At some point during the making of her latest album, St Vincent came up with a tune so tuneful that she couldn't get it out of her head.
"For about 12 hours I thought, 'I've just written the best melody there ever was,'" says the musician, whose real name is Annie Clark.
"I kept singing it and I was like, 'It's as if this song already existed, and it came to me like manna from heaven.'"
Weirdly, however, the reference worked as an ironic counterpoint to Clark's lyrics. Easton's original is a dated fantasy of the "angel-wife" who waits all day at home for her husband to return from work. Clark's song, My Baby Wants A Baby, pulls in the opposite direction, listing all the ways she'll fail as a partner and a parent.
" I just want to play guitar all day / Make all my meals in microwaves / Only get dressed up when I get paid ."
By her own admission, her first five albums as St Vincent were "constructivist" pieces of art - every note and every word intentionally placed with meticulous precision.
By the time of her last record, Masseduction, the music was so tightly coiled it seemed ready to pounce. Written after her break-up from British model Cara Delevingne - a relationship which attracted intrusive tabloid attention - it was by turns devastating, manic, heartbroken and brittle.
While making the album, Clark posted a photo from the studio, where she'd pinned up the phrase: "dead meat". In her videos, she was squeezed into constrictive latex catsuits and disfigured by plastic surgeons. It was almost as though she was trying to erase herself from existence.
Her new record couldn't be more different. The sharp angles and jagged lines of Masseduction have become sinuous and malleable. Backed by humming Wurlitzer organs and loping, elastic bass lines, Clark sounds relaxed, loose, even soulful.
Music Through the Ages - Flathead Beacon
The pantheon of influential musical figures in Northwest Montana's recent history includes names such as Quist and Dunnigan, conjuring images of settings such as Great Northern Bar or grassy knolls beckoning festivalgoers.
Tracking the timeline a bit further back, however, reveals musicians from earlier eras in which their artistic impact may not have been measured in ticket sales or album singles: Marguerite Rathje, Monna L. Steffes, Helen Bertha Vining, W.P. Sherman, to name a few.
A name or two from that list might ring a bell for a subset of old-timers, but the broader population will likely get their first introduction to those Flathead Valley musical trailblazers when they walk into a new exhibit at the Northwest Montana History Museum in downtown Kalispell.
Museum Executive Director Jacob Thomas hopes the exhibit, called "Making Music: Hitting the High Notes with Music and Artists from Big Sky Country," opens the public's eyes to these locals' legacies, and to the vibrant history of music in the area.
"It's the local history and the fact that music came from Kalispell and the Flathead Valley that had importance throughout the state of Montana," Thomas said.
Steffes composed "Cherry Blossom Time on Flathead Lake" in 1971, and the exhibit features sheet music for the once-popular tune, which was inspired by the cherry orchard on Steffes' property. Steffes played piano by ear and taped the song for a friend to transcribe onto staff paper.
Another instrument on display is an Elite tenor banjo that belonged to Amos Myers and was brought to the valley in 1910 by I.M. Myers, who performed frequently at barn dances and other community events. On display next to the instrument is a list of the old-time songs Myers played.
There are also vinyl records produced by the Flathead High School choir in the 1980s, as well as a photo of a local high school quintet from 1918 or 1919. Another photo, accompanied by a brochure, is of the Oratorio Club of Kalispell in 1934.
The exhibit also features an autoharp display, with instruments from the private collection of Bill Bryant, a highly accomplished autoharp practitioner and Marion resident. Bryant performed at the exhibit's opening reception on April 19.
St. Vincent would be 'dead' without music | Entertainment | nbcrightnow.com
St. Vincent likes to record music into the voice note section of her phone and thinks over three quarters of them are usable material for her future albums.
Speaking about her process for making music, she added: "But the longer I do this, the less I feel as though I have any sort of control or ownership of music and its origin ... which is the most supernatural thing you'll ever hear me say ... I would say about 75 per cent of [the voice notes] are usable in some way, and then about 25 per cent of them are a fragment. Sometimes when you listen back, you're not sure where the beat is supposed to be - but that can be kind of cool."
She told BBC Music: "I realised I was obsessed with music when I was really young. It did something to me - and for me - that nothing else in the world did. I knew I wanted to be in it, a part of it, by the time I was nine or 10. It's funny now, when I look at other 10-year-olds, I think, 'Oh wow, they might know exactly what they want.' Isn't that wild? In one way, it makes perfect sense to me in my own narrative, and then I see it from the outside, how young a 10-year-old is, I'm like, 'Whoa.'"
Meredith College Adds Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree - Meredith College
Meredith College's Board of Trustees has approved the addition of a Bachelor of Music in Performance to the College's degree offerings.
"The Bachelor of Music is the gold standard of professional music performance degrees," said Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas, head of the Department of Music. "It is an intensive program that provides more in-depth applied training and prepares students to be professional performing musicians."
