Some of you might know Angel Deradoorian as one of the immensely talented singers in the experimental indie outfit Dirty Projectors. As it turns out, she's also recorded some lovely solo tracks. The Hidden Cat remix of "You Carry the Deed" is both club banger and introspective soul-searcher, with Deradoorian's soulful, melancholy voice swooning amidst sparkling keyboard arpeggios.
Today, I received an email informing me that Dirty Projectors have a new release. This is always a good thing, considering that the band is one of the most original groups out there today. Mount Wittenberg Orca, the new album, is a collaboration with Icelandic singer Björk. David Longstreth returns to the concept album format he gloriously explored on 2005's just plain weird The Getty Address, this time weaving a tale of a time bandmate Amber Coffman observed some whales off the Northern Californian coast. According to Longstreth, "I wrote some songs about it and sent them to Björk, who agreed to sing the part of the mom whale...Amber and Angel and Haley sang the part of the kid whales, and I sang the part of Amber." The DP girls blend very well with Björk's voice, as evidenced by tracks like the largely a cappella "All We Are." The song builds slowly, almost like a post-rock soundscape. It's truly beautiful when Björk and Longstreth's odd melodies finally intertwine.
Download Mount Wittenberg Orcahere. All proceeds go to the National Geographic Society's efforts for marine conservation.
Could Day 2 of Sasquatch! be better than the first? YES!
The day began with Local Natives, a band recommended to me by a friend recently. They began with some lighter tunes, perfect for a lazy afternoon. Soulful and harmony-filled songs caused the early crowd's whoops and hollers to the vocal prowess of the multiple singers. We also dug the grooves of the drummer and tom tom oriented auxiliary percussionist. “World News” was the highlight for me, constantly crescendoing and hitting chilling harmonies during the soft hook.
After wandering between multiple stages and catching bits and pieces of great music galore including an awesome set from Tegan and Sara, LCD Soundsystem was up on the main stage. This was the best show of the weekend for me. Murphy’s maniacal command of the mic invigorated the crowd as the band blasted through murderously energetic dance tunes—old and new. The entire Gorge Amphitheatre bubbled with dancing music lovers bopping heads, waving arms, spinning erratically and pissing off plenty of event staff that prayed for clear pathways across the audience area. Murphy absolutely killed it on “I Can Change”, smoothly dipping into his falsetto and leaking beautifully heartbroken crooning.
Dirty Projectors delivered an amazing set too. The musicianship they displayed impressed me more than from any other band in at the festival. I knew they loved toying with rhythmic structure but when they dropped “Temecula Sunrise” the abstractions suddenly seemed clearer and they blew my mind.
I chose to peace out of Dirty Projectors early to catch the full A-Trak DJ set simply because I think he’ll be the less likely artist to appear in my city affordably. I spent the entire show wondering why the Rumpus Room’s roof didn’t spontaneously explode from the energy of the blistering electro and screaming fans of the new dance music generation. Beginning with "Circle of Life" from the Lion King, cutting up his floor filling "Heads Will Roll" remix and finishing with "The Hey Song", I couldn't get enough.
The biggest disappoint of the weekend was not Public Enemy’s set but the fact that the sound kept cutting out. Maybe next time. After this show I hit up the main stage for the last gig of the night, Massive Attack. I wasn’t really familiar with their music other than the obligatory House theme song but since one of my buddies declared them the only artist that mattered to him I thought why not. The show did not blow me away but I appreciated the vocal talent of their featured guests and the bass rattled my bones pleasurably. They commanded the big stage with eeriness and sheer power.
This song's been floating around the web for more than just a few months now but here it is if you missed it. After keeping 2009's Bitte Orca on constant repeat last summer, I'm getting pumped to see these guys at Sasquatch. Gotta love folk when it gets a little freaky.
