Brooklyn’s own Dirty Projectors released one of my favorite albums from 2009, “Bitte Orca” and they now return with “Swing Lo Magellen”. Their music has always sounded like someone is manually spinning a turntable as the music seems to struggle to move forward and then explodes into different sounds and melodies. Words don’t matter as much as the feeling. This album may be different. Lead singer David Longstreth explains in an interview with the NY Times:
“These are songs without any context,”. “They’re less about arrangement. They’re less about orchestration.” And they were made with a slightly different lineup from the band’s previous albums.”
This should be one of those albums that will take many listens to fully appreciate. I can’t wait to dig in. You can get a taste of their style with this typically bizarre trailer.
What happens when you’re a highly acclaimed, but struggling singer-songwriter and you decide to take a sabbatical to become a single mother of twins? Does your creative muse end? Apparently not, as Eleni Mandell comes back thinking positive with “I Can See The Future”. The title even sounds like something Mom would tell you. Here’s hoping the future sends her onto the Billboard charts. Here’s the wonderfully retro video for “Magic Summertime”
I usually despise the term super-group, because they are usually neither super or even a group. Shall I remind anyone of last year’s sink like a stone group project, Super Heavy? But I’m going to give the group JJamz a pass because the members of this “indie super group” are legitimate best friends. The band consists of Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes), James Valentine (Maroon 5), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Michael Runion (solo), and Elizabeth “Z” Berg (The Like). We’ll see if we’re still talking about them by the end of the year but for now please enjoy the summer-esque sounding “Never Enough”
