Animal Collective Saved My Life.

Well, maybe they did. I dunno, but they are really good. An important guys to know about, since the are an influence on/share a zeitgeist with similar acts such as MGMT and Born Ruffians. However, they are extremely avant-garde to the point of being unaccessible to an average listener.

Strawberry Jam was their 2007 release. It's a very fun and well-done album. I hate the word 'catchy' because it's overused, but the songs from SJ will have you humming them long after a few listens.

Their new album Merriweather Post Pavilion just came out yesterday. They're using their voices as instruments more than their previous records. I couldn't even say what their members play usually - some pretty random sounds grace the tracks.

Check them out, listen a few times and then get your opinion.
They're on a huge world tour right now! See the dates on their myspace page.