New York based avant-garde collective from Baltimore, Maryland.
The band consists of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz).

In the early 2000s, before naming themselves Animal Collective, the members of the band made several albums under their stage names.
The albums they made are nowadays considered to be part of Animal Collective's discography, and have since been re-released under the name Animal Collective.

The first one was called Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished, and it was released in 2000 under the name Avey Tare and Panda Bear.
The second one, called Danse Manatee, was released a year later under the name Panda, Geologist and Avey.

These two albums were later re-released as a double CD under the name Animal Collective.

Also, the first pressing of their 2002 live album Hollinndagain was released under the name Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist. Later reissues of it were released under the name Animal Collective.