Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors in 2009
Background information
Origin Brooklyn, New York
Genres
Years active 2002–present
Labels Domino
Dead Oceans
Marriage Records
Western Vinyl
States Rights Records
Website dirtyprojectors.net
Members David Longstreth
Amber Coffman
Haley Dekle
Nat Baldwin
Olga Bell
Michael Johnson
Past members Angel Deradoorian
Brian McOmber
Rostam Batmanglij
Sam Bernstein
Anneli Chambliss
Emily Cheeger
Alex Farrill
Adam Forkner
Will Glass
Larkin Grimm
Spencer Kingman
Ezra Koenig
Charlie Looker
Hank Miller
James Sumner
Wes Miles
Susanna Waiche
Jake Longstreth
Dave Longstreth
Amber Coffman
Dirty Projectors performing in 2008

Dirty Projectors are an American musical group, consisting of David Longstreth (vocals, guitar), Amber Coffman (vocals, guitar), Haley Dekle (vocals), Nat Baldwin (bass), Olga Bell (vocals, keyboards), and Michael Johnson (drums). They have released seven full-length albums.

History

Early years and Rise Above (2002–07)

Longstreth's first album, The Graceful Fallen Mango, was released in 2002 under his own name and introduced his distinctive use of song arrangements and his combination of lo-fi and hi-fi production. The album was a project that Longstreth began as a freshman while studying at Yale University.[3] With the help of Adam Forkner of Yume Bitsu, Longstreth recorded and released The Glad Fact on the Western Vinyl label under the name "The Dirty Projectors." In 2005, the band released The Getty Address, a concept album about musician Don Henley that features extensive orchestral and choral accompaniment. The diverse, stripped-down New Attitude EP followed in 2006 and featured inklings of the band's later vocal interplay and guitar work.

In 2007, the band released Rise Above, an album of Black Flag songs as re-imagined from memory. The album introduced the band's distinctive contrast between Longstreth's vocals and the harmonies of Amber Coffman and Susanna Waiche, who was later replaced by Angel Deradoorian. In support of the album, the band performed songs for a Take Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon.

Domino Records, Bitte Orca, and Mount Wittenberg Orca (2008-11)

In April 2008, Dirty Projectors signed with Domino Records, and the label announced the release of their fifth full-length album, Bitte Orca, for June 9, 2009. That year, the band also collaborated with David Byrne on the song "Knotty Pine" for the compilation album Dark Was the Night produced by the Red Hot Organization. Byrne joined the Dirty Projectors onstage to perform this song, along with "Ambulance Man," another collaborative track not included on the compilation, at the "Dark Was the Night Live" concert at New York City's Radio City Music Hall on May 3, 2009.

“Stillness Is the Move” was the first single released from Bitte Orca, a West African - R&B influenced hybrid, sung by Coffman and inspired by the Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire.[4] Bitte Orca was met with positive reviews,[5] including Rolling Stone magazine rating the album as number 6 on their best 25 albums of 2009.[6]

Dirty Projectors were to release a new EP in September 2009 titled Temecula Sunrise.[7] While the EP was never released, two of its tracks, "Ascending Melody" and "Emblem of the World," were instead offered for free download on the Dirty Projectors website in early 2010.[8]

On May 8, 2009, members of Dirty Projectors collaborated with Björk to perform an original composition by Longstreth, written for five voices and acoustic guitar, as part of a charity concert to benefit Housing Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter for homeless men, women, and children suffering from AIDS. The concert was held at the Housing Works Bookstore & Café in downtown New York City.[9] On June 30, 2010, Dirty Projectors announced the release of Mount Wittenberg Orca, a digital-only EP with Björk based on the artists' collaboration.[10] Mount Wittenberg Orca was released physically by Domino Records in 2011.

Swing Lo Magellan (2012–2015)

On March 30, 2012, Dirty Projectors released the first single from their upcoming album, Swing Lo Magellan, "Gun Has No Trigger". The album was released on July 10 in the United States and on July 9 internationally.[11][12]

In September 2012, Dave Longstreth released a short film called "Hi Custodian".[13]

On November 6, 2012, Dirty Projectors released About to Die EP, a digital- and vinyl-release EP featuring several new tracks.[14]

In 2015, the band made a cameo appearance in the Noah Baumbach film Mistress America.

New Album (2016–present)

On September 19, 2016, Dirty Projectors began releasing videos and images on social media teasing toward new music.[15] On September 22, 2016, a new song titled "Keep Your Name" was released with an accompanying video.[16]

Musical style and aesthetics

While often associated with the late 2000s New York indie rock scene, critics have likened Dirty Projectors to musicians from many genres. For example, critics have compared them to new wave artists David Byrne and Squeeze, pop stars Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, and progressive rock musicians Frank Zappa and Yes.[17][18] In a 2009 interview, Longstreth embraced some such comparisons but expressed a dislike for classic and progressive rock, commenting, "Steely Dan is a band I’m not that into," "I’m not a huge Yes guy," and "Frank Zappa I fucking hate."[17]

Discography

Studio albums

Album Year
The Glad Fact 2003
Morning Better Last! 2003
Slaves' Graves and Ballads 2004
The Getty Address 2005
Rise Above 2007
Bitte Orca 2009
Swing Lo Magellan 2012

EPs

Album Year
New Attitude 2006
Mount Wittenberg Orca 2010
About to Die 2012

Other releases

Album Year
Highlights from the Getty Address 2006
Ascending Melody 2010
Stillness is the Move[19] (2011 Domino Records vinyl release) 2011
Mount Wittenberg Orca (w/ Björk) (2010 digital-only initial release; 2011 Domino Records physical release) 2007

References

  1. ↑ Last.fm
  2. ↑ "Bjork/Dirty Projectors, 'Mount Wittenberg Orca' (Self-Released)". Spin (magazine). Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Heather Phares. "Dirty Projectors | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  4. ↑ Sisario, Ben (June 7, 2009). "Report: The Experimental, Led by the Obsessive (New York, NY; 06/03/09)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  5. ↑ "Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2009-06-09. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  6. ↑ "Rolling Stone's 25 Best Albums of 2009". Albumoftheyear.org. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  7. ↑ Lindsay, Andrew (August 17, 2009). "Dirty Projectors to release new EP". stereokill.net. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  8. ↑ Archived January 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Dombal, Ryan. "Report: Björk and Dirty Projectors (New York, NY; 05/08/09) - The avant-pop acts combine forces in a NYC bookstore.". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  10. ↑ Archived March 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ Battan, Carrie (March 30, 2012). "Listen to a New Dirty Projectors Song, "Gun Has No Trigger"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  12. ↑ "Dirty Projectors Announce New Album". Pitchfork. April 2, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  13. ↑ "Brooklyn based Music Blog: Video : Dirty Projectors – Hi Custodian (Experimental Pop Folk)". Still in Rock. 2004-02-26. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  14. ↑ "Dirty Projectors Share "About to Die" Video, Announce New EP With New Tracks | News". Pitchfork. 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. 1 2 O'Neal, Sean (November 10, 2009). "Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth doesn't think they sound like that". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  18. ↑ Sisario, Ben (June 7, 2009). "The Experimental, Led by the Obsessive". The New York Times.
  19. ↑

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