Typically, music courses make up two-thirds to three-quarters of the total coursework in a Bachelor of Music major.
The new degree will build on Meredith's long history of excellence in music performance and education. The College's music faculty are nationally recognized as exceptional teachers and artists. Meredith will continue to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music Education degree options.
Meredith's program offers a level of versatility that makes it unique in North Carolina and in the Southeast.
"It will meet the 21st-century need for students to have more flexibility in their pursuit of professional music training, given the significant changes that have occurred in recent years in the world of professional music," Wozencraft-Ornellas said.
Rather than a focus on a single instrument, the degree offers broader concentrations. Students will be able to choose from three concentration options: Instrumental Studies; Piano/Keyboard Studies; and Vocal Studies.
In addition, students will participate in a Sophomore Assessment Conference at the end of their second year. During this conference, students will work with faculty to determine the focus of their degree for the next two years, allowing additional tailoring to the students' professional goals.
The degree will also have an emphasis on professional preparation, including courses in Professional Practices in Music and Music Technology and a required internship. Students in the program will be able to take advantage of the arts-rich Triangle area in order to fulfill the internship requirement.
Local Songwriter Callie Twisselman Releases First Music Video • Atascadero News
Local singer and songwriter Callie Twisselman recently released her debut single, “Two Hands,” and this week, on May 12, Twisselman released her first music video featuring her debut single.
Twisselman said, “Two Hands is a song that is about a girl who can be a handful at times, but her man loves her and accepts her anyway, and that was the message that I hoped people took from it. That you can be who you are, and the right person will love you for it.”
And with a family like hers, it would be impossible to ever forget them or where she came from. Not that I think she would ever want to.
Twisselman’s music video was filmed at her family’s ranch and the Jack Ranch Cafe on Highway 46 East.
“I had all my family in it [music video] as the cast members, which made it even more fun,” said Twisselman.
“She had a beautiful voice like Patsy Cline, and I always would practice outside with my fake microphone, pretending I was performing like she was. She inspired me to have the same career,” said Twisselman of her mother.
She continued, “My mom shined on-stage. It was a happy escape for her. She always told me that if this is what I wanted to do, that I had to enjoy myself and not try to be something I'm not."
Twisselman made the move out to Nashville almost four years ago after she met Danny Nozell, Dolly Parton’s manager.
Under his guidance, Twisselman spent the next year and a half honing her skills in songwriting by recording and demoing her music.
Wintergreen Music announces plans for 2021 music festival | Latest News | newsadvance.com
In the December 2015 file photo, skiing trails show only grass at Wintergreen Resort in Nelson County.
Wintergreen Music announced plans for its 2021 Wintergreen Music Festival, a nearly four week long festival featuring in-person and digital offerings.
According to the Wintergreen Music website, the festival will run from July 7 to Aug. 1 at Wintergreen Resort and is designed to "maximize your experience and maximize your safety."
Everyday patrons can attend seminars, go to cooking classes, listen to concerts and observe student masterclasses and rehearsals.
"Our Festival Artists come from top orchestras, chamber music societies, and faculty rosters around the country, and welcoming them back for a triumphant return to music-making will bring joy to us all," the website states.
"We missed seeing each other in person in 2020, but we know that our temporary absence will make our return in 2021 all the more powerful," the website reads.
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Frühlingsfest to feature variety of food, crafts, music
Various flavors of food and music and several craft vendors will be a part of the inaugural Frühlingsfest.
Presented by Knights of Columbus Council 1252 in Seymour, the event will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the B and O Railroad Parking Lot behind the K of C off of East Second Street in downtown Seymour.
Just like Spätsommer Fest in the fall, Frühlingsfest will be conducted with everyone’s health and safety in mind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival committee submitted a plan to the Jackson County Health Department, and it was approved. Booth workers and festival volunteers will follow local and state guidelines. Also, the Jackson County Visitor Center donated hand sanitizer for stations set up on the festival grounds.
Knights of Columbus: Bratwursts, Polish sausages and German potato salad Dudleytown Conservation Club: Fish sandwiches Bob and Kev’s BBQ: Pulled pork, nachos and barbecue parfaits Mr. Beefy’s: Sirloin tip dinners Ginocchio’s: Pizza and Italian food Enter His Courts: Pommes frites Sati Babi: Grilled pork on a stick and egg rolls Lazy J’s Kettle Corn: Kettle corn Lot Hill Dairy Farm: Gelato The Rolling Pig Pin: Paninis and whoopie pies Jalapeno’s Grill: Gourmet burgers and tacos Schwätzer’s German Restaurant: Bavarian balls, poutine and butter cake "With so many great options, no one will be disappointed," the K of C said in a Facebook post.
The K of C also will sell beer, wine and seltzer. No outside alcoholic beverages will be permitted on the festival grounds.
