Beirut

No, not the capital of Lebanon...the band.


This is one of the most difficult bands to categorize--the influences are all over the place. The general sound spans a whole slew of genres, and each album has a slightly different feel to it. But despite its decided strangeness, the songs are very easy to listen to. I first digested their entire discography while working on my take-home final for Biological Techniques. It was a monster final, and I ended up having more than thirty sources over the course of the twelve hours spent sitting on the floor wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by notes and junk food. Tired of the loud, obnoxious music I usually listen to when working on a difficult assignment, I decided to try out the strange new band I'd recently discovered (courtesy of Julian Casablancas, who lists them as a favorite band), and was surprised when I realized I'd listened to all sixty-something songs almost without interruption.

Fluid, lyrical, and thoughtful, Beirut are technically a combination of Balkan folk, Mexican folk, electronica, and "world" (whatever that means), producing an overall sound generally labeled as "indie." This strange combination actually works, in a melodic stream of awesome that you have to hear to understand.

Beirut is the brainchild of New Mexico native Zach Condon, who plays ukelele and flugelhorn in addition to being lead singer. His voice is carefully emotive, reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley. Like his vocals, the albums themselves are subtle and beautiful. Each is different, but they all have an undercurrent of loving, longing, searching, romanticism, and perhaps even nostalgia for a world never experienced. As a superficial example, see the front cover for the first album, Gulag Orkestar:



According to wikipedia, this photo (as well as the back cover) was torn out of a book found in a library in Leipzig, Germany...an unknown photographer and models, European license plate, vintage clothing, troubled situation, and ambiguous time period--romantic mystery, anyone? It was later found out that the photographs were taken by the equally moody Sergey Chilikov, a Russian photographer who is currently alive and well (see some of his other beautiful, albeit blurry, pieces here, but I don't recommend googling him...), yet the romanticism remains.

Speaking personally, all of Beirut's work is delicious, but I recommend either Gulag Orkestrar or, if in a hurry, the Lon Gisland EP [correct spelling] as a starting point for the neophyte.

Sample songs:

Postcards from Italy


Cherbourg


Le Moribond/My Family's Role in the World Revolution


Links/sources:
Wikipedia page
Sergey Chilikov--Gallery

Phrazes for the Young

To quote Monty Python, "and now, for something completely different" :-)


It's been a while since I've found a relatively recent album that I liked. Nothing against recent music--I'm just too lazy to find good new music. However, I just discovered an amazing CD that is both original and pretty epic.


I first knew of Julian Casablancas because of his contribution to The Lonely Island's first CD, Incredibad, a surreal, hilarious song about...well, it's indescribable. I'm just going to post the video below. When they used the song for an SNL Digital Short, I did my usual "research on Wikipedia" thing, and found out Julian had released a solo album, "Phrazes for the Young" (the title references one of Oscar Wilde's works) in November. Now, I'm usually suspicious of solo projects from a member of an already awesome band, mainly because they just aren't as good. This is an exception. Besides having the coolest name ever, Julian Casablancas is also a genius songwriter (just listen to any Strokes CD...), and his talent is not restricted to Strokes projects.

"Phrazes for the Young" is a delicious ride through a carefully crafted world of synth-ey beats, amazing vocals, and sincere emotion. With only eight tracks encompassing nearly 40 minutes, I am always left wanting more. But despite the brevity, there is a song for every mood.

The first track, "Out of the Blue," is passionate but fun, with incredibly catchy lyrics--a great way to open an album. "Glass" and "Tourist" are definitely tied for my favorite. They both have AWESOME phrases that stay wonderfully stuck in your head (I've been walking around hearing "bullet-proooooof...vest!" for a few weeks now...). And then there's the first single, "11th Dimension," the most eighties sounding track with a correspondingly retro music video (embedded below). It is campy and intriguing, without taking itself too seriously (and is it just me, or does Julian Casablancas bear an unnerving resemblance to Frodo Baggins during the black-and-white scenes?). I'm usually not a huge fan of music videos, but I'd give it a quick glance--it's fun, cheesy, and features some surprisingly good acting from Casablancas.


I wish I could provide some speculations as to the actual messages in "Phrazes," but unfortunately, the lyrics generally go over my head. There is definitely depth there, and hopefully I'll "get it" eventually, because I have a feeling Casablancas is offering far more than the great music and vocals.

The album as a whole has a slew of influences, from eighties pop to Johnny Cash to a bit of soul (and I hear a little bit of Thom Yorke in his voice), without being contrived. It is clearly a bit of an experiment, and I think that Casablancas' willingness to take chances generally pays off, with the occasional awkward moment (most notably the bizarre and grating "River of Brakelights").

Casablancas' first solo effort is full of surprises that caught me off guard, and it took a few listens to really grow on me. There is an exquisite complexity to the album that prompts a craving for repeated listens. Let the genius of "Phrazes" sweep you away--you won't be sorry.



"11th Dimension" music video:




And now, behold the awesomeness that is "Boombox" (FYI, this is definitely a PG-13 video):