Surfing the Wave: A Look at Beirut Wave Two's Fresh Sounds and Faces

You know, there's a lot of local talent here in Lebanon, but sometimes it's not so easy to find. Some artists are just underground, while some are swimming in magma… that's pretty deep down. Luckily, the fine people at Beirut Open Stage have taken it upon themselves to do some excavation and unearth some buried treasures.

In 2013, they invited local artists to audition their original music, and a selection of them went on to perform together in one big live event. A panel of judges, and the music-lovers in attendance, then voted for their favorites, and the chosen few headed into the studio to record a song and be featured on a compilation album. This was Beirut Wave One.

I actually participated in Beirut Wave One myself. It was my debut solo performance as Elepheel, and my first and only time performing live with eclectic experimental funk-rock project, Elephant in the Room. Needless to say, we didn't make the cut, but it certainly was a fun and worthwhile experience.

Now the second installment of this live showcase series, Beirut Wave Two, is coming up, and the lineup holds a lot of unfamiliar names, which is awesome! This new blood is just what the scene needs, and BOS were kind enough to include some links to their music online.

Now, join me as I check out what these fresh faces have to offer, and form an impression, relying solely on what’s presented online… because that truly is all I've got to go by, more or less. So here we go.

GROUP A (February 7)

Nour Nimri



Sentimental folk-pop singer-songwriter backed by mellow acoustic guitar…  Nope. Not my taste personally. Let me get this out of the way: if you are a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar, you're automatically in the danger zone. By default! Just sayin'. Good voice though!

Hussam



Hussam seems to be another singer-songwriter dude with an acoustic guitar, though I think he's got a bit more of an indie thing going. However, it's still overall, kind of generic, and I'm not too crazy about his voice.

Beit Youssef



DISCLAIMER: I personally know one of the members of Beit Youssef and have worked on music with him in the past.

Given the disclaimer above, I bet you think I'm about to shower these guys with tons of praise, right? Well you know what… How can I not! Beit Youssef are an electronic-fusion duo: I'm already sold. They've got a totally flipped Foo Fighters cover up that truly sounds like their own unique version of the song, as well as a cover/remix of a song from the animated series Adventure Time, which samples it and reworks it. I'm not too keen on the vocals, but in terms of creativity and originality, these two are on my radar.

Yolopop

Yyyyyyeah

There was no link listed for this artist, so I guess the name is all I have to work with here: Yolopop. Man, I don't care what the hell you sound like, you CANNOT still be using the phrase YOLO in 2015. Unless the YOLO in Yolopop stands for "You Only Listen Once". It could be a sign you guys...


Pheel Prediction: Perhaps wishful thinking, but I've got my money on Beit Youssef for sheer originality at least.


GROUP B (February 14)

Iklil

Iklil

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Iklil is actually an all-girl group, which is certainly refreshing. They don't have any music online, save for a short clip of their drummer and guitarist jamming it out. Judging from that clip and their label of "funk/ blues rock", I think it's safe to assume they're Red Hot Chili Peppers fans. Here's hoping they sound as hot as they look... Hey, music is half image you know.

Sunday Arcade



I think Sunday Arcade may appeal to a lot of people, but I wouldn't count myself among them. It's pretty straightforward acoustic indie-folk: enjoyable, but nothing groundbreaking. This whole indie-folk vibe of acoustic guitars and mandolins and going on a hike in the mountains with your loyal dog Rusty, then smoking some cloves by the lake while stroking your ironic mustache, and daydreaming about triangles in outer space or something…  isn't really my type of thing.

WonderGap

WonderGap

These lads have no sounds online, but I have a feeling I'm not missing out on much… From what I could gather, the members of WonderGap are pretty young, and thus it's only logical to assume, fairly inexperienced. They cite The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Coldplay as influences, which is a good starting point for sure, but leaves me skeptical still. But if they made it all the way to this competition, they may just be gifted prodigies, who knows...

Candlends



Candlends are a grunge trio who are keen on bringing back the 90s, though I can't help but wonder if they're a bit too stuck in them for their own good. They have an obvious Nirvana influence; maybe a bit too obvious. Case in point, the vocals. Check out the video above: I like that raspiness in the guy's voice, but it gets kind of screechy towards the end. He's clearly emulating Kurt Cobain's style, but doesn't actually have as robust a voice as Cobain does. There's being influenced, and then there's just attempting to replicate.