3 to 5 p.m.: Heather McGrath and Brad Cole (rock, blues, country and folk covers) 5 to 7 p.m.: Rob Daugherty (classic rock, country and pop) 8 to 11 p.m.: The Ertels (’70s, ’80s and ’90s classic rock, pop and folk) Performing Saturday are:
The 11 craft vendors will be set up on Indianapolis Avenue on the west end of the parking lot. They include
Tips Music strikes licensing deal with YouTube Shorts
Tips will license its music catalogue to YouTube allowing Indian music lovers including the diaspora across the world to create content inspired by its library across languages
Techstars Music to Demo Its 2021 Accelerator Class on 'Rolling Stone' - Rolling Stone
Seed accelerator Techstars Music is partnering with Rolling Stone to showcase its 2021 class of promising startups across music, media, and technology — bringing its annual Demo Day event exclusively to Rolling Stone’s Twitch channel on May 18th.
Techstars Music began its annual accelerator program in 2017 with investment partnerships from some of largest and most influential companies in music and tech, including Sony, Warner Music Group, Amazon Music, Quality Control, Concord and Peloton. The accelerator revealed its latest round of 11 winning startups earlier this year. During the May 18th Demo Day, the companies in the class will showcase their projects to the public for the first time, court future investors, and share job opportunities.
This is Techstars Music’s first class since managing director Bob Moczydlowsky pledged that 50 percent of the companies in the program would come from diverse backgrounds; the decision came after Techstars performed an internal audit and found that, out of the 40 companies it had invested in, just one had a black CEO and only five CEOs were women. Moczydlowsky tells Rolling Stone that he is committed to the 50-percent promise for every future class, adding that a focus on championing marginalized communities is as much a pragmatic decision of good investing as it is a measure to right societal wrongs.
“When we look at last year, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the gigantic social justice movement happening in culture,” Moczydlowsky says. “Black culture and gay culture drive music culture, and music culture drives planetary culture. If our job as venture investors is to invest in companies solving problems for the global music business and we’re not acknowledging the role these communities play in the music business and the culture that it creates, we’re not going to get good returns as investors.”
Companies from previous Techstars Music classes include Endel, which closed a $5 million Series A last year and created an AI lullaby with Grimes, as well as celebrity texting platform Community, which was known in the accelerator’s first class as Shimmur before rebranding with investment from Guy Oseary and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures. Over the previous four years, the 40 companies launched out of Techstars Music have raised over $150 million, and the combined funding behind the 2021 class of startups prior to Demo Day — $4.5 million — is the highest total for any class in five years, according to executives.
This year’s class is an eclectic mix of startups ranging in focus from apparel, ticketing, marketing, and licensing. Among the companies are superfan social networking startup Fave, which will make a major funding announcement during the Demo Day stream, and sneakerhead site Rares, which seeks to turn valuable shoes into an asset class by allowing anyone to buy partial ownership of shoes in an IPO-like offering. Rares bought Kanye West’s Air Yeezy shoes for $1.8 million last week and will announce the date for the Yeezy IPO during the stream.
While the annual program is called a “music accelerator,” many of the companies selected for each class focus on broader services and value propositions that could change the way the music business works.
“The reason you see Warner and Sony contribute capital to the program is, it’s our job to show them what might be essential parts of the music business in three to five years,” Moczydlowsky says. “You wouldn’t think of Rares as a music company. But the very first two assets they’ll IPO are valuable because of their connection to music and hip-hop culture. On the surface, it may not seem like it, but it’s very much a music company. These companies are revealing the way the music business will evolve and grow in the future.”
All of the companies featured in next week’s Demo Day stream, viewable only on Rolling Stone ‘s Twitch channel , are below.
Duran Duran to Debut New Single on Billboard Music Awards - Variety
Their appearance May 23 will be the first on a BBMAs telecast by the group, the fourth artist to be named for a performance slot following announcements for BTS, the Weeknd and Pink.
The single Duran Duran will be premiering will advance a new album, the band’s first since 2015’s “Paper Gods.”
“Before the pandemic struck, there was a new Duran Duran almost finished,” Nick Rhodes told Vogue in April. “We were gearing up with a lot of shows, like a lot of other artists, and had to put everything on hold.” The keyboard player was doing the interview to promote an ambient side project he is doing with Wendy Bevan, “Astronomia.”
Besides Coxon, other collaborators that have been mentioned for the upcoming album include Mark Ronson (who co-produced their previous effort), Erol Alkan, Giorgio Moroder and Lykke Li.
Duran Duran will be getting its performing sea legs back in preparation for an appearance this September at the Isle of Wight Festival, where they’ll headline the final night of the four-day fest. Others on the bill include fellow headliners Liam Gallagher, Snow Patrol and David Guetta, plus Tom Jones, Supergrass, Primal Scream and Sam Fender.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Duran Duran’s first album. Their second, “Rio,” is the subject of a just-released book in the 33 1/3 series by Annie Zaleski, also titled “Rio.”
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