Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan

In 2009, Dirty Projectors did two great things: one, they released the hyper-eclectic, yet somehow catchy and critically adored Bitte Orca, and two, they helped Lafayette band GIVERS skyrocket to success by bringing them on tour. Bitte Orca was powered by the insanely precise vocal acrobatics of Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian, contrasting bandleader David Longstreth’s erratic guitar riffs and off-kilter crooning. Now, the new album’s first single, “Gun Has No Trigger,” finds Longstreth using that familiar foundation of female backing vocals, but his guitar is absent. The track shuffles along with drums, a killer bass line and a soulful melody with each chorus building to a cinematic finale—but never quite getting there. Longstreth reportedly worked for a year on 70 new songs for the album, finally editing it all down to 12. The band will be showing off what made the cut at the House of Blues in New Orleans Aug. 4.