Last February, I went to the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI to catch a set by Grizzly Bear, Brooklyn neo-folk indie band. The opener, The Dirty Projectors, I had never heard of and they opened up with a swirling guitar driven jam. Two minutes into the song, the singer/guitarist started belting out the beginning lyrics to Black Flag's "Six Pack." Towards the end of the set, I picked up on two more Black Flag songs (lyrics only): "Police Story" and "Spray Paint." I was thoroughly impressed and confused
Covering the milestone hardcore punk album Damaged by Black Flag seems like it would have bad idea written all over it, yet The Dirty Projectors not only took up the challenge (lyrics only however; the song structures have been changed heavily) but reportedly recalled all lyrics from memory or simply improvised them. At the time it seemed strange to me that an indie band would cover a classic hardcore album.
The Dirty Projectors is the music ensemble headed by Brooklyn Yale dropout, Dave Longstreth. For this release, Longstreth borrows two members from fellow New York neo-psychedelic frontrunners, Grizzly Bear: Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear. The two groups have toured together and recorded together on multiple occasions. On this record the bonds of the supposed "New Weird America" genre are scared and bent beautifully out of shape. By admitting to the punk influence in their music style objectively by covering a classic 80's hardcore album, The Dirty Projectors take a step in a different direction away from their other influences, mainly solo Syd Barrett, acid-heavy Beatles albums, and even folk purists Vashti Bunyan. While thoroughly influenced by both Barrett's arranging and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-era Beatles layering techniques, Greg Ginn's dissonant style of free-jazz guitar playing is also quite audible as an influence.
By combining two completely different subcultures, 80's era hardcore punk and the English psychedelic scene of the mid to late 60's, The Dirty Projectors take a step in a completely new direction. They mix the swirl and space of psychedelic stylings and the harshness of hardcore punk to complete a cover album that shows their devotion to the original album and their ability to expand upon their influences. The instrumentation is a combination of traditional drums, bass, and guitar and of string arrangements that contrast the traditional instrumentation, yet compliment the songs as a whole.
This album succeeds for multiple reasons. The Dirty Projectors are an original sounding band with a focus and direction. The album is enjoyed able even if you are not at all familiar with Black Flag (most Dirty Projector fans probably aren't). As far as tribute albums go, Rise Above is a masterpiece. As far as LP releases go, Rise Above is a great example of what is possible when combining talent in songwriting and precision in instrumentation. This album comes highly recommended by yours truly.
