Archive for the ‘live shows’ Category

Getty Address revisited

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Getty cover

Pitchfork yesterday broke the news that Dirty Projectors will play their 2005 album, The Getty Address, in full, at two special shows this month.  They’ll be assisted in both performances by NY chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound.  There’s another minimalist official website, too, featuring Dave’s letter to Don Henley.  More details at Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan.

If that puts you in the mood for some more Getty era DPs music, WNYC are still streaming a show that Dave and cohorts recorded nearly five years ago for the Spinning On Air programme.  It’s a real treat, somewhere around an hour long with a bit of chat but mostly just astonishing music. Thanks to Murray Levy and other readers for pointing this out.

WNYC - Spinning On Air: Dirty Projectors (April 08, 2005)

NYC Taper has Audacity to record Bowery Ballroom US tour finale

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

dirty_projectors_cassette

(Actually, Audacity was used for the mastering, not the recording. But why let facts get in the way of a laboured pun?)

New York’s live music archivist and generous soul nyctaper has an early Christmas present for you - a Domino/D-Lo approved recording of Dirty Projectors’ end of US tour Bowery Ballroom show from 22 November. That’s right, the one with The Roots and David Byrne. It sounds amazing and it’s yours for nothing.  nyctaper is similarly generous in his praise for Bitte Orca -  ”Not since Kid A has a band moved rock music this far forward this quickly, and, like Kid A, challenged the most basic notions about what ‘rock’ music is - and could be.”

Dirty Projectors: November 22, 2009 Bowery - Flac and MP3 Downloads (by nyctaper)

You can show your appreciation by donating to nyctaper and/or by buying an official Dirty Projectors recording. Hey, if you haven’t heard Fluorescent Half Dome on cassette, you haven’t truly heard it.

Happy Questmas (Tour Isn’t Over)

Friday, November 27th, 2009

dirty-projectors-with-the-roots

Dirty Projectors rounded off their 2009 US tour last Sunday at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. They were joined by The Roots for two songs then, for the encore, by David Byrne. Details and plenty pics at Brooklyn Vegan. The following Wednesday saw a return to the Jimmy Fallon Show for Amber and Hayley, joining house band The Roots in backing up Mos Def and Talib Kweli. If past experience is anything to go by, the YouTube clip of this appearance won’t be around for very long.

Further live shows are scheduled in 2010 including a very special one in Los Angeles with the LA Symphony Orchestra, followed by the group’s first ever dates in New Zealand and Australia. Before that, there are three shows at the end of this year in Brazil. Details on the Tour Dates page.

The UK’s Uncut magazine has placed Bitte Orca at #3 in its end of year Top 50, just behind Animal Collective and Super Furry Animals. The magazine also carries a feature on the Brooklyn scene (described as a “mutual support network”), with a lead quote from D-Lo and short interviews with him and assorted Grizzlies and Collectivists. Elsewhere in the magazine are some effusive endorsements of Bitte Orca from other musicians - Rachel Unthank (”Every time I put it on it sets my pulse racing. It’s just so bold and strident and fearless.”), Aaron Dessner of The National (”Dave Longstreth is the guitar god of our generation. Bitte Orca is his first masterpiece.”) and Hayden Thorpe of Wild Beasts (”It may seem like an inside job, we being labelmates and all, but truthfully, even if it were released by venereal disease, I’d have loved Bitte Orca all the same.”).

Dirty Projectors in session on Sirius XMU

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

dirty-projectors-on-sirius-xmu

A quick heads up - Dirty Projectors have recorded a 30 minute session for Sirius XMU, a North American indie rock radio station.

The show is broadcast today at 4:00 pm ET, then again on Sunday at 12:00 pm ET.  The No Intention performance is already on YouTube.

histoire de melody Longstreth

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Dave Longstreth in conversation at the Walker Art Center, 5 May 2009

Here’s a must-see, whether you’re just starting out with Dirty Projectors or have been super-into them since before that Vampire Weekend guy was in the band.  On 5 March 2009, as part of its ‘Making Music’ series, James Everest of the Whole Music Club from the University of Minnesota interviewed Dave Longstreth in front of an audience at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.  Over 90 minutes, Dave speaks eloquently and unaffectedly about every stage in his musical journey, from his upbringing in Connecticut, right up to the present DPs lineup and Bitte Orca.  Along the way we hear about influences such as Nirvana, Pet Sounds, Wagner and K Records, alleged similarities between The Beatles and Black Flag, musical clips from Dave’s school bands and, courtesy of Amber and Angel, the best demonstration of hocket-style singing this side of Rabbit by Chas & Dave.  There are YouTube and audio clips, too.

Follow the link on this Walker Art Center page to watch the interview or download this lo-res (96kbps) mp3.

See also, from the Walker Art show the next day, 6 March 2009:

Review and excellent photos from Culture Bully

YouTube clips of Temecula Sunrise (acoustic), Depression (acoustic) and Cannibal Resource