St. Vincent
Hot off the heels of her European tour, singer/multi-instrumentalist/composer St. Vincent (Annie Clark) will be performing her gloriously unconventional music for NoisePop 2009. For those not familiar with her, St. Vincent won “Female Artist of the Year: at the PLUG Awards 2007, and her eccentric art-rock debut album, “Marry Me,” has received acclaim from both critics and tastemakers alike. She boasts an impressive resume, having been a part of avant-garde composer/guitarist Glenn Branca’s 100 Guitar Orchestra and a former member of the Polyphonic Spree. She’s shared the stage with indie darlings like the National, Jose Gonzalez and fellow NoisePopper John Vanderslice and in her “off time” finds the energy to tour and play with Sufjan Stevens’ band.
St. Vincent has been writing and performing music since she was 12. She is an impressive multi-instrumentalist with the liner notes from “Marry Me” crediting her with playing the organ, Moog, bass, synthesizers, clavieta, xylophone, vibraphone, percussion, piano and guitar (and more) – in two words: ridiculously talented. Her music is often described as “cinematic” and “orchestral,” but with a modern take on her lyrics and song structure, which is often unpredictable and a bit from left-field.
St. Vincent takes her listeners on a journey across a landscape of sounds, and crosses musical genres in her material – one minute she’s performing a haunting indie-pop track, the next she's featuring grinding guitar work as she dissolves into dissonant yet aurally pleasing rock noise. St. Vincent’s lyrics are inventive and sometimes forceful, but are balanced out by her vocal delivery, which has a sweet childlike aesthetic. She is known for her captivating yet intimate live performances and is undeniably adorable, refreshing and unforgettable. VERONICA YOUNG
