Animal Collective is an avant-garde musical collective based out of Baltimore. The group’s principal members perform under the pseudonyms Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Brian Weitz, and Josh Dibb. Though all four are active collaborators in the group, Animal Collective’s albums can feature contributions from any or all of the members.

Though the Collective debuted in 2000, they have just recently started gaining critical notice that has translated into unexpected commercial success. Despite the highly experimental nature of their albums and ever-evolving sound, Animal Collective’s most recent albums “Feels” (2005), “Strawberry Jam” (2007) and “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (2009) have all placed on the Billboard charts, with “Merriweather” peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.