Dirty Projectors are a Brooklyn-based experimental rock band consisting of Dave Longstreth, Amber Coffman (vocals, guitar), Angel Deradoorian (vocals, keyboard, samples, guitar, bass), Brian McOmber (drums), Nat Baldwin (bass), and Haley Dekle (vocals). The group has released seven full-length albums through 2010, Bitte Orca (album five) being the most complete and most acclaimed album. Vampire Weekend frontman (and onetime Dirty Projector) Ezra Koeing describes this album as follows: “I hear big riffs that make me think of classic rock, so I think, ‘Is this Led Zeppelin deconstructed?’ I hear folk guitar picking and gorgeous strings, so I think, ‘Is this 60’s folk-pop re-imagined?’ But, as is usually the case, my lame attempts at categorization fade away and soon all I can hear is Dirty Projectors … It’s not Physical Graffiti for 2K9; it’s 2K9’s Physical Graffiti.”  Speaking about the band in general, Ezra also says: “I couldn’t explain what I meant about ‘fucked-up American music’ six years ago and I’m not that interested in trying to explain it now. I just think it’s fitting to describe Dirty Projectorss with a phrase that’s been exploited by the worst of the worst and the corniest of the corniest, but has always had the potential to mean something rad: Uniquely American.”

I found it so cool that Vampire Weekend was tied to Dirty Projectors! Vampire weekend is one of my all-time favorite groups and you’ll find many of their songs spread throughout my playlists. Also, I love that Taylor Guarisco of GIVERS is also a big fan of Dirty Projectors. He is actually how I initially found out about them! PLUS, I later found that one of my FAVORITE FEMALE ARTISTS OF ALL TIME (Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs) was first discovered BECAUSE OE the Dirty Projectors. She was living out of her car for while, trying to pick up some opening slots for artists while road tripping, and the Dirty Projectors gave her an opening slot for one of their gigs in the Pacific Northwest (I think it was Seattle or Portland). It was then that she starting to gain exposure and support, especially with a band like Dirty Projectors fathering you. NOW she is definitely STANDING ON HER OWN TWO FEET…(far from it!)

Dirty Projectors are seriously one of the most musically creative, pushing-the-envelope type bands that I’ve come across, and definitely one of the most fun to watch. I was so happy to share my DIRTY PROJECTOR DEVOTION with Kyle and Nick at Sasquatch music festival in May. A musical trick that distinguishes them from most other bands (and makes them THAT MUCH MORE BADASS) is a technique called “Hocketing”..where a single musical line is shared between a number of people to create an infinitely more complex and beautiful sound. Dirty Projectors use it for percussion, handclapping, and most of all, for insane VOCAL arrangements (see the video for Beautiful Mother and Unto Caesar). AMAZING TO WATCH come alive before your eyes. Cheers to Heather for telling me about the hocketing technique (I didn’t know what it was called!)…Dirty Projectors are their own breed, and surely cannot be defined or cornered into any particular style/genre of music…I LOVE THAT. Do yourself and favor and GO SEE THEM. Just prepare for your JAW to DROP TO THE FLOOR. 🙂