I’ve been listening to the entire Yo La Tengo discography, and while working through their mid-80s records like Ride the Tiger and New Wave Hot Dogs, I got to thinking about the shift I made in musical tastes during that decade. Right about 1986, my listening inclinations began to change amidst the full onslaught of bands ascending to become what are now known as “glam metal,” or “hair metal” acts like Poison (Look at What the Cat Dragged In – 1996), Cinderella (Night Songs – 1986), Autograph (Sign in Please – 1984), and Europe (The Final Countdown – 1986), as well as the cheese-core about face some of my favorite bands made after the earlier part of the decade (Judas Priest’s horrid Turbo from 1986 and Whitesnake’s substituting drifters for hobos in their 1987 self-titled album are the most shameful examples).
Disenchanted with what mainstream metal/hard rock was becoming, I looked to the music enjoyed by the weirdo goth geeks hanging around the halls at school, and discovered stuff that now recalls the origins of alternative music – most striking and memorable were the Smiths (the immortal Queen is Dead came out in 1986), Hüsker Dü (Zen Arcade – 1984), and my personal favorite, the Meat Puppets and their life-changing disc Up on the Sun (1985). I cite this memory not to express any disillusionment with the state of indie rock, but to emphasize the benefit of searching for fresh, provocative, and challenging music – especially given the current popular, and perhaps misleading, persona of alternative and independent rock as a bastion for overhyped pop indie folk bands like Mumford and Sons or one-dimensional anthem machines such as Matt and Kim.
I caught a show a few weeks ago at the coolest music venue in Vermont – Higher Ground in Burlington – that I think exemplifies some of the freshest sounds in contemporary independent rock. From guitar rock to lo-fi synth pop, to all out experimentation, the bands involved in the show were impressive, but also cover a wide spectrum of what’s pushing the boundaries in the realm of independent rock n’ roll.
With their odd choral arrangements, ill-timed guitar riffs, and darkly syncopated percussion rhythms, the current manifestation of Dirty Projectors is one of my favorite bands right now. David Longstreth has constructed a haunting trio of a female chorus around his unusual guitar riffing and solos, and now that he has finally arrived into the realm of slightly more mainstream song structures, the band has produced music that not only provides some interesting listens (his music always did), but is also fun to listen to. I was blown away the first time I heard Swing Lo Magellan last year, and like Up on the Sun and the Queen is Dead, I will probably count that experience as one of those turning point moments in the development of my musical tastes. I’ve long considered Longstreth’s Dirty Projectors the standard bearer of the Brooklyn sound, but with the last two albums the band has endeavored to produce something both typically experimental and satisfyingly consumable for the masses (or at least the masses of indie rock fans who venture beyond the trappings of easy hooks and feel good string bands stomping on bass drum pedals). I’ve missed seeing Dirty Projectors live several times around NYC last year, but after a long drive through the Green Mountains finally caught up to them in Burlington.
In addition to Dirty Projectors, the show also featured the guitar-based rock band Delicate Steve and the synthy stylings of Burlington musician Ryan Power. Power brought a fantastic backing band and a cool concept, reminding me of Nite Jewel, and fellow Vermont indie rockers Blanche Blanche Blanche. Like those bands, Power offers a low-fi sound relying heavily on keys, synths, and a skilled drummer who employs electronic pads but crashes and rides real cymbals. I found the strength of Power’s performance to arise mainly through the outstanding rhythm section as the bassist played seriously funky grooves, particularly when the band slowed itself down with a song in the middle of the set. Power has been around a while and is preparing to release his sixth album this June – check out this review of his work and the link to a new song “The Prize” on Sterogum. http://stereogum.com/1341612/ryan-power-the-prize-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/
Departing from the thoughtful electronic sound of Power, Delicate Steve lit up the venue with incredibly intricate guitar rock. Delicate Steve is the creation of guitarist Steven Marion and his nicely composed touring band. Along with his own guitar work, the band leader employs an additional guitarist Christian Peslak – who together trade riffs and solos through almost entirely instrumental songs with varying rock styles from hard to folk to progressive. From the initial riff of the first song in the set “Flyin’ High” to the slide guitar of “Don’t Get Stuck (Proud Elephants)” to the country rock of “Wally Wilder,” the performance unforgettably rocked. The most interesting moment of this portion of the evening was the finale, “Butterfly,” that offered a provocative use of a drum machine and a guitar solo progressing into something symphonically akin to the sound of fireworks over Red Square in Moscow accompanied by a rock version of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
The Dirty Projectors played it honest and easy (don’t ask me what that means) – almost all of the set except for two songs satisfyingly came from Swing Lo Magellan and Bitte Orca (the most notable exception being one of my Dirty Projector’s favorites, “Rise Above”). The execution of the songs was top notch and crowd pleasing, but the most attractive aspect of the performance was Longstreth’s looseness and playfulness exhibited during songs such as “No Intention” as he employed starts and stops on his guitar while shooting sly glances over to his muse and guitarist Amber Coffman.
Speaking of Coffman, I would credit her emergence in the band as the creative force responsible for Longstreth’s turn to a more accessible palate of tunes. Coffman’s sugary sweet vocal has been a welcome addition to the Dirty Projectors sound, however, her role as a guitarist has progressed over the years, and she demonstrated her capable handling of the instrument through renditions of “Dance for You” and “About to Die.” And then there is of course the Dirty Projectors signature syncopated chorus, most effectively exemplified during the performances of “Beautiful Mother,” and “Stillness is the Move.”
Is it possible that we might look back at the current onslaught of pop indie folkers like Mumford and Sons, and Lumineers as the 2010’s cheese ball equivalents of Guns n’ Roses and Twisted Sister? Are Matt and Kim or the Killers this generation’s versions of Poison and Motley Crue? In 2035, will we be shaking our heads at the the silly simplistic lyrics of “Hey Ho” (or is it Ho Hey?) and the hipster disguised as hillbilly fashion sense of its creators?
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I certainly hope so as payback for this generation’s ridiculous use of the sub-rock category “hair metal” as a way to flippantly dismiss an entire decade of hit-and-miss heavy rock music. Whatever the future reputation of what passes as indie rock might be, I don’t foresee David Longstreth and Amber Coffman penning lyrics about “Parental Guidance” and “Turbo Lovers” any time soon.