Band To Watch: Beirut
And now that the MP3 blogs have done Tapes 'n' Tapes a solid, we collectively turn our attention to Zach Condon's Beirut. GVB and Catbirdseat first alerted us to the project of this Albuquerque-bred 19-year-old, now up to his elbo.ws in free publicity. And deservedly so. We never knew ukuleles could rock. In fact, there are NO GUITARS on the debut album Gulag Orkestar (out 5/9 on Bada Bing Records). That may sound like a gimmick, but you won't miss 'em: with so many instruments in the mix, Beirut have hit on something wholly unique, never aping any band, nor any genre we could think of. And yet with all that lush Middle Eastern orchestration, Condon's hypnotic warble never leaves center stage.
Beirut - "Postcards From Italy" (MP3)
Another download, but if you're not sold by "Postcards" you'll hate it.
Beirut - "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" (MP3)
Still intrigued? Check out Said The Gramophone for two more tracks. "That makes four from an album of eleven," Sean admits. But he's not worried 'cause he's so confident you'll buy it.
What do you guys think?
UPDATE: OK kids, how about we stop arguing about which blogger was first to discover the band ... and actually see Beirut live in concert instead? Stereogum's giving away three pairs of tickets to the upcoming Knitting Factory show (Beirut will be supporting Irving, who we love too).
Irving plus Group Sounds, Beirut, BoulevardNo fancy entry form. Just the 20th, 21st, and 22nd readers to leave comments on this thread (use a real e-mail address so we can contact you).
Knitting Factory, NYC 5/10 8PM
Posted at 3:00 PM
Tags: Beirut
Love it. Reminds me of Rufus Wainwright ("Postcards" is like "Greek Song"). And that's a very good thing.
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Gorilla vs. Bear posted on beirut way back in february. dont give catbirdseat too much credit.
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this record is muy excelente. it's available for mailorder already if you go the ba-da-bing website (http://www.badabingrecords.com/). the neutral milk hotel connection will probably sell a number of people (jeremy barnes plays on the record).
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I fixed that, Chip. Thanks.
EVERYONE is comparing to Neutral Milk Hotel, because of Jeremy Barnes' participation. I think sort of a lazy comparison, but whatever.
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Yeah, be sure I'm not awarded the big cookie for posting it in February!
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I think it's more like Devotchka meets Tin Hat Trio meets plucky singer-songwriter (Luke Temple immediately comes to my mind) meets the soundtrack to Amelie. Maybe: Eastern European folk dirge orchestra with charismastic, trembling vocals.
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Beirut makes me (and apparently a lot of other people) very happy. I like the no guitars in their music, and it doesn't seem gimmicky. Just seems like its somewhere between Hungarian folk music and Herb Alpert to me. Hrm.
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zach/beirut is quite a force to be reckoned with, musically and otherwise. i'm glad that people are starting to take notice because he certainly deserves the attention and recognition. he'll be touring this spring/summer, so keep an eye out for his shows.
but fyi, i posted on him back in november and december, so i think i have all of you beat. ;)
november beirut post/pictures:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=1441406&blogID=59212852&Mytoken=FD4E8D70-13AF-CAD7-01AC881C4489713F29507633
december:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=1441406&blogID=66704167&Mytoken=7275D421-C28E-F97D-0D687CA495DFA47129498805
music blogs have taken over...
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I gave birth to Beirut, so there. And btw, do My Space mp3 blogs count? No offense to Andrea but how would we ever have found her post on Beirut back in Novemeber since 500 Million people have My Space Blogs. Just a thought...
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Just wanted to agree... I have the 4 free tracks and I still ordered the album. It's worth it.
For the record, tho, there are a lot of people in this world who produce good music without guitars.
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yeah, i have to give previous commenter Andrea the credit...she was the one who told me to check out Zach's music back in Feb.
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sorry, you missed my point. it's silly to argue over who posted what first. obviously i don't have an mp3 blog; i have a personal blog. it's rather apparent, i think?
this is the most obvious avenue for band promotion hence why i chose to inform gvb and its readers about the band in february.. because obviously i don't have thousands of readers investigating my blog on myspace. at the most, it's usually 50-100 a day which is a far cry from what stereogum receives.
i think if more people were reading stereogum, gvb, m3, saidthegramophone, your blog, etc instead of reading shit like pitchfork, we all might actually discover something different and something better than what the majority of the indie populace is currently digesting as music. it's just a matter of finding what's good and telling someone about it. word of mouth is the best tool for selling music thesedays than marketing, advertising, and industry label promotion.
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Used to be a time when Scott could post about a band and have the follow-up discussion actually be about the band.
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Thanks, Chip, for making sure that the all-important "MP3 blogger credit" goes where it is due. That's a thankless job, combing the blogosphere and assessing accuracy with re. to who mentioned whatever "it" band first in the universe of MP3 blogs, or maybe in the universe, period. Keep up the good work. You are surely undercompensated.
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apparently this show is 21+, which is random and stupid.
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I love Beirut Jewish Campfire Morrisey anyone? Just like to point out that I posted about Beirut back in 02 but who's counting?
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I love Beirut - Jewish Campfire Morrisey with hint of Sufjan anyone? Just like to point out that I posted about Beirut back in 02 but who's counting?
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it's a lovely city.
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the show is 18+
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Whoa, I've never seen a non-all-ages KF show. Interesting.
I mentioned it up there, but if you like Beirut, please please also check out Devotchka or Tin Hat Trio.
