"All those wasted miles/ All those aimless drives through green aisles/ Our careless lifestyle/ It was not so unwise.” On “Green Aisles”, the second track from Real Estate’s second album, lead singer Martin Courtney pretty much delivers the thesis statement of his band’s existence. more ›

After what seemed like a long wait, Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, a.k.a. the object of every NPR-listening, vinyl-collecting indie boy’s desire, a.k.a. the recent creator of a record warmly wrapped in a choir of critical hosannas, finally walked out onto the dimly-lit Moody Theater stage. more ›

Most musicians fall into one of a few standard career arcs (the slow build, the flameout, the sophomore slump, etc.), but rare is the artist who starts off strong, and then somehow, against all odds, successfully manages to raise the game which each successive album. One of these rare artists is the indomitable St. Vincent, the nom de plume of Texas' own Annie Clark. This year she released her third LP, Strange Mercy, and it's by all measures her most ambitious, dynamic, and rewarding work yet, and there's no hint that she'll slow down anytime soon. In advance of her highly anticipated performance at ACL Live at Moody Theater this coming Monday, we rang up Annie for a delightful chat on everything from old school video games to her Texas upbringing. more ›

Oh, St. Vincent, how much more talented you seem to be with every passing month. As if your debut album, Marry Me, weren't enough to elicit the swooning of every pasty-faced hipster boy this great nation has to offer, you had to bust loose and break it down with Actor, an album that is harder, more damaged, more demanding, and just plain more rocking than what we'd ever expect. So here's our chance to show our appreciation: tonight, when you'll be ripping your guitar to pieces and embodying a slew of made-up characters all public-style at the Mohawk, where the crowd is sure to be attentive and engaged, and where you'll surely continue building your case as one of music's true up-and-coming dynamos, we can display our gratitude. We mean, what better way to end this American tour, right in Texas where you grew up? There, we can even wish you good luck for your next gig: your NETWORK TELEVISION DEBUT on Letterman this coming Wednesday. more ›

Throughout its thirty-nine minutes, Actor demonstrates a continued development of depth and breadth for Annie Clark, as these songs are meaty in comparison to previous work. Also, the apparent disconnect between the sweetness of her purposely-exposed face (plastering it on the cover of an album is a good way for people to know what you look like, jsyk) and the often dark and foreboding subject matter is more present than ever—rarely does a song go by without something at least mildly disturbing to pull from the lyrics. Add on top of that a full-band willingness to rock out, with even occasional hints of Kraut to boot, and songs like the brutal “Marrow” and the propulsive “Actor Out of Work” are for the first time possible. But the big thing here is that asking a half dozen people which song on the album is their favorite may very well result in a half dozen different answers. more ›

St. Vincent, Annuals, The Black Angels, Golden Arm Trio, Colourmusic, The Spinto Band, Pepi Ginsberg, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, and Grampall Jookabox are just a few of the many acts already confirmed by SXSW for this year’s edition of the annual festival. more ›

The excitement surrounding Texan Annie Clark's solo project St. Vincent began long before the release of her debut Marry Me, thanks to the strength of a few early tracks, much blog love, and of course, a stellar live show. Clark is bringing the St. Vincent experience to Fun Fun Fun Fest this year after generally touring all over with acts including John Vanderslice and Pattern is Movement. Clark talked to us via email about her likes (tea, Phil Collins), dislikes (certain Alaskan politicians) and kept mum about the future. more ›

But really, The Castanets can't be a country band, can they? What with the quirky little indie and freak folk tendencies creeping up from the edges, those occasional dashes of electronics, and all that distortion squall they toss at their listeners...that can't really be considered country, right? Well, I hate to break it to you, but The Castanets' waterlogged new album, In the Vines, has just a hint too much pedal steel to get away... more ›

St. Vincent is Annie Clark, who has recorded with the Polyphonic Spree and been part of Sufjan Stevens's touring act. In July, the 24-year-old struck out on her own with an album, Marry Me, of slightly spooky pop songs full of oddball instrumental layers. Don't let the deer-in-headlights photo on her album cover fool you — Clark is engaged and thoroughly charming. She's the sort of person who, mid-interview, starts asking about you —... more ›

As Austin emerges from the thorough soaking we've received over the past few weeks, it becomes time to dry off in the warm breeze of some talented female singer-songwriters. Saturday night at The Parish, you can do just that. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) headlines, supporting her first proper LP Marry Me, an album that will mercilessly wallop your preexisting notions of not just female artists, but any artist writing compelling music out there.... more ›