Since 2002, Dave Longstreth has led a shifting accompaniment of musicians in a very unique and experimental indie rock group he calls Dirty Projectors. Thanks to Bullhorn Bandits and Chelsea's Café, the show comes to Baton Rouge this week. The current band lineup consists of only six members, but Longstreth has recorded and toured with more than 15 different artists and musicians since the project began. One notable former member is Ezra Koenig, who toured Europe with Dirty Projectors before forming his own indie pop band, Vampire Weekend. Dirty Projectors are also known for their great collaborations with artists such as Bjork and David Byrne. The band teamed with the former Talking Heads front man on the great track "Knotty Pine."
Dirty Projectors have always had a heavy vocal presence in their tracks. "It's crazy what you can do with a human voice, or a couple human voices," says Longstreth in a recent interview with Pitchfork Media, "It's so basic and it's so direct."
The band's latest album, Bitte Orca, actually features three singers, all of which are female. The record released to great reviews, including a 9.2/10 from Pitchfork and an 8/10 from British source, NME. The album carries more accessible and traditional song structure while sticking to some of the experimental, aesthetic roots of early Dirty Projectors works. And the outcome is brilliant.
Opening for Dirty Projectors are a local band from Lafayette called GIVERS. Their cheery, dance-inspiring tracks "Ceiling of Plankton" and "Saw You First" are featured on the band's MySpace and are similar in feel to indie pop band Of Montreal. GIVERS will set the stage with a fun, high-energy show that should get the crowd excited about a new, great local act. I hope to be able to visit with the band just before they go on tomorrow night and post the interview in its entirety this weekend along with pictures from the show.
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