Beirut released a New Single Today

                Zach Condon released a single today called “East Harlem”. This is important. Beirut has been on a slippery slope downward for quite some time. You can only rely on your rabid, almost serial killer-esque fan base to listen to the same two albums and handful of EPs for so long. At some point you need to simply ‘bring it’. 

                I think Zach finally understands the importance of building up hype. With the “East Harlem” release he satisfies countless dedicated fans. Apparently the single was first written by Zach at the tender age of 17. Zach may be leaning too hard on his earlier, more prolific years.  Personally, I don’t think that. Sometimes it takes playing a song or group of songs a lot before you realize how good it is. Often songs require a bit of tweaking. For “East Harlem” perhaps Zach needed to actually see East Harlem before he could get the sound right. 

                Bands go through practicing songs over and over again in a live setting to get them right. Radiohead took this approach with most of the material on “In Rainbows”. Zach knows “East Harlem” and “Goshen” has been bootlegged to near-death, near-irrelevance. Releasing both of these songs in an official format means he ‘gets it’ and understands a market exists. So many years have passed since he released anything new anyway. Now he wants to show he is serious about getting an album out in time for summer. A hope of his is to be taken seriously. By actually doing what he states would be a big step in this direction.

                Unfortunately neither of these songs has any noticeable Brazilian influence. You see Beirut has a huge following in Brazil. Brazil first saw him in the mini-series “Capitu” which won him the following of an entire nation in 2009. The ensuing buzz has created a whole cottage industry of bands hoping to be just like Beirut, playing similar music and instruments. I think this shows a prime example of the ‘exporting of buzz’. Like with Dubstep, Beirut’s unique brand of Balkan Folk takes a few years to really get to other audiences. Dubstep began years ago and we’re only hearing it now. Beirut’s last album came out in 2007 it took a few years for it to reach Brazil.

                Now Zach needs to figure out exactly how to make or market his next album. Will he simply continue on the same path making the same predictable Balkan Folk/World Music? Or will he take another approach, deciding to forgo the tough nature of the US buzz market and pin his hopes on South America? South America’s buzz market is nowhere as competitive as the United States. Hell, bands even have a name for tributes to his greatness called “Beiruting the Square”. Zach would be a fool to ignore that level of dedication, that level of love. Forget mopey late twenty something s in the US. Their income will increase only so much as they spend large amounts of time alone, crying, scrobbling Beirut’s few releases over and over again on Last.fm. If Beirut wants to really make an impact he ought to release his album in Brazil first and let it release in the United States later. 

                Releasing his upcoming album in Brazil first will show he appreciates and cares about the genuine affection the country shows him. I mean, I can’t even think of a single US TV show where Beirut appeared. No band does a tribute to Beirut in the US. Most Balkan Folk bands in the US are actually from the Balkans and probably influenced him. Zach needs to take this once in a lifetime opportunity and influence a growing, younger and considerably more vibrant music scene in an entire country. For buzz in the US is fleeting (Beirut knows this from his own experience) but buzz elsewhere lasts longer. 

                Hopefully the next Beirut EP reveals a bit more about potential new album. Or perhaps he’ll just pull a “Joanna Newsom” and randomly release the whole thing without any teasers. Either way he will need to rise above.

Beirut’s come back to us.

                 Where have you been Zach Condon? Have you been finishing up High School so you’ll no longer be a High School dropout? Or did you return back to the Balkans to learn more about Balkan Folk music so you can ‘indie-fy” it for culturally ignorant Americans? 

                Really, you’ve missed out on a lot by keeping a low profile the past few years. Your last album was in 2007. Back then, people were willing to wait longer for albums. I don’t know if you have enough clout to just sort of sit on your laurels the way LCD Soundsystem did or Arcade Fire did. “March of the Zapotec/Holland EP” was your last EP in the hit filled year of 2009. Compared to Animal Collective, Neon Indian and the chillwave gang, you didn’t stand a chance. 

                Maybe you missed your chance to become a giant powerhouse of music by waiting so long. Brooklyn seems to have dulled your senses. You have married, but what music have you come out with lately? I know your work on the “Realpeople” electro project might have tried to capitalize on blog house music, but otherwise you’ve been quiet, too quiet for the ravenous music-devouring hordes on the internet. You do seem to have found a niche with lonely people on the internet who play your first album over and over again on Last.fm (to be honest, most of your fan base scares me). Whoever listens to “The Flying Cup Club” on repeat worries me a tad since that album was in hindsight a tad bit weak. 

                Now I hear you may be coming out with a new album this year. A few things can be done to get your band back in shape. Get your twitter back in order. Tweet about every little aspect of each song. Make an actual twitter account, like Beirut2011. Follow Beach House’s example; make the twitter account the year you break through to popularity. Do what James Murphy did and release cryptic YouTube videos of you recording in a haunted house. Since you’re in New Mexico, perhaps you could say something mystical as you walk through the desert at night. 

                Get your website updated. I’m glad to see “Sunday Smile” is available for download, but that song came out during the George W. Bush administration. How about you give at the very least a newer MP3 to download, like a single song you’re comfortable releasing. Do you even have any new songs written? If not, just offer some leftovers and call it ‘an exclusive premier’ or talk about whatever world tours you’re doing. I’m glad you did some tours back in 2010, but this is a new year. That lazy website might work for Black Dice since no one cares about them, but I thought you wanted this band thing to be big, why else would you have moved to Brooklyn.

                It seems you have done one thing right: you got Pitchfork to do your announcements for you. They mentioned you’re touring with all those bands that make sweet money cakes and win awards. Arcade Fire might be a surrogate family for you. While the music scene has changed, they’ve stayed true to themselves. Since your music generally mines pre-existing European folk traditions, the Arcade Fire might help you out due to their unique status of being the whitest band on Earth. With all that time you’ll spend with them you could learn how to win a Grammy as well.

                Not all bands can stay true to themselves. Just as a backup for relevancy and authenticity, I’d suggest having a retro synthesizer just in case you decide to explore 80s pop music with a lo-fi sound. That’s kind of a big thing right now, so it is a comfortable crutch if you need it. I’m not saying you do, but it is good thing to have if you want to get your predominately wistful and bleary eyed (due to crying) fan base dancing.

                Think about it. I can’t tell you what to do. Only you can. Figure out how to open up in spectacular fashion. Get a ton of hype, pull a Panda Bear and tease your audience with rumors of an album. Whatever you do, just remember the internet buzz sleeps for no man. Avoid the fate of Bright Eyes. Rise above.