A potential revenue stream appeared to dry up at the end of last month, or someone pulled the plug - the Temecula Sunrise EP, twice postponed, leaked so hard you wonder whether it will ever see an official release at all. This New York Magazine feature is unusual in discussing the economics of keeping the Dirty Projectors show on the road - in both senses. It’s a very worthwhile read, with new insights for the initiated as well as being an excellent introduction for anyone new to the band. Great photos too. Just what you want from a magazine piece.
The NY mag isn’t the first to write about the difficulties of living in Brooklyn and supporting yourself as a musician. Around the time of the South By Southwest festival, Wired Magazine (not the difficult music magazine) spoke to Motel Motel, one of the relatively unknown bands on the bill, about just this subject: SXSW: Sweat, E-Mail and Online Sales Are DIY Secrets to Band’s Success. It’s another great read and even includes a unique and surprising anecdote about Dirty Projectors - although you might wonder whether it would pass The New Yorker’s fact checking test.
Finally, a shorter piece from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Timing fortuitous for Dirty Projectors’ Coffman, again touching on the subject of hard work. There’s also some history about how Amber joined Dirty Projectors and, like the NY mag piece, more suggestions that Dave’s current band can feel more secure in their jobs than their predecessors.
I feel it is pretty hard to buy their merch. For example, you cannot purchase a t-shirt anywhere, I am hoping they have them on sale at their shows (going Fri). And, they should really consider taping that show they are doing with the LA Orchestra, I would love to go to the show but spending hundreds of dollars for 1 concert is just not feasible. I think that would sell…I’d buy it.
one of the more welcome and factually substantive (and substantial) DP press pieces so far. still, you think the author would get some basic chronology right: the collaborations with Byrne and Bjork happened before the release of Bitte Orca, when DPs best-selling album to date, Rise Above, had sold a mere 9,000 copies–i.e. before the widespread post-Orca validation. yes, i think i’ll be forever bitter about Rise Above’s marginalization, both now and then. no matter how many orchestras i see them play with