We've been pretty sure (for a while now), that Annie Clark's newest album as St. Vincent was going to be spectacular. And sure enough, Actor is being hailed as one of 2009's best, receiving accolades from virtually every major magazine and blog. Metacritic does a great job compiling ratings and reviews, so if you're interested, you should definitely comb through them, but allow me to summarize: the sweet/soft physical appearance and vocals stand in sharp contrast to the content of her songs. The word "Disney" is getting thrown around in a lot of the reviews; partly because some of the arrangements recall early Disney classics, and partly because many of those same classics used the superficial guise of "cartoon" to depict dark, heavy themes. The comparison to Actor is appropriate, and on essentially every song, the sound belies the story. With such rich musical arrangements accompanying the complex lyrics, this is an album that almost demands multiple listens. Lucky for us.
PS. Apparently, Lala may now require you to register with them so you can listen to certain songs. You can go here or here to read more about it if you want, but if you're asked to sign-up, just do it! It's the equivalent of signing up for something like Pandora, and it definitely shouldn't cost you anything (unless you want to start buying music from the site).
Sunday 5/3/09 | The Earl | $8 (advance)/$10 (door) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Enjoy seeing the "next big thing" according to basically every blog, all for the low, low price of $8! Plus, you can get a burger at The Earl before the show. How could this possibly be a bad idea??
Saturday 5/16/09 | The Drunken Unicorn | $8 (advance)/$10 (door) Horse FeathersandJoe Pug At a venue called "The Drunken Unicorn," you don't necessarily expect to hear the soft, bucolic sounds of these two artists. As long as the music from MJQ doesn't bleed over, it should be a very entertaining concert.
Wednesday 5/20/09 | The Earl | $8 The Explorer's Club It's entirely possible that these guys have only ever hear The Beach Boys (and just the sun-tinged, surfer-and-his-girl variety... not the Pet Sounds variety). If you like that sound, you'll love this band, and it should be interesting to see if they can hit their harmonies live.
Wednesday 5/27/09 | The Tabernacle | $25 The National Well, unfortunately, this show got moved from The Variety Playhouse (great venue and staff) to The Tabernacle (good venue, crappy staff, Live Nation online ticket sales). I love The National, but I'm not sure I can drop $25 + my first born in Live Nation "convenience charges" to see them without a new album to hear live.
Friday 5/29/09 | Variety Playhouse | $16 (advance)/$18 (door) Bonnie "Prince" Billy Will Oldham's recent album as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lie Down In The Light, is phenomenal as is his newest album, Beware. He's also apparently great live, but really, I just want to see if he makes fun of Wes Anderson. Video: Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "I Am Goodbye"
Saturday 6/6/09 | The Drunken Unicorn | $12 (advance)/$14 (door) Passion Pit and Harlem Shakes There will be all kinds of sweaty kids rockin' out their awkward dance moves at this show. And I plan to be one of them. Seriously guys, let's go!!
Sunday 6/7/09 | Variety Playhouse | $18 Bon Iver I'm starting to run out of things to say about this band (and lead-man Justin Vernon). So seriously... just go. Go to this concert. Spend $18 and go. Go.
Friday 6/12/09 | The Earl | $8 Here We Go Magic I know almost nothing about this band except that I heard them on XMU radio (when I had my free trial period) and they have a self-titled album that just came out. But that's what concerts are for... checking out new bands!
Saturday 6/13/09 | The Tabernacle | $26 TV On The Radio and Grizzly Bear I will be at this show despite the fact that I should be studying for an exam. You're basically getting to see a full set from TVOTR and Grizzly Bear (and their phenomenal upcoming album Veckatimest) for $13 each. That's unreal! Make sure you buy tickets from the box office to avoid having your wallet taken advantage of by Live Nation.
Sunday 6/14/09 | The Earl | $12 (advance)/$14 (door) St. Vincent Annie Clark's debut as St. Vincent (Marry Me) was eccentric and tight, and her upcoming Actors promises more of the same great songwriting from the Polyphonic Spree alum.
We've been pretty sure (for a while now), that Annie Clark's newest album as St. Vincent was going to be spectacular. And sure enough, Actor is being hailed as one of 2009's best, receiving accolades from virtually every major magazine and blog. Metacritic does a great job compiling ratings and reviews, so if you're interested, you should definitely comb through them, but allow me to summarize: the sweet/soft physical appearance and vocals stand in sharp contrast to the content of her songs. The word "Disney" is getting thrown around in a lot of the reviews; partly because some of the arrangements recall early Disney classics, and partly because many of those same classics used the superficial guise of "cartoon" to depict dark, heavy themes. The comparison to Actor is appropriate, and on essentially every song, the sound belies the story. With such rich musical arrangements accompanying the complex lyrics, this is an album that almost demands multiple listens. Lucky for us.