The web has been inundated with Best of 2009 lists the last few weeks, and before that, we got previews of these lists from the placement of 2009’s music on Best of the Decade lists, which have been coming out steadily since October.  And now finally, over the next few weeks, the print editions of the End of Year issues from Spin, Rolling Stone and other music and entertainment publications will be hitting newsstands and a lot of people will be seeing these lists for the first time.  Undoubtedly, Merriweather Post Pavilion by noise rockers Animal Collective, probably the most critically acclaimed album of the year, will be very near the top, if not #1, on most of these lists.  But with nothing remotely close to a hit single in their repertoire, many will wonder, who this band is or what their music sounds like.  So now, without further ado, I present… the beginner’s guide to the musical stylings of Animal Collective.

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