Music Monday with PLC is a weekly feature written by my husband, Pat.
Find out the back story + check out the full archives HERE .
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David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
[photo by jennifer; review by pat]
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I used to love The Streets of San Francisco. Sure, I loved all Quinn Martin Productions, but this one was a little extra special. There was nothing quite like taking my bowl of Rice-a-Roni into the family room to catch the funky opening theme of this classic. The old timer (Karl Malden) teaching the hip, young cat (Michael Douglas) about police life on the mean streets. It was all hills and thrills, and a cool fedora to boot. Experience and energy coming together into one solid crime fighting machine.
Experience and youth also work together in music as well. This week I present to you a great album called “Love This Giant” (2012, 4ad records). Saint Vincent (the stage name for multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark) meets the patron saint of alt/art rock David Byrne on Love This Giant, and the results are a heavenly collaboration that lays down a hip new groove for you to bop along with.
Dig the song and the David Lynchian video for “Who” -
The duo wrote many of these songs together space age style, using the computer and sending ideas back and forth over the miles. A key part of their sound is that they employ a great use of horns: which sometimes pepper the songs with funky accent riffs and breaks a la James Brown, and sometimes draw it out low and slow to set a mood. But the electronic drums and loops always keep it firmly rooted in a futuristic groove.
Enjoy their song “Optimist” live -
Although the album owes a big debt to the awesomeness of Kate Bush, it is great collaboration that keeps each artist’s individuality, while still letting them create something that is much more than the sum of the parts. So check out Love This Giant, and make sure to play it for that friend who won’t shut up about Florence and the Machine.
Also make sure to check out David Byrne’s other great collaboration albums with Brian Eno and Fatboy Slim. Really Good stuff.
- PLC
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MORE:
- last week - The Joy Formidable
- last month - Hal David
- last season - The Magic Numbers
- full archive of Music Monday with PLC - HERE
