As the UK deepfreeze thaws, and first whiffs of stale body odour, flat pints and porta-loos waft into your memories with the first festival announcements, Monday Music Club returns to warm your bones with slightly fresher slices of audio pleasure from St Vincent and Grimes.
I've already professed my passion for not-so-holy St Vincent - and, it seems I'm in well-heeled company as fashionista broadcast-bible Gossip Girl features the band tonight (Monday). The special valentines episode, where Blair reveals a big surprise for Serena apparently, will be on boxes in the US at 8/7c on CW Television. Or watch the band below:
For some slightly more credible tuneage, visual/musical artists Grimes has music blogs frothing over her 'revolutionary' (Gorilla vs Bear) new album Visions - which is streaming at NPR. If you're not familiar, Grimes is the stage name of 23 year old DJ, artists and producer Claire Boucher - who's released two full-length albums and her acclaimed Darkbloom split EP (with d'Eon) since 2010.
A Vancouver, Canada native who migrated to Montreal, Quebec to soak up the city's creative DIY loft scene, Grimes' was nurtured by indie label Arbutus, to release her laptop created compositions of spectral vocal hoops, nocturnal bleeps and evil effects on to the world.
Visions is Grimes third album, and first for new label home 4AD (also home to St Vincent) packed with psychadleic goth-pop and glitchy synths layered with trademark pubescent vocals - all faux childlike tone, and a refusal to use words, looping vowel noises, screeches and pure sound instead. Perfect for long cold nights in grimy clubs, or melancholy no-valentine moping.
Wanna see her live? Breathe in downtrodden grass and human stench to a soundtrack of Grimes this summer firstly at Brighton's iconic Great Escape schmoozefest, then Field Day on 2nd June in London's Victoria Park, Simple Things in Bristol plus more. For a taster chew on this live video of Nightmusic from the first ever Gorilla vs Bear festival:
From the gutter to the stars (aherm) also in music today, your dad's favourite warbler Adele cleaned up at the Grammy winning five gongs in the biggest US industry fest on Sunday night - including the hugely prestigious Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year. (Wanna know what Adele wore? Read our sister blog Catwalk Queen for full Grammys fash).
Also on the evening, Nicki Minaj stirred up middle america by strutting on stage with a lookalike of The Pope before performing new tune Roman Holiday - complete with full-on The Exorcist tribute. And, with Whitney Houston's shocking watery death, tributes abound with Jennifer Hudson belting a tearful version of I Will Always Love You in her honour.
But, the big-buttocked popstrel was no match for indie's favourite tear jerker as our beloved Bon Iver beat her, plus emo-kid gone dubstep king Skrillex, to win the Best New Artist Gong. Sometimes there is justice in the world.
What are you listening too? Comment below & find more new music tuneage next week...
Like this? Check out more music on nollie:
- Music Club: Lana Del Ray, 2 Bears, Django Django and The Kills
- Music Club: Daughter
- Music Club: Emeli Sande - future soul superstar
- Music Club: Lights - electro acoustic solo star
- Music Club: visionary indie by St Vincent
