"This is a warning; I'll spell it out for you."

 The Dirty 

 Projectors

Bitte Orca

A lot of people say that Bitte Orca really rules, though I didn't know that going into my critical listen. Musically, the album is very complete. The melodies interest me just at the right swing of monotony. The guitar strings seem somehow more poignant like flamenco strings, enjoyably so. Interjected claps spark energy and the "wo-OU who-OU" of electric on Cannibal Resource introduces a contended disposition! I couldn't help but love Temecula Sunrise's lyrical story seeings as it describes our present Brooklyn sublet life. Makes me say, "'No one has any good reason to live' CLAP! Come in percussion, we've been waiting for your offbeat disfunction."

The first time I heard Stillness is the Move was in a couchsurfing bed our first week in Barcelona. Steeped in jet lagged depression, Joe handed me the ipod cued with this song. Excellent. Made me wish we had a cheer-leading squad perform this at our wedding. Two Doves then puts me in a is-this-Belle-and-Sebastian-? state, not much to my pleasure; but I will say a definite hooray for female voice that is refreshingly regular.

So musically I vote yes for Bitte Ocra but I vote no for voice. I like abandoned voices but Longstreth deliberates too much leaving his inflections forced. B.t.w. does his voice remind anyone else of less controlled Morrissey's? No Intention would be better if he let Amber or Angel grab the mic. By the end, I am exhausted; and perhaps they are self-aware enough to give us Fluorescent 1/2 Dome at the album's conclusion, a sort of Bitte Orca savasana. 

Hot Chip 

The Warning

 We enter a sweaty boxing scene - a bit of blood, plenty of spit - with Hot Chip's first track Careful. I'm easily throwing punches at this get-go. Then A Boy from School sends me straight to the club for cool kids where bobbing and weaving, slight hand gesture bounce is OKAY.

"We try but we don't belong."

A great relief greets us with Colours and frankly anyone who admits colours keep them alive is a friend of mine. And back to the club with Over and Over. Hot Chip knows a great sarcasm about repetition, organ jabs, and dirty bass synths. The Warning definitely brought me to the land of Múm; fine by me. (Just Like We) Breakdown was a little too much "recycled disco" (Joe)  but gets quickly left in the dust by Tchaparian's drill sargent vocals accompanied by slightly panicked "o-o-oh" and tiny electric pinches.

Hot Chip throws us a great party with The Warning. Everyone's coo, no big complaints, probably some hot pants, deck shoes, and accepted silences!

  Let the confetti fly, Hot Chip's comin' through.