Dirty Projectors - Rise Above

The moment Dave shrieks out the opening yelp of the first syllable of the first word of "Rise Above" is pure, ummm, well, I don't know really. I know I grimaced, and thought, well, I don't know what I thought. It doesn't sound good, but it definitely isn't bad. So what is it?

Nobody knows. The Dirty Projectors are defined by dissonance, or do they define dissonance? I think that's the band's secret - you spend so much time thinking about what their music is that just listening to their album can never be a passive experience.

Is it R&B? Rock? Pop? Art Rock? What is art rock?

What it isn't is easy. The Dirty Projectors make you work. It is a labor of indie-rock love, and there's no guarantee that you'll eventually like their, their, their... sound?

Enough questions. Listen to "Rise Above", and then jump into their latest album "Bitte Orca". I promise you that you won't/will be disappointed.

Soko - I'll Kill Her

Out of context, well, imagine it in a you-know-it's-the-name-of-a-pop-song-but-you-don't-know-who-sings-it kind of out of context, this song title surely reeks of death metal.

Didn't your mama tell you not to judge a book by its cover?

The artist - Soko, French, female, petite - is the furthest cry from death metal.

Not to say that "I'll Kill Her" is devoid of angst. If she steals you from me, oh boy, I'll kill her. Simple as that.

But the tone is so light, so effortless, so pop-infused, that you can't help but laugh. The spoken verse reminds us of something we always do, but really shouldn't: idealizing the perfect, step by step path, in minute detail, towards falling in love. Guys, don't smirk, these thoughts aren't reserved for girls. You do this too.

The lilting guitar leads keep the pace rolling, and the infectious chorus will have you humming "I'll kill her, I'll kill her" as you stroll down the street, to the disgusted looks of passerbys, all of which are so unjustly taking your comments out of context.