#15 on the 2012 Musical Bacon Calendar
Love This Giant by David Byrne and St. Vincent
We’re now officially over the hump! The top 15 of 2012, and the better half of the list. Kicking things off with a bang, too, here at #15. Sometimes two artists you love get together and produce something magical. It doesn’t happen often, but the ones that come to mind — Thom Yorke teaming up with PJ Harvey on her song “This Mess We’re In,” Paul McCartney with the surviving members of Nirvana from the upcoming Dave Grohl-directed Sound City documentary soundtrack on the song “Cut Me Some Slack”, even David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth” — really are fantastic. But those are all single songs.
Even more rare are full album collaborations. Love This Giant, by David Byrne and St. Vincent, is one of those rare and magical happenings. St. Vincent, the name under which the amazingly talented Annie Clark performs, appeared on the 2009 Bacon Calendar with her great album Actor. David Byrne, former lead singer/songwriter of The Talking Heads and master of media, hasn’t appeared on the list before, but I’ve loved the Heads for a very long time, and many of Byrne’s solo albums as well.
They are both known to be quite eccentric and unique. Throw them together and they’ve created an album so unlike any other, it would never be mistaken for just a David Byrne album or just a St. Vincent record. This couldn’t have existed without the both of them.
The album is commanded by an 8-piece horn section. Each song has a melody sung fully by Byrne or Clark, but their usual guitars take a back seat to the percussion and these horns. It’s difficult to really convey how arresting it sounds. I got to see them perform the album live a couple months ago, and it was as if they’d brought the album to life, literally, on stage. Eight horn players, carrying each tune while doing a crazy dance routine, as well as performing some key David Byrne, Talking Heads, and St. Vincent songs. It was fantastically great, much like this album.
Well worth a download, check it out if you’re a fan of either of the artists, or simply want to hear something different. You won’t be disappointed.
__________________________________________
16. To The Treetops! by Team Me
17. The Master: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood
18. There’s No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth
19. Transcendental Youth by The Mountain Goats
20. A Church That Fits Our Needs by Lost In The Trees
21. Hospitality by Hospitality
22. Free Dimensional by Diamond Rings
23. History Speaks by Deep Sea Diver
24. A Different Ship by Here We Go Magic
25. Negotiations by the Helio Sequence
26. Moms by Menomena
27. The Sound of the Life of the Mind by Ben Folds Five
28. Shields by Grizzly Bear
29. Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun by The Wooden Sky
30. Fragrant World by Yeasayer
31. Reign of Terror by Sleigh Bells
2011 Musical Bacon Calendar
2010 Musical Bacon Calendar
2009 Musical Bacon Calendar