lets play some 'rut

The story of Beirut so far: a surprisingly refreshing out-of-nowhere debut that cribbed old Balkan folk style into easy-to-swallow indie chamber pop, a follow-up EP that elaborated on the debut's vocabulary with more confident songwriting, and a sophomore album that failed to push the narrative much further than that. Now Zach Condon is at a crucial point in his career, at least as far as the Beirut brand is concerned, needing to show that he has established a musical identity more substantial than merely adapting the music of whatever exotic locale he has visited lately around his (admittedly superb, and always improving) baritone voice. Judging by the aimless double EP "March of the Zapotec / Holland", which has just recently leaked online, it isn't clear that he has accomplished this.

I'll start with talking about the "Holland EP" because I'm confident I can dispose with it in enough time to make it to my classmate's piano recital--I'll have to edit in my thoughts on the Oaxaca-tinged "Zapotec" half later on. What we hear on "Holland", which Wikipedia tells me is credited to the pre-Beirut band name 'Realpeople', is more or less the same electro-pop that we first heard on the original version of the old favorite "Scenic World", just with a far glossier production value. This doesn't sound like a bad thing--and the songs don't either--but even with a title like "My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille" the songs, though perhaps not the vocals, are devoid of Condon's touch. On "Scenic World", the jittery beat juxtaposed against the flowing violin was a touching kind of interplay. Here it's just all bubbling synths at the sacrifice of Condon's musical personality, an element which I hope he understands is key to the band's success. Continue reading...

BREAKING:

Every page of the DeKalb County Police Department's website has a different midi crunk jam embedded in it.

DeKalb county is on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.

I really like the Departments page, which reminds me of the Field.
And the most wanted list is beyond comprehension. Continue reading...

welcome 2 tha terrordome

I don't think I had even ever heard of Titus Andronicus until year-end lists came out, but in a rare moment of pitchfork writing coherent sentences I got the idea that I might like them.

As it turns out, they come closer to the platonic ideal of "music Evan would like" than I ever thought possible. They dial fellow Jersey-natives the Wrens back fifteen years, exchanging the beaten-down exhaustion of 30-something malcontents with the pretentious nihilism of a pissed-off 20-year-old (The possible single unfortunately also called "Titus Andronicus" ends its exultant, blistering first chorus with a bratty shout of "Fuck everything, fuck me.") In the end of "No Future Part 2" the singer simply quotes the final paragraph of The Stranger into the microphone (The Stuart Gilbert translation, even! It's like they know me!).

They're playing a show with the awesome Los Campesinos! (the closest thing this decade has to Pavement) at the Paradise in Boston on February 13th; I really hope someone will go with me.

What are you looking at? I don't know where this link goes. Continue reading...

The softest syllables you'll ever hear

"Alice" by Pogo. This song makes me wish it were possible for me to eat it. Continue reading...