Disinfect This!

Brooklyn-based indie-rock upstarts Dirty on Purpose come loaded with all sorts of swoony strings (kind of like the Arcade Fire) and vocal tics (à la Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). Less down and dirty than precious and pretty, the band's tunes mostly coast on spiky guitar lines, plunked-piano melodies, and...

By Jeff Stratton

March 8, 2007

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Brooklyn-based indie-rock upstarts Dirty on Purpose come loaded with all sorts of swoony strings (kind of like the Arcade Fire) and vocal tics (à la Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). Less down and dirty than precious and pretty, the band's tunes mostly coast on spiky guitar lines, plunked-piano melodies, and pinched, plaintive voices as found amid the polished assortment of Hallelujah Sirens, its latest release. Dirty on Purpose's penchant for stroking electric guitar strings with violin bows (used sparingly but effectively) has earned it comparisons to Sigur Rós, but this band is much more straightforward and terrestrial than the ethereal Icelanders. Instead, Dirty on Purpose sounds as if it springs from the venerable East Coast brain trust that birthed the Talking Heads and Television. So Hallelujah Sirens' songs are always tight and buttoned-down, a bit intellectual, but probably ready to party on the weekends. Or maybe at this Thursday-night bash celebrating the eighth birthday of thehoneycomb.com, the WPB website/way of life captained by Steve Rullman (who reckons Hallelujah Sirens was the best record of 2006).

Dirty on Purpose performs with Zombies! Organize!! and El on Thursday, March 8, at Respectable Street, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. Doors open at 9 p.m. Visit www.thehoneycomb.com, or call 561-832-9999.

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