St. Vincent - a.k.a. Annie Clark;

She should call her band The Grenadines.

That "diminutive minx" post is really something.

Is Christoff Squirrel Police?

do yourself a favor and get to one of her shows.
i like the album, but it was nothing compared to the live show.
it was one of those ones that makes you go back to and like the recordings infinitely more.

oh, & her guitar is the sex.

lol @ diminutive minx & guitar is the sex. this thread is weird.

anyway, im enjoying the new album

new album better than debut album

the exact kind of album which is know is good but it's just not my cup of tea

SFJ in the New Yorker luvs him some St. Vincent with blog and notebook posts

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2009/05/annie-clark.html

xtc influence ...hmmm, could be good

this record really is pretty darn good

was v surprised to see her on letterman

actually, letterman is fairly consistent when it comes to booking good musical guests.

kinda surprised by this record.i like 'the party' a whole lot.

there's something about her style that seems not to make big waves or grab loads of attention, but everything she does is terrific, and it's nice to see that she seems to have this gradual accretion of people who realize that. just slowly, steadily getting bigger and better.

isn't it odd she hasn't made it bigger though? first of the sufjan connection (or is this a bad thing now?) plus the hot minx thing seems like decent enough premises.

the letterman performance was really good yes.

I don't know -- I can actually see how, when people read descriptions of her records, they might not find a hook that's really pressing or motivating. The Sufjan connection is probably a negative, in that sense: it's possible that people think, you know, "singer-songwriter," "nice arrangements," "Sufjan side player," umm, let's just say it's easy to imagine those things adding up to a common variety of run-of-the-mill record nobody rushes out to buy. It's tough when your hook is that you're just really good at what you're doing, because people sort of have to take someone's word on that.

I think what tends to really prove it with her is live stuff, and to be honest she's one of few acts going where there are web videos of her performances I will actually go back to and watch again, periodically, just because she's that good -- the Pitchfork.tv "Cemetery Gates" thing with her is superb and (I think) better than the album, with a lot more breathing room; and the way she used to do "Paris Is Burning" solo is just terrific to watch. She covered "I Dig a Pony" for that Takeaway Show series, or something, and that one gets me. There's something about her performing that's really special and pretty far beyond what she gets on record, in my opinion.

actually, letterman is fairly consistent when it comes to booking good musical guests.

haha after a week with multiple dave matthews performances she was a major breath of fresh air

I should probably give this more time, but every time I check her out I start thinking about Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know" and I get a little sick and have to turn it off.

eep. i hate that movie.

i almost saw her open for another act two years ago, but based on the sufjan connection GF and i gave her a pass. maybe we shouldn't've?

i love her and hate sufjan fwiw

AC played guitar for me on a tour a few years back and I can say with no doubt she is one of the most talented things going. So smart+wild soul. Killer player. Killer lady.

i like this Actor LP a lot on 1st listen. reminds me of the first Bird And The Bee LP. not heard her earlier stuff yet tho. and i think i hate sufjan so...

I just got into Actor this week too. I think I must have been confusing her first album with something else I heard at the time, something more floaty and folky and whatever. I went back after discovering how much I liked Actor and ended up liking Marry Me too.

And now I'm mad because I spent two years not listening to the first album because I confused it with something lame.

here's that letterman performance ftr - you still don't get anything this brilliantly weird on the jonathan ross show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zVlr-ynnAI

I like this loads.

Yes, I am playing Last.fm/Spotify bingo but it's leading me to lots of nice things. One of those spiderweb connection things that occasionally actually works.

i like it

who was/is bear bear bear?

castanets

Awesome guitar sound on track 7.

So my DIS-contributing friend told me about this record. And how it's like the best thing released all year.

On first listen, it's not far off. Brilliant stuff.

there are some records i just feel too protective of to want to allow other people to listen to

this is kinda one of them

(He actually linked me Southall's blog, which really did convince me to give this a go, so chalk another one off, Nick!)

this does feel like some amazing genre-transcending secret

So she's more than just a female version of that bearded American indie stuff beloved on National Public Radio? I've only done quick listens online so far.

