Is Beirut the next Nirvana? Of course not. Christ, that has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Although both seem to have inspired more than a few imitators (you'll find Nirvana clones on radio stations and Beirut clones at house parties), Beirut haven't exactly gotten to meal storage-levels yet. In a way, since they are one of the newer the newer groups to inspire imitation, they kinda are the next Nirvana (stop throwing shit at me).... or at least the next At The Drive-In (stop it!). The point is that Beirut has defiantly risen to the level where others are trying to bite their style. So, what do they do next?
The info surrounding the group's upcoming second LP, coming out October 9, seems to point toward a new direction of sorts. The yet-to-be-titled album, the follow up to 2006's The Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing!) was recorded in two separate sessions, one at The Arcade Fire's studio in Montreal and the other at the A Hawk & A Hacksaw practice space. While the first LP was done almost completely by Head of Band Zach Condon, this time the other seven members of the group (the, *cough* Orkestar), with extra orchestration and vocals from Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, took part in the process.
Sound-wise, the album is said to be headed out of the Eastern bloc and toward more of a classic French pop (the group covers Jacques Brel on an upcoming UK single) sound. Somebody should write in a news story about how some group of writers should review a bunch of French Pop records for a whole month, making it seem like the newswriter came up with the pre-existing idea. Anyway, Beirut is taking eight people, two LPs, and one EP's worth of tunes -- and a lot of weed -- on tour this fall to promote the new record. Go to those shows and make sure to ask Condon what the hell a track zero is...
Title TBA tracklisting:
Tour dates:
09.23.07 - Princeton, NJ - Terrace F Club*
09.24.07 - New York, NY - Society for Ethical Culture (Wordless Music Series) *
09.26.07 - New York, NY - Delacorte Theater *
09.30.07 - Montreal, QU - La Salla Rosa *
10.02.07 - Toronto, ONT - Danforth Music Hall *
10.04.07 - Chicago, IL - Portage Theater *
10.08.07 - San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theater *
10.09.07 - San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theater *
10.10.07 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon *
* Colleen