Oh My Rockness

Brooklyn foursome Dirty on Purpose have been compared to Belle and Sebastian, The Cure and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Not bad company. These comparisons likely arise from Dirty on Purpose's mellow yet moody music. Vocalists Doug Marvin croons theatrical songs of heartache over fuzzy, guitar-heavy instrumentation (think shoegazing with keyboards).

That is not to say their songs are a buzzkill by any means. The melodies are too quirky and the music too rich to be depressing. Rather they provoke a melancholic mood at their slowest and a subtle elation at their most atmospheric. Dirty on Purpose are one of the few Brooklyn bands that won't be compared to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and that whole art-rock-post-punk thing. These guys are something else.

Published 05/17/07