Yeah, whatever you think it sounds like based on that description, you're about 83% wrong.

yeah, that's about as far removed from what she actually sounds like as you could possibly get without describing, like digital hardcore or something

I had listened to her music and thought 'meh', then I saw her live and it was brilliant, then I've returned to the recordings and I'm 'meh' again. I guess I can keep trying.

i am reminded slightly of late-period scott walker

'black rainbow' through 'laughing with a mouth of blood' and then 'marrow' is, like, incredible

every time i hear 'Save Me From What I Want' i want it to carry on into LFO's 'Loch Ness'

Ha, this is exactly what I meant way upthread -- most of the terms you'd use to describe her music really do risk making her sound like "bearded American indie stuff beloved on National Public Radio." And to be honest with you, I would actually not argue that she's totally categorically distinct from that stuff. I really don't think she's that far away, unfashionable thought that might sound to some people. The difference is mostly just that she's a billion times more interesting and better at it than most. Artier, more graceful, more musical, better with mood, more imaginative, etc.

^^ One benefit of this is that anytime someone who likes popular indie along those lines asks you for a recommendation, St. Vincent is something good and interesting but exactly in the right vicinity for them to like. I do wish her records sounded as good as she does live, though.

There's a lot to be said for doing something a billion times more interestingly and effectively than most! God, this is good stuff. This is what is meant by the word 'realised' in reference to albums. Also, 'uncategorisable'. Add 'The Neighbors' and possibly 'The Strangers' to my list of holy shit this is fucking amazing

This is indeed the sort of album which should appeal to a fairly wide market of at least slightly committed sonic enthusiasts. A recommendation as likely to work on me as on someone whose taste rarely gets more leftfield than Portishead, or someone who has completely renounced mainstream pop for Steely Dan or whatever.

I continue to be baffled by the love for this one, I still vastly prefer her debut to this one. I keep returning to it in the hopes of discovering what everyone else seems to be hearing in it but, nope, still just decent sounding to me.

Ha, this is exactly what I meant way upthread -- most of the terms you'd use to describe her music really do risk making her sound like "bearded American indie stuff beloved on National Public Radio." And to be honest with you, I would actually not argue that she's totally categorically distinct from that stuff. I really don't think she's that far away, unfashionable thought that might sound to some people. The difference is mostly just that she's a billion times more interesting and better at it than most. Artier, more graceful, more musical, better with mood, more imaginative, etc.

I'm sure most would say I'm way off base, but I hear a lot of Kate Bush in St. Vincent (at least in the lead single from the new album).

The "Paint a black hole blacker" bits in "The Stranger" seem like an obvious Bushism.

I recently caught her performing on Austin City Limits and it was beautiful. The music had a very slow weight that reminded me of many things, L'Altra maybe. I listened to the album again and was mostly bored. Maybe her next album will caputre the magic of her live performances. Even her vocals are the album aren't as beautiful as they are live.

If she's that much better live than on record, I need to see her live badly, because her records are awesome. Prefer the new one to the debut, but only got the debut on Saturday. Seems a little tamer.

I would say that her records are v v compressed compared to live -- this can be true of a great many records v. live situations

i don't hear anything beardy NPR dude about her music at all except that occasionally there are maybe hints of old timeyness to it - but it's much more urban (as opposed to rural, beardy, backwoodsy) sounding than that. glimpses of 1920s glamour rather than that old tyme music hall thing. she is, at her best, totally uncategorisable in the same way that classic old skool 4ad was: haunting, evocative, otherworldly and yet visceral and teeth and bones and blood and flesh rather than filmy ghosts

kate bush comparisons are so o_0 wtf becoz yes, all otherworldly gurl singer-songwriter auteurs must be cut from the same cloth and that is the ETHEREAL staitjacket oh yessss

I would say that her records are v v compressed compared to live

makes sense, you can hear it on the 'Marrow' intro where her "reach the parts that need oilin and fixin" line is a bit too low, quiet and lost in the choral haze.

wow, imagining listening to this album in a diner, with a coffee circle stain on the table! that would be exactly like it used to be, wow

tbh though i'm kind of an advertisement hater

it's how i resist the man

in the 19th century, nostalgia was considered a disease.

in the 20th, a disease of the bourgeoise. the height of decadence. but i can't help liking period aesthetics. not usually when it's too fussy. but like, my kitchen table is danish and from the 50s and it's my favorite thing. i am sitting at it now, swooning.

teakship

the drums feel corrected to within an inch of the drummer's life, which is what everybody wants now anyway but detracts from the vibe for me.

one of the worst developments in the history of rock music

i'm going to give this another shot tonight.

that movie is some rattle and hum ass shit

another beguiling puzzlebox from rock's most fascinating trickster

That Slate review is weird in that the reviewer seems to be actively trying to view the album as a "singer-songwriter" album for some reason? The whole thing reads like, "Despite knowing St. Vincent isn't a good lyricist while enjoying many other aspects of her music, I focused almost entirely on the lyrics when I listened to this album, so my opinion of it is pretty much totally informed by how I felt about the lyrics." Personally I've listened to the album a couple times now and never once felt like I was being asked to pay more attention to the lyrics than I would when listening to any other St. Vincent album.