Personally, I like to count Beirut in the ranks of the all important Squeezebox Revival Movement, alongside the Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, and more.
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20th comment!
i won't be in nyc though, so i'm not accepting the prize.
just wanted to be difficult.
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woohoo 21st
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It'd have to be 18+ not 21 because Beirut couldn't get in.
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22nd?!
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it's stupid to assign credit for "discovery" to a blog, yet etiquette dictates we cite our source to our knowledge where we gather it. Sure it may be fourth-hand source, but that's the nature of the medium. blogs only have real power when there is discussion and a consensus about the music. It takes many blogs in chorus to have that occur. A lot of times it happens simultaneously without the different parties knowing whats going on. Hell, I've written about bands many times, then do a google search and find SoandSo wrote about them months ago.
Pitchfork can wield power on it's lonesome, but blogs have power BECAUSE of it's "hall of mirrors" effect -to use a term Amrit coined...
... or maybe a term Amrit DIDN'T coin. To quote Pete from O Brother: "I seen 'em furst!
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sorry for pissing everyone off. i just thought it would be nice if GvB got a plug as well as catbirdseat. they are definitely two of my favorite blogs, and i simply wanted both to be recognized.
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I don't think anybody's mad per se...just talking. and I think it's great scott leaves the comments on as it's a great service (better than any forum I know)
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Devotchka is indeed another great band, similiar in insturmentation, but a different feel.
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Beirut played my Bar-Mitzvah back in 94. They rocked, snapping the streak of shitty bands named after cities. Take that Chicago and Boston. Take that.
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This is pretty good stuff... I'll think I'll check out the show.
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http://www.radicalbadical.com actually discovered "Beirut" during a shootout at the Alhambra saloon in 1864. A throatslit whore fell of the junior piano to reveal this kid who looked about 19 years old. He was holding a ukulele. He said "I am Beirut."
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This reminds me of Yann Tiersen and Tin Hat Trio... and i'm happy to add it to my playlist ; )
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And I haven't even found myself yet.
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Amrit(comment #1) is right, "Postcards from Italy" does sound like Rufus Wainwright's "Greek Song". "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" has a cool accordion intro reminiscent of Yann Tiersen's work on the Amelie soundtrack plus with great vocals.
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Arguing over who posted it first. Funny stuff. Blogs, online music magazines, etc. all get way too much credit anyway.
Ben from Ba Da Bing consistently puts out good records. Bloggers should check for artists on his label more often.
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Have the tickets been given away? Can I go? I just heard about Beirut from this post so I won't be taking any credit.
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I have proof of you all liking it (this blog entry) which I'll use against you when you say you hate it five months from now.
I'm not saying anything about the band (I can't listen to their music now because I'm in class), but somewhere these guys are going to catch on. Then you'll hate them.
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i think it sounds like a gypsy side project of CYHSY singer Alec Ounsworth. First song anyway. And it really doesn't sound anything like Neutral Milk.
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I was born wearing a Beirut t-shirt.
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this is cool stuff. it sounds to me that these guys are definitely following Devotchka's lead. I think anyone would be well served to go to the source
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Beirut's added two more dates (from the Ba Da Bing newsletter):
June 8th - Joe's Pub w/The Wiyos
July 21st - Bowery Ballroom w/Jens Lenkman
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Well done!
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Speaking of Pitchfork, where's the review? I would have thought Pfork would have eagerly anticipated this release.
As far as bands named after cities...At the risk of being made fun of on the blogosphere, I'm not ashamed to say that Boston's first album is glorious (More than a feeling is in my pantheon of ultimate rock tunes). And Chicago wasn't all that bad compared to some of the garbage that's produced today--check out that first greatest hits package--vintage A.M. cheeserock w/ sort of early 70's progressive mellowness and horns galore.
Didn't Berlin sing Take My Breathe Away? truly shitty. the kind of music I get my teeth cleaned to.
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I wrote about Beirut back in 1985, which is before Zach Condon was even born. So there.
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sounds like cyhsy. when is someone going to give these flute-playing tools a good weggie/swirly/knuckle sandwich so we can get back to guitars. kids don't like bands with clarinets. kids can't play clarinets. kids can play guitars. this isn't rock at all.
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Great work!
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Good design!
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Well done!
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Well done!
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good design
swimuit
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first of all to stereo gum...that IS NOT middle eastern orhestration in Beirut's music...it's the sounds of the Balkans. And secondly to the poster 'd' on 05-11...no it's not what you may consider rock and roll, but remember the whole idea behind rock and roll was taking a type of genre, in this case blues/jump jazz and adpating it for the 'white' crowd. What Matt has done is taken Balkan music and adapted for the indie crowd...which as I recall is supposed to be more open to new ideas than your average rock fan. If you think Balkan music can't rock...take a listen to the Belgrade band KAL. Quit being so provincial, open up your mind and ears! And clarinets can and do rock...and kids can play clarinets.
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Please dear god almighty i'm totally blogging right now.
help me.
Track 4 changed my life. I like that about music.
No?
YES
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Oh yeah? You guys wanna compete? I was sent a home made DVD case with insert & CDR of the original recordings in 2005 by Zach. This was pre Jeremy Barnes intervention.
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Beirut didn't take Baltic music and adapt it for the "indie" crowd. He took the music he loved and did with it what came naturally and sounded good to him. Why does it always have to be the indie crowd. Why not just listen to good music whatever crowd it is.
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