Pitchfork

Welcome to the latest edition of Pitchfork's Guest List. Each week, we ask one of our favorite artists to fill us in on what they've been up to lately: which tracks they can't stop spinning, what books they can't put down, and what new bands they've caught on tour. This week it's Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, who tells us about a game of Whirlyball gone awry, promises not to gush over Grizzly Bear (and then does, several times), and explains the "Fünke" origins of her album title.

>> Favorite New Songs of the Past Year

I would have to say "Young Bride" by Midlake. It's a pretty rad one. And...my new favorite is track six on the Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam ["#1"], and Grizzly Bear's "Central and Remote".

>> Favorite Older Songs at the Moment


>> Favorite New Band

You know, it's sometimes really hard to keep up with new music, unfortunately. But I have to admit, I haven't heard much from these two bands, but what I have heard I thought was great: Bat for Lashes, totally awesome and charming. And Battles as well. Of course Grizzly Bear, but I think I say that in every interview [laughs]. Any time I can, I mention Grizzly Bear. So this won't be the time I do that.

>> Favorite Song Ever

Definitely David Bowie: "It's No Game (Part 1)". So elaborate and tripped out.

>> Best Recent Concert

Grizzly Bear at Sasquatch. Did you get to go to Sasquatch?

Pitchfork: No, but they just played the Pitchfork Music Festival here. It's interesting to see them outdoors.

So good. Sasquatch was amazing. I mean being on the stage, being on the...God, I forget, the Wookiee Stage or something. Is that a Star Wars reference?

Pitchfork: Yes.

Okay. I have not seen Star Wars.

Pitchfork: I recommend it, but then I'm a dork.

Yeah. [laughs] That's on my list of favorite movies that I've never seen category. So the best view was from the stage. It was totally, totally gorgeous; the weather was great, except for the second day, when the wind was absolutely brutalizing and insane. My old band [the Polyphonic Spree] had to stop their set in the middle of it, so that was a bummer.

>> Last Great Film I Saw

I'm going to go with Morvern Callar by this Scottish director, Lynne Ramsay. It's one of the best films ever. Her only other film was called Ratcatcher, which was also extraordinary. She's not necessarily very prolific, but the films that she's made have totally blown me over. Totally beautiful.

>> Last Great Book I Read

I just finished [Legs McNeil's] Please Kill Me. Have you read it?

Pitchfork: Yeah, I have. It's terrific.

It's so good. It makes me want to read, just read.

 

>> Favorite Piece of Musical Equipment

I found the most amazing 1967 Silvertone red hornet guitar in Seattle. I walked in and I saw it on the wall, and it was the first one...it was kind of like one of those cheesy Frankie Avalon moments or something when I saw it [laughs]. There was a beautiful glowing halo, and I totally had hearts spinning around my head. And I just got it, I love it so much. It was in perfect condition. It was like someone was saving it for me.

>> Favorite Record Store

When I was on tour we played this place in Cleveland called the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, and the best thing about it was downstairs there was this shop [This Way Out]-- you could tell that the guy who ran it ran it with love. Every record was pristine, even the old stuff, I mean, it was all old stuff, used and everything, but every record was perfectly in its place. It was so well taken care of, it was really nice to see somebody's pride and joy down there. I got Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange and the original cast recording of The Wizard of Oz. And I also-- this may sound really silly-- but I just discovered Kate Bush, probably six months ago, and I think she's so great. I know I'm very late to the party here [laughs], I know this is old news, but I got a Kate Bush record, and I forget-- I think "The Dreaming" is on it, though I'm spacing on the name of the record. [The Dreaming --Ed.] It has Kate Bush in this totally miraculous ascot, too, on the back [laughs]. She just went for it. It's so great. She totally went for it.

>> Best Purchase of the Past Year

I bought a van for tour that I'm going to convert to biodiesel.

>> Best Thing I Did This Year

Best thing I did this year was Whirlyball. Whirlyball with the Arcade Fire in Seattle. That was really fun.