Anyway, I like this album a lot more than I was expecting to after reading what she said about it being a retreat from "angularity." Mainly I appreciate it because I'm about the same age as St. Vince and I've always really romanticized the idea of my parents' life in the decade before I was born (i.e. the 70s), and I think at least part of the idea here was to create an album/aesthetic/persona that brings her version of that romanticized vision to life. It's a superficial dream version of her dad's world pre-her.

I hadn't really listened to her stuff before, but did check out this album (the commentary made me curious) – it definitely didn't strike me as a super "focus on the lyrics" kind of album. (It also didn't strike me as having much in the way of songs, but that's another story...)

I could still do with less of the ***70s*** stylings but this live version of 'Down' is better for being slightly looser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi7hhX_yn5Y

But dissonance appears on Daddy’s Home whenever Clark’s louche time-traveling character collides with the political tensions of the present day. It’s odd, for example, that two songs on the album refer to calling “the cops,” or 911, in light of the past year’s uprisings against police brutality.

so wait we're not supposed to call 911 now

we caved and called 911 the other day but only because there was a dog in a hot car

misread that as 'a hot dog in a car'.

from the soundtrack of Minions: The Rise of Gru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_340Lsodug

What a peculiar soundtrack. It's a coherent project - e.g. it's not a bunch of licensed tracks, it was recorded as a single thing - but it has Thundercat and Phoebe Bridgers etc covering light rock and disco from the 1970s. And it was recorded two years ago (the film was held back because of the COVID pandemic). Perhaps they thought it would be the next Guardians of the Galaxy, but hipper. It only got to #192 in the US charts. But there has long been a cross-over between children's entertainment and the avant-garde so perhaps it's not that unusual.

Earlier generations had "pre-war" and "pre-Nixon shock" and "pre-Apollo" etc, my generation has "pre-dot.com bust", "pre-9/11", "pre-great crash", "pre-COVID", and it's hard to keep up. This soundtrack was devised post-great crash, pre-COVID, during a time when travel bloggers were still on an upwards trajectory. A totally different world.

I was going to say "when will she launch an NFT" but it seems that the island chain of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has actually beaten her. As has MIA, who isn't a landmass, but instead an ordinary 47-year-old human woman. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines doesn't have a regular army, but if push came to shove my money is on the island chain just because they have numbers on their side. Even if she has double-tap and HEAT ammo St Vincent can only engage at most two targets in a single turn. But perhaps she could funnel the enemy into a choke point.

According to Wikipedia "each year, approximately 1169 males and 1224 females reach military age, as estimated in 2010" in Saint Vincent, so I suppose the ultimate question is "can St Vincent kill more than 2,393 people in less than a year without sustaining lasting injuries herself". If the answer is "no" military action would be futile.

Last night I watched The Nowhere Inn. Every viewer seems to have their own personal tolerances for self-reflexive stories, so this is bound to be beyond the pale for a lot of people. I can also imagine that real-life events with Sleater-Kinney, and St. Vincent's slight decline in acclaim and fascination, might darken some of the back story for some people.
I found the first 75% (rockumentary parody) mostly funny, and the last 25% (Persona/Hour of the Wolf nightmares about artistic futility and loss of identity) were not bad. A lot of the self-deprecating stuff about St. Vincent's less-than-massive fame might strike someone who isn't familiar with her less as humility than a reason not to watch.

this is a fun video - Annie just chatting about guitar stuff with Matt Sweeney. can't say I've listened to her music all that much but she really has an interesting approach to the instrument:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrMgXPLwc9o

oh that's cool! even if he spelled her name wrong :)

That was great! I was a huge fan and for some reason Daddy's Home took the wind right out of the sails for me. I should go back and try it again. The self-titled album is so damn good.

