Dirty Projectors, Dusted lead best new releases
Here’s just the thing for the dog days of summer: A pair of very cool, highly original releases out (today) Tuesday from Dirty Projectors and Dusted. The albums feel like they fall at the opposite ends of some musical spectrum. Dirty Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan is full of complicated musical arrangements borrowing from many genres, while Dusted’s Total Dust is best described as super lo-fi. Both are highly recommended.
Fans of Dirty Projectors know the very distinct sound of this band but there are some twists and turns on Magellan that we didn’t hear on the 2009 breakthrough Bitte Orca. Maybe it’s the beats? In an interview with the New York Times, frontman David Longstreth said he was influenced by a number of artists during the making of Magellan, including Lil Wayne. ”I love the beats,” Longstreth said, referring to Weezy’s music. Other artists inspiring Magellan: Neil Young, Guided By Voices, Rod Stewart and blues legend Blind Willie Johnson, he told the Times. All in all, Magellan is a strong album and may even best the remarkable Bitte Orca.
Dusted is the vehicle for Brian Borcherdt, best known for his bass, drums and electronica outfit Holy Fuck. Total Dust is a big departure from the boisterous sounds of that band. Musically, Total Dust sounds like what I imagine a collaboration between Woods and Mount Eerie would sound like. As for production, it’s Lou Barlow circa early ’90s. But what a great album Borcherdt put together with the help of collaborator Leon Taheny. Dusted is slow, deliberate and often haunting.
Stream all of Total Dust here.
You can catch Dirty Projectors at Pitchfork fest Friday.
