Went to Italy and discovered Beirut


One of the many pleasant surprises during our trip to Italy was discovering Beirut.

Sounds funny, right?

Wondering around behind the Piazza Navona, Katja and I went into a shop where they were playing Beruit. I didn't know them, but I liked the track they were playing. Turns out it was called "Postcards from Italy" ... Go figure.

Long story short, they're playing the Roundhouse in London on 11 November. I just bought a pair of tickets. Maybe you want to as well.

Beirut were one of the largest surprise hits of 2006 receiving widespread acclaim for its innovative combination of Balkan and pop melodies. Even more surprising was that it was the work of one 19-year-old kid, Zach Condon, and done almost completely in his bedroom with Pro Tools. This autumn Beirut return to the Roundhouse following the release of their new album The Flying Club Cup- a notable shift in sound from Gulag. Their live set is a glorious sweep of music, striking in its emotional content and stunning in its scope.

They're a bit strange. "Gulag Orkestar" is a gypsy-esque pop extravaganza. You can listen to them on their official site or on MySpace. You've been warned. :-)

http://www.beirutband.com/

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