Monday, 14 August 2006 04:55

"Dirty on Purpose" def. (n): 1.) Rich New York hipsters who dress themselves to fit the idea of a "pretty boys in dirty jeans." 2.) Blatant dirtiness. 3.) A rocking band from Brooklyn whose new album Hallelujah Sirens is well worth the buzz. In this case, we are, of course, referring to definition number three.

Quick to profess their love for Irish alt-rock quartet Rollerskate Skinny and to discuss pirates vs. ninjas (pirates won), Dirty on Purpose is your quintessential dream-pop band. The band consists of Doug Marvin (drums/vocals), Joseph Jurewicz (guitar/vocals), George Wilson (guitar/vocals), and D.J. Boudreau (bass). Their new album also features vocals from fellow Brooklyn songstress Jaymay.

The sound of Dirty on Purpose has been described as many things, ranging from shoegazer rock to dream pop to even sometimes psychedelic. Musically, they've been compared to Mogwai and Yo La Tengo, associations that flatter bassist D.J. Boudreau. "I don't mind at all because, frankly, I love those bands. But at the same time, I think we are a little bit more than shoegaze, something a step outside of that."

Indeed, they are. A good word to describe the music is "dreamy." Hallelujah Sirens has an ethereal sound, an assessment with which Boudreau agrees. "We're definitely into playing with effects and creating soundscapes more than songs in particular," he says. When asked about the band's writing process, he says in all seriousness, "Please don't use the word ‘emo,' [but I] try and write around an idea or a feeling as opposed to a lyrical content idea.

"In terms of songwriting," he continues, "we all write. It's very rare if someone comes in with a completed song; it's more a of team effort." A team of pretty boys in dirty jeans, perhaps, but with the music to back it up. Hallelujah, indeed.