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

this is the first thing byrne has done in years that I've liked. probably the first album since his s/t one.

I was expecting it to be not so great, as 1) Melissa said she didn't like it and 2) BRASS. I am semi-allergic to brass but wow, this album was actually all kinds of awesome, I liked it from the first hearing, and it got even better the more I listened to it. The brass arrangements are really quite unusual, not what I was expecting at all, and really quite moreish.

(But mostly it made me dig out a bunch of old Talking Heads records I haven't listened to since I was in high school.)

Do you like St Vincent's other stuff WCC?

Yes.

Personally I loved Actor so much but Strange Mercy kind of grated on me. I'm looking forward to hearing this record though.

st. vincent is a bit lame

you're a bit lame.

I was lukewarm on the album after a couple spins (except for the horn arrangements, it wasn't really grabbing me...though I was working while listening).

However, seeing these Jimmy Fallon live performances really brought things together. Think I might end up digging this as much as the last St. Vincent record (a pop gem), though in a more brainy, less brawny manner. Bummed that the closest this tour is coming to me is Chicago in the middle of the week. Times like this...hate the Midwest.

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/david-byrne-and-st-vincent-the-forest-awakes-91012/1416222/

Byrne's vocal melodies have not won me over yet, but maybe if I give it a few more listens.

She seems better live, judging by a number of fairly recent YouTubes. Drop-dead cool gradually becomes poignant (emerging/undertow desperation of the "Joan Didionesque" persona she's cited), plus hairline fractures in keyboard bridges x guitar skronk. Byrne x horns-wise, so far I prefer Music From The Knee Plays.

What other records use brass in ways comparable to this? There must be some but I can't think of anything off he top of my head.

Seeing the show tonight, but underwhelmed by the album.

Saw the show last night and liked the songs from the album better live. Live they are also doing lots of choreography for each number plus using lights and shadows to keep your interest. Alas, Byrne's stiff movements don't seem that endearing to me, and Annie's wiggling also gets a bit predictable. Her voice sounds great I just wish she would write some (conventional) choruses and hooks. The crowd was mainly there for David Byrne I sensed. It was a really expensive show-- $75 to $125 list for tickets.

Haven't looked for the Strathmore (MD/DC ) setlist online. It will be a slight bit different than this one from NY that I saw but its not that different:

Who
Weekend in the Dust
Strange Overtones
(David Byrne cover)
Lazy
(David Byrne cover)
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
(Talking Heads cover)
I am an Ape
Marrow
(St. Vincent cover)
I Should Watch TV
Ice Age
Like Humans Do
(David Byrne cover)
The One Who Broke Your Heart
Lazarus
Cheerleader
(St. Vincent cover)
Outside of Space and Time
Encore:
Cruel
(St. Vincent cover)
Burning Down The House
(Talking Heads cover)
Encore 2:
The Party
(St. Vincent cover)
Road To Nowhere
(Talking Heads cover)

that looks like an awesome setlist

Aye, I bet that was wicked. Prefer her songs / vocals to his on the record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35vDF3J_-P8&feature=player_embedded

imo this is quite lovely and the out of focus cameraphone footage rather accentuates it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2AL2xvZO1g

Still getting my head round this. Hate to say it, but Byrne's hokier moments (singing about TV and procreation etc) kind of spoil it a little bit. It's a great pairing though - Annie's moments really do remind me of prime TH-songwriting style. It's roughly 70/30 good/bad though.

if they tour the uk, I'll def be there.

http://sickmouthy.com/2013/03/21/st-vincent-actor-2009/

http://www.music-man.com/instruments/guitars/st-vincent.html

Looks pretty sick

Nice, I was wondering what that was when she played it with Taylor Swift the other night.I don't usually go for Music Man's body shapes (esp. the albert lee. I don't understand how that guitar continues to get produced), but this looks cool.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-taylor-swift-perform-explosive-live-cover-with-beck-st-vincent-20150826

Isn't the Albert Lee what she usually plays?

Yeah, it's really just one of my least favorite guitar shapes.

I like St. Vincent, and I love the original of this, so I really wish that I liked this cover more, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOzC_q4357c

A new song from Ms. Clark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n48vQgfXygc

Giving me some Actor vibes but . . . more earnest and direct?

really nice

Woah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJb3lTNRtA8

I knew it would be that song before I hit play.

At Sundance next year:

The Nowhere Inn​ / U.S.A. (Director: Bill Benz, Screenwriters: Carrie Brownstein, Annie Clark, Producers: Jett Steiger, Lana Kim, Annie Clark, Carrie Brownstein) ​—​ When St. Vincent sets out to make a documentary about her music, the goal is to both reveal and revel in the unadorned truth behind her on-stage persona. But when she hires a close friend to direct, notions of reality, identity, and authenticity grow increasingly distorted and bizarre. Cast: Annie Clark, Carrie Brownstein. World Premiere

Hmm

Last (x) Movies you are going to Avoid

new single is uhhhhhh

not good

For anyone else that is interested, I think it's this? Maybe I've been out of the game for a while, but she is completely unrecognizable to me, here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUTu65AXrJw

New album, "Daddy's Home"

Also, not to double post, but I get really weird sort of Momus-y vibes from this.

The song writing seems to exist as a pretext for the high concept and visual aesthetic and the sound design. Or is that harsh?

Yeah, this does not get me super excited about the new one, but hard to imagine I won't like some of it considering how much I love the rest of her catalog. I mean, it feels increasingly like leaning into the high concept/visual aesthetic thing is just as big as the new music she's making with each cycle.

The song writing seems to exist as a pretext for the high concept and visual aesthetic and the sound design. Or is that harsh?

maybe but that's been my sense with her stuff for a few cycles now

Prob need to investigate her more, and probably hear her live, but what I've heard just sounds like an 80s prince side project production.

I love her and I'm very excited for this record

extremely blatant bowie/prince homage, misses the mark

could grow on me though. wonder what the rest of the album sounds like

young americans is my least fave classic bowie era

here she comes to clog up the EOYs again

“The song writing seems to exist as a pretext for the high concept and visual aesthetic and the sound design. Or is that harsh?“

Not only is it not harsh its most music these days, with low budget types relegated to Instagram for their visual concepts. Music is just a vessel for individual personality: all artists have been reduced to influencers/content creators

other than the outfit it doesn't sound like young americans, it seems more Lodger-ish to me. But what it mostly reminds me of is Midnight Vultures which is an album I never return to.

tbh I never cared for Lodgers much, lol and I do not like Midnight Vultures either

The Beck comparison is apt, I think they share they same tolerance of the vapid where it aligns with the haircut. But then probably people said that about Bowie, and particularly his plastic soul iteration.