The story in yesterday’s Times (though it won’t appear on paper til Sunday), about Dirty Projectors, is a great piece of journalism. Not only does Ben Sisario detail, clearly, the music that Longstreth and Co. make, but he also gets at the issues that all “indie” bands in the “harsh face of stardom” may be dealing with: commercial success, popularity, loss of intrigue and edge.
Longstreth is a thinking musician, obvious in his music and in the story. He’s a Yale guy, a smartie with a music degree. And can I just say, thank god. Even though Longstreth claims the amateur thing is what he wants to maintain, if he weren’t so versed in the actual structures of music and how it’s written, played, etc., his songs would not be as complicated and devastatingly detailed.
Check the part in the story where Amber Coffman explains the Bed Stuy basement and metronome. 12 hrs….
I can’t freaking wait to see the band live again.
BONUS
Dirty Projectors: Cannibal Resource
click the above link
Dirty Projectors: Cannibal Resource
15 comments
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June 4, 2009 at 3:04 pm
dan macht
i love them. saw their benefit show with david byrne at radio city music hall.
most other bands were horrible but they were inspirational.
June 4, 2009 at 3:11 pm
ed
i’d say they were very inspirational
June 4, 2009 at 3:40 pm
fiercetalk
inspirational at the least!
June 4, 2009 at 5:29 pm
name
this band blows. the ‘devistatingly detailed’ is more like forced complication… doesn’t matter if you have a music degree from yale, your a music enthusiast or a toddler, there nothing pleasant or enjoyable about this band. dirty projectors are hype shit to indie as puddle of mud are hype shit to alternative rock. david byrne and bjork must be, deep down, simply shamed.
June 4, 2009 at 5:33 pm
fiercetalk
i never knew you had to be pleasant or enjoyable to be a good band. in fact, music that is easy to listen to bores the shit out of me. it’s called easy listening, elevator music.
June 4, 2009 at 8:21 pm
name
haha i can see it now, a whole record collection of elevator music! but seriously man, it’s not about being easy it’s about good music. and so… you acknowledge that this shit isn’t enjoyable? watching your best friend burn alive or eating broken glass isn’t enjoyable either, but would you welcome that for the sake of art? there’s A LOT of great dissenent, outside of the box music out there, music that has fucking balls and something to say, and that’s the point – this doesn’t. nothing’s intellectually stimulating here, it’s just contrived indie hype. there’s a lot of poor ignorant young music enthusiasts listening to people tell them this is good music, somebody needs take one for the team. it’s not enjoyable. i understand music is subjective, though. we can make a bet that in 10 years this shit band won’t be remembered for more than anything but a shit band hyped as the dark side of independent music. only time will tell. you down?
June 4, 2009 at 8:24 pm
fiercetalk
heck yeah dude. i don’t know if this will stand the test of time. there’s NO way of knowing that. what i do know is that right now, its the shiiiiit. and of all “indie” and as i like to call them, “quirk” bands, dirty projectors is the best. they tower over the others, in fact.
June 4, 2009 at 8:29 pm
uncle leland
i’d be interested in hearing what Mr. Name thinks is good music, comparatively that is. his reference to Puddle of Mudd (who even thinks of them, whether to mock them or not?) makes me slightly concerned…
June 4, 2009 at 8:39 pm
dan macht
btw — let me just recommend that they have Amber Coffman take the lead on vocals more.
June 4, 2009 at 8:43 pm
fiercetalk
she’s awesome. but def check out angel’s solo work: deradoorian (http://www.myspace.com/angelderadoorian). i wrote about it here on the blog:
http://microphonememoryemotion.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/deradoorian-impressed/
June 4, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Jeff
This record is blowing me away right now. Really, really incredible stuff. And apparently divisive too, but that’s what happens with bands that do something interesting and unconventional.
June 4, 2009 at 10:54 pm
name
well. the best way of knowing if something will stand the test of time is to listen to hear if it is shit, which this clearly is. the other way is to wait, fierce talk I’m hitting you up ten years.. we have a chat to do. those who consider this “incredible” most likely won’t consider a band good unless pitchfork reassures and comforts… it’s ok to like this, it’s good. For those wondering; Mr. Name has been listening to some proper records lately, namely this one, it’s sitting on top of the ole’ elevator music collection as we speak:
right next to this one
http://www.esnips.com/doc/09520047-72c9-4456-86ef-3c777240c957/Steve-Reich—Come-Out
but not before this one
(may they live forever in our hearts)
June 4, 2009 at 10:56 pm
name
bummer, those were supposed to be links. i ruined the suprise
at least there’s still one suprise there..
June 5, 2009 at 10:01 pm
fiercetalk
strange strange.
what do you think of the review i posted?
June 9, 2009 at 11:10 pm
name
just read it. i think it’s a fair assesment for someone who likes it. i think Longstrength’s claims that “that songs aren’t songs until you work the shit out of all your many ideas” kinda reinforces the idea that his music is contrived and forced. Take abunch of ideas that aren’t songs themselves, and stick them together to make a “song”. that doesen’t mean a sound collage of ideas can’t make decent music though. Just not everybody can do it well…