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

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

NYT profile:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/arts/music/st-vincent-all-born-screaming.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWW4tFuzxGE

this is decent

reminds me of peter gabriel, u2's "numb"

Ha yeah, the spoken word part is very Numb. This is probably the best of the songs so far, but these are all leaving me cold. Her albums used to feel like such an event and I just don't feel hyped for this new one at all.

she really peaked with 'actor'. anything else i've heard hasn't hit nearly as hard. stunning record.

idk this new material is the most interested i've ever been in her

VMIC in the Criterion Closet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPQG0BKNVqY

Genuine WOW tho at her not being familiar with Ackerman.

Album is fun!

wow this is such a peter gabriel album

lol "violent times" sounds like muse??? but one of their ballads

i don't love it but i think this is my favourite album of hers, it's pretty good. the verse about sophie's death feels awkward and in poor taste though and i see people are already upset about it

i have generally really dug clark's work all the way since actor, not listened to this album yet. pretty stoked

reading this thread i'm like "yes!" "no." "yes!" "no." "ew, man i hope not" "YES!"

ok all the neg shit is about muse tbh

I'm shocked how much I enjoyed this. The singles were not representative at all. Broken Man is still one of my least favourite songs she's done, but overall this is a step up from Daddy's Home despite some clunky lyrics.