Not too many things are more exciting in the hip-hop world than a new Roots album. How I Got Over will be out June 22 and they're collaborating with all kinds of fresh talent from the music community including Dirty Projectors, Joanna Newsom and newcomer mixtape all-star Sugar Tongue Slim. Check out the full track listing here. New Roots video and Sugar Tongue Slim mixtape track over a classic G Rap beat below.
So the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA is coming up this weekend, but unfortunately I'm stuck on the other side of the country here in Boston. It's quite a travesty--this year's line-up includes several of my favorite bands and many more that I would love to see. However, I don't have a free instantaneous teleportation device, so I'll write about several of the acts instead. Regardless if you're attending these three days of music under the desert sun, you should check the following bands/songs out:
Atoms for Peace - "Black Swan": Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's Atoms for Peace band is the big headliner Sunday night. The group also features Flea and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Expect to hear brooding, electronic tinged cuts from Yorke's solo album "The Eraser" as well as the multitude of new songs Yorke has been constantly revealing during his recent shows.
Baroness - "Jake Leg": Baroness, one of the few metal bands at this year's festival, has experienced a meteoric rise over the past year with the release of the "Blue Record." Following in the path of stoner-metal giants Mastodon, Baroness's heavy, psychedelic guitar riffs appeal to headbangers and those who usually avoid the mosh pit alike. Singer/lead guitarist John Baizley's neolithic roar and sinuous solos fill out dense, progressive arrangements.
RX Bandits - "My Lonesome Only Friend": I know I posted about these guys yesterday, but RX Bandits are a band you simply need to see live. Their songs bounce about from thrashy punk to danceable ska grooves to dual guitar solos that could put Dragonforce to shame. Overall, an incredibly fun and original group.
Porcupine Tree - "Trains": Playing right after RX Bandits at the Outdoor Theatre on Saturday, Porcupine Tree are one of today's reigning progressive rock bands. I know they probably hate this comparison, but they're pretty much the modern day Pink Floyd, capable of creating incredibly beautiful, melancholic soundscapes. They're not afraid to occasionally get heavy as well.
Dirty Projectors - "Stillness is the Move": Last year, Dirty Projectors released "Bitte Orca" to rave reviews, and it's no wonder why. I can't think of any other band to compare their sound to, a true testament to the Projectors' originality. The group is anchored by mastermind David Longstreth's warbling falsetto crooning and off-kilter, angular guitar lines. Constantly changing rhythms and the three part harmonies of Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Deckle blend together to create weirdly beautiful songs.
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Some of you might know Angel Deradoorian as one of the immensely talented singers in the experimental indie outfit Dirty Projectors. As it turns out, she's also recorded some lovely solo tracks. The Hidden Cat remix of "You Carry the Deed" is both club banger and introspective soul-searcher, with Deradoorian's soulful, melancholy voice swooning amidst sparkling keyboard arpeggios.
Today, I received an email informing me that Dirty Projectors have a new release. This is always a good thing, considering that the band is one of the most original groups out there today. Mount Wittenberg Orca, the new album, is a collaboration with Icelandic singer Björk. David Longstreth returns to the concept album format he gloriously explored on 2005's just plain weird The Getty Address, this time weaving a tale of a time bandmate Amber Coffman observed some whales off the Northern Californian coast. According to Longstreth, "I wrote some songs about it and sent them to Björk, who agreed to sing the part of the mom whale...Amber and Angel and Haley sang the part of the kid whales, and I sang the part of Amber." The DP girls blend very well with Björk's voice, as evidenced by tracks like the largely a cappella "All We Are." The song builds slowly, almost like a post-rock soundscape. It's truly beautiful when Björk and Longstreth's odd melodies finally intertwine.
So the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA is coming up this weekend, but unfortunately I'm stuck on the other side of the country here in Boston. It's quite a travesty--this year's line-up includes several of my favorite bands and many more that I would love to see. However, I don't have a free instantaneous teleportation device, so I'll write about several of the acts instead. Regardless if you're attending these three days of music under the desert sun, you should check the following bands/songs out: