale next Friday, August 25… for all of two seconds. Presented by Triple J and SPA.

GO GO GO!

Ticketing deets are on our Tours page, but dates are:

• BRISBANE – Thursday 10 December
• SYDNEY – Friday 11 December
• MELBOURNE – Monday 14 December
• PERTH – Thursday 17 December

For we unfortunate many not at Lollapalooza ‘09, you can watch the live stream at http://iclips.net/lollapalooza2009.php

Well worth checking out – including live streamed performances from Bat For Lashes, Ben Harper & Relentless 7, Animal Collective, The Decemberists, Neko Case, Jane’s Addiction (for those us us who recently found ourselves Jane-less in Oz). Currently watching Perry Farrel – in what appears to be gold sparkling leather flares – run around stage with Joe Perry of Aerosmith, against a magic Chicago skyline… *sigh*…

Luckily we have InSoundian Tara on-ground at Lolla, so we’ll have full reports soon!

Here’s the brand spanking new video for Summertime Clothes from our crazy psych folk friends, Animal Collective, directed by Danny Perez (who has done some of their previous clips) and featuring Brooklyn’s FLEX dance crew, who appeared with the band when they performed on Letterman.

For those of you that were a touch disappointed with the My Girls video and found yourself longing for the freak trip spectaculars of the old AC clips of yore, I think this will do the trick.

For some reason, this video makes me think of sausages yet makes me want to eat jelly.

I know exactly where i’m going to find the HOTTEST new records in the world now – BREAKFAST AT SULIMAYS!

Probably the most honest reviews you will find on the internets (made by 75+ year olds). Here’s some of our finest: Animal Collective, The Decemberists and Joanna Newsom getting put into place!