Dirty Projectors!

[roylayer]

I've only heard "Bitte Orca" so far, but I love it. I don't know what's taken me so long to discover them. (The album came out in 2009.) Some site suggested them to me since I like San Fermin. The music is very hard to describe.

Wikipedia uses these keywords: Indie rock, art pop, baroque pop, R&B, experimental. I love all of the strange things going on in the songs, yet the songs somehow maintain a strong melody. This is a hallmark of some of my favorite progressive bands such as Yes. (Note: I am not calling them a prog band.)

From the Wikipedia entry on the band: "While often associated with the late 2000s New York indie rock scene, critics have likened Dirty Projectors to musicians from many genres. For example, critics have compared them to new wave artists David Byrne and Squeeze, pop stars Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, and progressive rock musicians Frank Zappa and Yes.[14][15] In a 2009 interview, Longstreth embraced some such comparisons but expressed a dislike for classic and progressive rock, commenting, "Steely Dan is a band I’m not that into," "I’m not a huge Yes guy," and "Frank Zappa I fucking hate."[14]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitte_Orca

This is the 2nd song on the album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvkvJYGLRg

Do they have any other albums that are this good?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Bitte Orca was somewhat of an "indie" landmark album on release, and I still think it's the best place to start with them. Amazingly refined and creative, new pop/rock music. They also influenced a number of fine acts to follow.

[Polypet]

They're quite good and, actually, more on the avant tip than one might think. A good place to start and find albums you might like is their website:
http://www.dirtyprojectors.net

Alas, the site has changed some. They used to have lots of clever videos and other music there. Still, some good information on their doings.

Don't mind Longstreth's youthful bluster vis a vis who he hates, etc. Surely partly inspired by the insipid comparisons reporters like to make. In any case, they sound NOTHING like any of the folks mentioned anyway but rather have their own very unique style. In the way that people connect to what they know - god bless 'em - people will link them to other avant/rock and sophisticated pop music out there (the aforementioned being exemplars of such). The real answer is that there is no one else like them and that is a good thing

That said, they are an acquired taste - especially the singing style until you become familiar with it. I love them though and highly recommended them some years back when i first heard them. Extremely original, complex and alluring music

[roylayer]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. I get a bit of a Sugarcubes vibe from some of the songs on "Bitte Orca." That's about the only comparison I thought of while listening to it for the first time. That is interesting because I see that Dirty Projectors later teamed with Bjork to make an EP.

[Brad to the Bone]

I've only heard "Bitte Orca" so far, but I love it. [...] Do they have any other albums that are this good?

I have and enjoy "Bitte Orca", "Swing Lo Magellan", and the EP with Bjork and would say they're all reasonably comparable. Never went back to try any of the earlier stuff.

[roylayer]

I have and enjoy "Bitte Orca", "Swing Lo Magellan", and the EP with Bjork and would say they're all reasonably comparable. Never went back to try any of the earlier stuff.

Cool. I like the Bjork EP and I have requested "Magellan" from the library.

[progholio]

everytime i've heard this band on the radio i've always liked them, i especially dig their name.