Post by rimjobflashmob on Feb 7, 2016 10:12:08 GMT -8
GRIMES
General Information:
Name: Claire Elise Boucher
Instruments: Vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, sampler, guitar, piano, drums, ukulele, violin
Active Since: 2009
www.grimesmusic.com/
Bio:
Grimes was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. She began recording and performing music while studying neuroscience at McGill University before her expulsion for never showing up (except for exams). She released two albums through Arbutus Records in 2010 and another split EP the following year with d'Eon, where her single "Vanessa" began circulating heavily in underground circles. After a 2011 North American tour opening for Lykke Li, she signed to British label 4AD, and began work on what would be her 2012 breakthrough album Visions. The process behind that album's conception involved amphetamines, extended isolation, and self-imposed starvation. Afterwards, Grimes would disavow any association with hard drugs and said she would never put herself through such a rigorous routine again.
In 2014 Grimes premiered "Go," a dancehall banger allegedly written for Rihanna and recorded by Grimes and Blood Diamonds following the rejection. Despite critical acclaim, the song was met with derision from Grimes' fanbase because of a misguided impression that the singer had "abandoned her roots" and sold out her weirdo-bedroom electronics for a chancey chance the chiggity champ of champion chancellors at mainstream success. The entirety of the hipster fanbase seemed to collectively forget that the song was released for free, as a joke, and also written for Rihanna. Negative reaction to "Go" eventually led to a misunderstanding that she scrapped her fourth work-in-progress LP, but she clarified that she didn't want to tour behind that album, calling it "too depressing." The infamously discarded album may, however, eventually see release in the future.
Once the dust had settled, fans waited impatiently to see what would happen next. To everyone's surprise and joy, Art Angels was announced in October 2015, with a release in November of the same year. Initial singles followed the synth/art-pop mold that Grimes had been pushing for years, and upon release the album received nearly universal acclaim. It is the perfect blend of drone-Grimes, pop-Grimes, and art-weirdo-freak Grimes. It pushes boundaries, blurs the line between maximalist and intimate, and is a singular vision all Grimes' own. After all, she wrote, recorded, composed, and produced the entire thing (save for the collabs with Aristophanes and Janelle Monáe).
Discography:
Geidi Primes (2010)
Halfaxa (2010)
Darkbloom (Split EP with d'Eon) (2011)
Visions (2012)
Art Angels (2015)
Sounds Like:
A dystopian future rave full of crazed sex vampires all played by Al Pacino circa Scarface..
Genre:
Art pop, dream pop, synthpop, pop pop in the attic.
Similar/Affiliated Artists:
Purity Ring, FKA Twigs, Blood Diamonds, Blue Hawaii, Laurel Halo, d'Eon
Suggested Listening:
I've seen Grimes every time she has been through Washington State, and if I have learned one thing it's that you should not expect her to dig super deep into her catalogue, especially at a festival set. Anything off Geidi Primes and Halfaxa is essentially off the table (which is a shame because "My Sister Says the Saddest Things" would be awesome to see). If we're very, very lucky, she might pull out "Vanessa" from Darkbloom, but even on her second Visions tour she swapped that out with the Blood Diamonds collab "Phone Sex." So, we're pretty much just looking at Visions and Art Angels for our setlist, and maybe "Go" or "Phone Sex" if you're very good and eat all your vegetables.
The first Grimes song I ever heard, from Darkbloom:
From Visions:
From Visions, but no longer indicative of her live performance:
Unreleased, unpolished freebie demo of "Realiti" that was so well-received it ended up on the album:
First single from Art Angels:
From Art Angels:
What to Expect:
Last time Grimes was at Sasquatch was 2013, and she subheadlined the Bigfoot (opening for Primus 3D). It was one of the biggest dance parties of the weekend and the crowds were backed up to the Chupacabra. Expect to see her on the main stage or closing out the Bigfoot, and expect to see thousands of people wiggling their butts and getting their freak on. You won't see me because I'll be right on the fence.