After the success of her meticulous (and ever-so-slightly deranged) solo debut, Marry Me, one-time Sufjan Stevens and Polyphonic Spree collaborator Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) came a lot closer to never having to see the names Sufjan Stevens or the Polyphonic Spree in her press clippings ever again. Her stellar live show-- which bounces from Clark's wickedly outre distorted guitar solos to flourishing chamber pop mini-suites-- further cemented her rep as a disturbingly gifted new talent. Based on an advanced listen, new album Actor (out May 5 on 4AD) keeps the Kate Bush-meets-Bowie dreams alive. Co-produced by Clark and John Congleton (Modest Mouse, Polyphonic Spree), the record is even more embellished than her debut, with Scary Monsters-style freak out bits mixed in with plenty of flute-laden filigree. We called her up last week to chat about the role classic Disney cartoons played on Actor, as well as the frightening ubiquity of Aerosmith...read more