After several years of trying and failing to get tickets to see Dirty Projectors when they have played in NYC, I finally got to see them on Saturday night, when they descended on Terminal 5. I don’t listen to Bitte Orca quite as much these days as I did a couple years back, but all of those songs still have a special place in my heart.
Highlights of the show included an unfortunately David Byrne-less but still rocking “Knotty Pine” and of course a late-in-the-set “Stillness is the Move,” during which Amber Coffman put down her guitar, removed her mic from its stand and stalked the stage belting out those wordless riffs. There were also a few solid new songs that I’m hoping will make there way onto a new album soon.
One of the more unexpectedly pleasant moments was this cover of Bob Dylan’s “As I Went Out One Morning,” which I caught on my iPhone camera for you all to enjoy.
NEW RELEASE // Dirty Projectors and Bjork - Mount Wittenberg Orca
First off, I want to thank Sterogum’s Brandon Stosuy for making this happen. As the story goes, he asked the Dirty Projectors and Bjork to both perform for a benefit show in NYC. He then asked if they wanted to collaborate and both parties agreed.
“In April 2009, Brandon Stosuy from Stereogum.com asked me if we wanted to play a benefit concert at a bookstore in New York. I said yes.” Dirty Projector frontman Dave Longstreth says. “He asked Björk the same thing, and she said yes. Then he asked us if we wanted to collaborate, and we said yes. Björk asked me what we should do, and I said, I don’t know, I guess I’d really love to write a bunch of new songs for us to sing together?” And she said yes.”
“That same month, Amber from Dirty Projectors was walking along a ridge on Mount Wittenberg, north of San Francisco. She was looking out at the ocean and saw a little family of whales, as you sometimes do in April on the Northern California coast. I wrote some songs about it and sent them to Björk, who agreed to sing the part of the mom whale. The songs became Mount Wittenberg Orca. Amber and Angel and Haley sang the part of the kid whales, and I sang the part of Amber. We sang all week long and learned the music just in time to perform it at the bookstore on May 8th.” - Dirty Projectors frontman Dave Longstreth explained the whale-inspired genesis of the project in a letter to Sterogum.
I have to say I’m super excited for this. I know this seems like such a random collaboration but with their mutual admiration mixed with killer melodies and bjorks quirky original pop sound I think it could be something special. I grew up listening to bjork and have loved everything the Dirty Projectors have done too. I love seeing all artists collaborate and its always great when the unexpected steps out and bitch slaps you with greatness. That’s what I’m hoping will happen anyways…
TRACK LIST
1. Ocean
2. On and Ever Onward
3. When the World Comes to an End
4. Beautiful Mother
5. Sharing Orb
6. No Embrace
7. All We Are
The EP is set to drop June 30th and all proceeds will go to the National Geographic Society. You can pre-order here
-sweet collaborations. from my ears. to yours. with love. jp
Dirty Projectors - I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (Bob Dylan cover) //
Dave Longstreth channels Dylan in this beautiful cover of “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” from 1968’s John Wesley Harding. The two ladies singing harmony back-up puts this one over the top.
A few months ago we started posting “I Gotcha Covered” which features a bunch of cover songs that we love. We post the list once a month. Our first list featured Solange Knowles cover of “Stillness is the Move”by the so far it’s my favorite for 2010.
Flavorwire was kind enough to post this video of Solange doing the cover live with the Dirty Projectors.
It’s always great when artists or bands can take an already great song and really make it their own. Below are some of my favorite covers. These covers are all amazing, but my two favorites are the Emily Wells cover of “Juicy” which I wrote about in a previous post and much to my surprise the Solange cover of “Stillness is the Move.” Hope you enjoy!
Bat for Lashes – Kings of Leon-Use Somebody
Lady Gaga-Coldplay-Viva La Vida
Velvet Underground-Rolling Stones-Sweet Jane/Beast of Burden
. The two ladies singing harmony back-up puts this one over the top.
Emily Wells - Juicy .mp3 
Found at 
