Beirut: album buzz, live

“That Beirut is so hot right now. Beirut.”

Beirut – Postcards From Italy (mp3)
Beirut – Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)

(StG offers two more)

Sounds like: An exodus of kulaks across Arabia on the back of a Russian camel. Or something like that.

The buzz around Brooklyn transplant Beirut (myspace) has picked up in recent weeks. It’s about to get even louder. With Catbirdseat saying that “in 4 years, I've never seen a response to a track like the response I've seen since posting Beirut's ‘Postcard's From Italy’ a few weeks ago.” Said the Gramophone posted approval, followed a couple weeks later by isolating it as one of the best of the year (!). GvB mentioned them back in February, and then last week also highlighted it as year-defining.

And...Kathryn Yu likes too.

Beirut play the Knitting Factory on May 10th opening for Group Sounds and Irving. All three should be a great show, and for only $8! Beirut go early in case you have plans for Pinback or Phoenix later that night. According to CBS (not CBS), it’ll be their "live debut." Not sure what one would call their SxSW dates then.

From the bio on their website:
“Live, he’s used to pushing play on some recordings and marching around onstage with a trumpet. But, for the first time, he’s assembling a band to recreate the melodies in his head live.”

Buy tickets! Buy Buy Buy!