Monday, March 10, 2008

Little Beirut- Love During Wartime

















War is over.

Little Beirut thinks big. Several moments on High Dive, the Portland band's new release, resemble the bombastic arena rock of Oasis and Pink Floyd. And that's a good thing. Such elevated songwriting craft, with its emphasis on melody and difficult subject matter, is a valuable commodity in the realm of indie rock. One of the more intimate songs on High Dive, "Life During Wartime" features a characteristically clever arrangement. It concerns Condoleeza Rice and features a fetching trumpet solo. This unlikely combination almost guarantees the band a place on year-end best-of lists.

---
My review of Friday's Gipsy Kings concert is here.

---
Is the Washington Post reading There Stands the Glass? A big weekend think piece about the state of smooth jazz expanded on my March 5 comments.

---
44 Long lives! I'm delighted to have stumbled across their MySpace page via fellow Portland band Little Beirut. I adored these guys back in '99. Fans of Tommy Womack, Elvis Costello and the Bottle Rockets are advised to download the four songs at the link immediately.

---
Kansas City Click: The woefully undervalued Cloud Cult visits Davey's tonight.

1 comment:

bgo said...

Some days when I drive by here I find my self surprised at how little I know how and much there is yet to know.

I suppose an old guy of 55 ought not try to stay young and act like some hipster he never was, so, I don't.

But the magic is in the music and the music is in me. And it is the only magic I can afford to believe in these days.