Pitchfork: I knew they'd done something like that in Atlanta.

Yeah, with the Chunklet guys. With Henry and Brian and all those guys.

Pitchfork: How did it turn out for you?

I was abysmal! Team St. Vincent was shameful. I mean, the tongue lashing my band members got after our first and second and third defeat...we were so bad. But they were, I mean they've got chemistry on stage, you know. They've honed their craft over many years, so we didn't stand a chance. David and Goliath, you know what I mean? David and Goliath.

>> Favorite Music Venue

The Bowery Ballroom
It looks very big when you're on stage and very small from the audience, which is the ultimate awesome paradox, and when I played New York I was pretty overwhelmed how many people came out and how well it was being reviewed, because I spent most of this year being a support act for really awesome people and awesome bands, and when you're that you're like, "eh, there's no expectation." You're kind of the underdog, and you go out there and do your best, and I feel like I've approached the whole thing with this underdog mentality: "They're not going to like it, but we gotta go out there and do our best..." [laughs]. So yeah, definitely a pretty fatalistic view, but I was totally overwhelmed, totally bowled over by how awesome New York City was.

Pitchfork: Actually the only time I've seen you perform was at a Polyphonic Spree Christmas show a couple of years ago. But I think they're missing something now without your guitar.

Aw, thank you.

Pitchfork: You have a lot of energy on stage; you were jumping all over the place.

Was that the one where Brian Teasley put me on--

Pitchfork: ...on that little cart and rolled you around the stage? Yeah.

I so could've broken my neck, and it was worth it.

Pitchfork: [laughs] It seems as if Brian Teasley could almost break his neck every show, I think, but that's what makes it great.

Yeah, so great. In Please Kill Me, there was the part about when Patti Smith was opening up for Pete Seeger and I think it was in Florida, and was totally going hard and fell off the stage and broke her neck. It was totally brutal. I guess that could've happened to us. It would've been a little less glamorous [laughs]. A little less cool. More awkward, less cool.

>> Favorite TV Show at the Moment

My favorite TV show right now and for all time is "Arrested Development". It's the best thing that ever happened to television. I named my album after it.

Pitchfork: I can't believe I never got that reference; "Arrested Development" is possibly my favorite show as well.

[laughs] And you know what? I only named it Marry Me because I thought Babysit Me was a little too awkward.

I mean it's-- I think, like, really good art is-- you come back to it over and over again and you always get something out of it, you can always enjoy it. And there are so many dimensions to it, there are so many levels to enjoy it. It's like the fucking Mona Lisa, the best-- well, I don't even know if I like the Mona Lisa-- but that's the best thing ever.

Pitchfork: I agree. That's great.

Totally. Whenever I think of the album I say to myself "Marry me!" [laughs] you know? It's in my brain. And I would get so confused doing interviews and stuff when nobody would get the joke, like they thought I was seriously saying, "marry me." They thought it was so sincere.

Pitchfork: They thought you were just single and looking?

Yeah, I mean that's totally desperate [laughs]. Totally desperate.

>> Favorite Video Game

You know, I think the last time I played video games was when I was eight years old and I ate a bunch of sugar and played Zelda and then, like I had found the holy grail or something, I didn't need to play video games anymore. I really haven't played video games since I totally ruled at Zelda. It's a great game.

>> Favorite Radio Show

Gosh, probably anything with Terri Gross or Ira Glass. Although a rare treat is that, since I drive through the country so much being on tour, and just picking up random conservative radio stations. Or, oh my gosh, contemporary country is radical! I mean, I know that there's sarcasm, but at the same time, no. Like, it's amazing, some of the songwriting is so weirdly perfect.

Pitchfork: Now we know Annie Clark's guilty pleasure.

Totally. Well, it's just shamelessly capitalistic and patriotic and beer-guzzlin' and Bible-thumpin'. It's so funny.

>> My Ringtone

It's completely silent. I never have a ringtone because I never pick it up, except for interviews.

Pitchfork: Well thanks for picking it up for us.