Cosign about the self-titled, the whole Actor > Strange Mercy > s/t run was incredible. Unfortunately both Antonoff-produced albums were misses for me (although I have warmed up to Masseduction a little bit), but she seems to be teasing new music nowadays? There’s a video on her socials of her putting that godawful Daddy’s Home wig back on the wigstand so I guess we can expect something new soon-ish

OTM re: that run. I first heard her in a tiny venue shortly before she released Actor and have been a huge fan since--one of the only contemporary artists I listen to. I felt quite a bit of anticipation for "St Vincent does the Seventies"--enough to preorder the deluxe vinyl that came with a zine--but it didn't do anything for me. I didn't dislike it, but after a few spins nothing really stood out to me and I couldn't recall how most of the tracks went two hours after finishing it.

Still, I'll check out whatever she puts out next and hopefully see her tour again... though I wouldn't mind if her live show loosened up a bit. The clips of the Masseduction tour seemed a bit overly regimented, whereas I recall her cutting loose with the guitar theatrics a bit more on earlier shows.

I really enjoyed the Masseduction tour, although it was a bit odd--just her with pre-recorded backing. Her sense of visuals is off the charts, and on the rare occasions that she did let loose--I think "Rattlesnake" was one of those occasions--she really did shred (and lost part of her outfit).

It sounds urgent and psychotic, in equal parts the most caustic sound and also, I think, the most sonically blooming. It’s high stakes and intentional. The last record, I was approaching tough subjects with a lot of biting humour and wit. I put on a wig, I was prancing around, it was so fun. This record is darker and harder and more close to the bone. I’d say it’s my least funny record yet! There’s nothing cute about it. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/st-vincent-new-album-exclusive/

Self-produced, so no Antonoff

That sounds like very good news.

I thought she was great opening for Roxy Music. I was honestly surprised, since I hadn't really been jibing with her vibe.

yeah I liked that material live more than I liked the album. she's a great performer always though

this person provokes a strong reaction somehow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYJxPg6quL4

oh she's making a nine inch nails album, cool. this is easily the most interested i've ever been in her

Mid '00s/Trent Reznor listening to DFA throwback vibes?

I think I'm officially off the bus.

Back on the bus

that is...fine

Kind of Rattlesnake with different sonics I guess? a cool groove with a very precise build and some fun gonzo guitar stuff. But I am here for that much more than whatever wood-panelled retro 70s shit she was doing previously.

It is quite Peej-y to my ears.

Yee haw this is great

Between this and Chelsea Wolfe the good '90s are back

I loved St Vincent but the last album was just plain bad and really put me off ever being excited about anything new so I wont be pre-ordering this time (though I haven't played that new song yet) I really hope she's back on form though.

well that was annoyingly not awful, ugh

It is quite Peej-y to my ears.

― Piedie Gimbel, Thursday, February 29, 2024 7:49 PM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

way too perfect

with st. vincent's music since the s/t... i think it probably doesn't hold its own next to its influences, all else being equal

except that all else _isn't_ equal. she's always _had_ to be a visual performer. she's a woman who plays rock guitar. the success of a woman in rock is in large part measured by how much her fans want to fuck her.

which is a lot of where my unease about liking her music came from, early on. i remember seeing her in '11 or '12 in the egyptian room with my ex, and my ex complaining about all of the _guys_ there. (my ex had a bit of a misandrist streak.) i didn't want to fuck her. i wanted to _be_ her.

i haven't wanted to be her, or anybody else but me, for a little while now. she's still something of a role model for me. she's queer, femme-presenting, neurodiverse-coded (it's always been in her _choreography_, the way she _moves_. a lot of david byrne in there.) the way she navigates those things, the way she presents herself to an audience...

and the way gender plays into it as well. singing about being a "broken man". some people would think of me as a "broken man" - not a woman, but a _mutilated_ man. a man who's had _irreversible damage_ done to him. is how some people would frame me. i genuinely think that's pretty funny. with st. vincent... well, she's a woman who plays rock guitar. doing that _does_ almost seem inherently gender non-conforming.

I'm getting Muse vibes from the new single. I was hoping for more after the disappointment of the last album, but this does nothing for me.

Kate very much otm

The track sounds totally generic, it’s like a mid-tier Lost Highway soundtrack song.

I'm getting Muse vibes from the new single.

haha can't unhear this

way to put me off even giving it a listen

“Broken Man” is the first thing I’ve heard since “Birth In Reverse” that I’m into - there’s a forward momentum that’s been missing since she went even more art rock/art project. Nice guitars too.

Second single "Flea" out today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E65yRApR9UU