As a Beirut fan, the double EP release of March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland marks a charter into new areas of musicianship, including more experimentation with instruments, styles and concepts. Put your musical journey jacket on before delving in.

March of the Zapotec EP consists of songs written by Beirut and recorded with Oaxacan march masters The Jimenez Band in southern Mexico. March sounds a lot like Beirut meets the Mexican Godfather, especially on songs like "La Llorona". But it still has that unique Beirut sound - brassy, stuttered romps and old Euro carnival instrumentation.

Holland, featuring songs from band leader Zach Condon and recorded under the moniker Realpeople, includes the previously released tracks "Venice" and "My Night With the Prostitute From Marseille". Other tunes like the 1970s electronica-sounding "The Dice" and the sci-fi Burt Bacharach styled "The Concubine" make for an interesting listen.

All in all though, this double EP release from Beirut features some good music, just a bit of a departure. I guess I was looking for something bigger to build off the success of their last amazing release The Flying Club Cup.

"La Llorona" - Beirut from March of the Zapotec
"Venice" - RealPeople from Holland
"A Sunday Smile" - Beirut from The Flying Club Cup




U2 perform their classic hit "Sunday Bloody Sunday"


U2 of Old is Better Than U2 of Now

The ironically titled new release by Ireland's "most famous" rockers, U2, No Line on the Horizon, may be telling of the band's waning relevancy. In recent years, U2 has become overly-commercialized, trendy, glitzy rock celebs. I bet Bono and the boys would never dare to offer an album for free on the Internet like Radiohead did; and that's just part of my point.

Over the past decade, U2 has enthusiastically accepted the sugary media saturation bestowed on them without much a nod to those who made them multi-millionaires (yeah they do some charity work - cool, all for that).

U2 was one of the first bands that launched my obsession with rock music years ago. But they've now become mediocre musically in contrast to the god-like status the mainstream media gives them. I was really hoping for something special from the new U2 album, but again, it's just OK.

But don't get me wrong; I'll always love the U2 music from their debut right up to Joshua Tree; by now, it's classic rock through and through.

Labels: Beirut, Indie Album Releases 2009, Just OK Album, U2

After some time away composing, recording and touring, Bay Area musician Jason Roberts Quever has put together another strong collection of dreamy, introspective songs - all taped in analog - for the April release You Can Have What You Want.

Quever carved out his place in the indie music industry with the release of Can't Go Back in February of 2007 on Devendra Banhart's San Francisco indie label, Gnomonsong.

Unlike Can't Go Back, this new release is much more subdued and sluggish whereas Can't Go Back reached out with lighter songs and an emphasis on a mix of electro-pop and folk rock.

In an interview in December 2007 with Salad Days Music, and with the buzz factor on high after the release of Can't Go Back, Quever talked about some of his major influences at the time, stating: "I have been listening to Broadcast a bit. My Bloody Valentine, of course. Leonard Cohen, Beach House, Issac Hayes, [and] Curtis Mayfield. I’m thinking of orchestrated stuff lately…Nuggets, always. Air." All good choices.

The new album is good throughout, but the most notable songs include "Fatal Primitive", "Dictator's Lament" and the title track. If you are a big fan of melancholy, dream-like shoegaze, this album may be worth some of your precious bills. The album's overall sound weighs in heavily on stumbling organ layers with emphasis on vocal reverberations.

After listening to it a few times, You Can Have What You Want is one of those albums that gets better with each subsequent listening, and again, especially if you like retro melancholy indie high on reverb and tracked in analog. You won't be jumping around your apartment so save this one for listening to when you are relaxed or even in a somber mood.

"Future Primitive" - Papercuts from You Can Have Want You Want available April 14th - everywhere or via the band's label, Gnomonsongs.

Other great songs from previous Papercuts' releases:

"John Brown" - Papercuts from Can't Go Back
"Take The 227th Exit" - Papercuts from Can't Go Back

Prefix Magazine compared Papercuts' music to "paisley underground ’60s revival" and repeated the over-done comparison to Beach House with a different spin, which I think is spot on. Here it is: "Comparisons to label mates Beach House wouldn’t be inaccurate, but Quever has an idiosyncratic voice all his own." Indeed and indie.

Listen to more tracks and get more information at Papercuts' MySpace page.

Labels: Gnomonsongs, Indie Album Releases 2009, New Indie 2009, Papercuts, San Francisco