Lara Eidi



Lara Eidi is among the more seasoned artists in this lineup. Vocally she's right on the mark, and her band mates, a guitarist and cellist, are equally skilled. What they do is basically very soulful, acoustic indie-folk type stuff, with jazz and funk influences as well. Like I said, not a big indie-folk guy, but there is a bit more for me to enjoy here than with Sunday Arcade for example, who are more straight-forward with their iteration of the genre, while Eidi takes it to different places.


Pheel Prediction:  I think it's already in the bag for Lara Eidi, though I can't help but wonder what the Iklil gals will be bringing to the table.


GROUP C (February 21)

Ruby Road

Get it?

Sorry, wrong Ruby.



Ruby Road are a 4-piece band who draw their inspiration from the blues rock of the 60s and 70s. When it comes to blues rock, I look for two extremes, and unfortunately Ruby Road managed to position themselves right in my blind spot. Those extremes would be, early electric blues, such as that of Howlin' Wolf, and more modern garage rock or blues-punk, like that of The White Stripes. I like Ruby Road's whole blues-revival ethos and mission, but compared to another local blues-rock outfit, The Wanton Bishops, their sound is a bit too tame for my liking. Props for the use of upright bass though. That's dedication...

Banana Elephant

Banana Elephant… Banana… Elephant… If you name yourself Banana Elephant, you better back up that tone of carefree silliness with some equally fun and off-the-wall music. I want to hear Spanish yodeling over electric sitars from a band called Banana Elephant, not this meek soft-spoken indie-folk cover of some song called Landfill. That's just false advertising! Was Lettuce Bunny taken? Was Cucumber Shrimp taken? Was Styrofoam Amoeba taken? No they were not...

Don Lydon



I was ready to write this guy off as just another singer-songwriter dude with an acoustic guitar, until I actually heard him. He plays acoustic folk-rock, with a little bit of jazz and blues to spice things up. Vocally, Lydon is the antithesis of the singer-songwriter dude with an acoustic guitar! Aside from having a good voice, he actually plays with his tone and delivery, adds a bit of life and energy to his performance. Check out this live video of a cover of The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction. If that's how dynamic this guys gets in some pub with an acoustic guitar, then God help that stage.

April



Note: an earlier version of this post featured an older video that was the latest output by the band at the time this post was being written. It has been replaced with a more recent video that was uploaded after I had made my selection and was editing and proofreading the post.

April is a band from the heavier side of the spectrum, and you could call what they do progressive metal. Now I'm not the biggest heavy metal fan around... My taste in the genre literally consists of System of a Down's discography, and the opening riff from Raining Blood by Slayer. That being said, I have too little tolerance for blandness in metal, which coincidentally, is one of the main elements of the Lebanese metal scene. Begin rant...

Based on what I have seen and heard throughout the years, the Lebanese metal scene is one of the most stagnant and stubborn local scenes imaginable. You just get this feeling that everybody's influenced by the same people, because everybody sounds exactly the same; to a certain degree that is.

There are exceptions though: a few years ago, there was a trio by the name of Episode who played great symphonic metal, complete with live violin. They even opened for Serj Tankian when he performed here, which is funny because as I mentioned, System of a Down are probably my favorite heavy metal band, due to how innovative and creative they got with the genre.

Having said this, I have no idea why no local metal bands write lyrics about the hardships of life in Lebanon, you know, pain, suffering, violence, perfect headbanging material guys, or collaborate with rappers, think Rage Against the Machine, or even compose with some Middle Eastern-influenced melodies, put the Lebanese back into Lebanese metal.

So with this in mind, how does a progeny of this scene such as April hold up? To my ears, it's pretty much what I would expect from the local metal scene, nothing that drastic or peculiar, however, I do like the symphonic aspect they have to their sound, and the vocalist does sound quite capable. If this event is going to feature a local metal act, it may as well be this one.

Runaway Jacks



Runaway Jacks have only got one song up online called Unseen, so I've based my impression on that. Here's how my viewing experience went:

0:02  OHH YEAAAAH! Now that's what I'm talking about!
0:22  Whoah, it gets better? Sick!
0:28 till end  Wait… no… but… why?

I wish the entire song was that intro! I'm not saying it should be instrumental, or that the vocalist sucks, she's fine actually. I just felt like the rawness and heaviness at the beginning should have been carried through the entire song, but instead it kind of fizzles out. I think Runaway Jacks could appeal to a lot of people, but I'd personally like to see them get fiercer in their sound.


Pheel Prediction: My pick would have to be Don Lydon, though Ruby Road may come through too.


GROUP D (February 28)

Peter Chouchani



Feeling lucky after the unexpected surprise that was Don Lydon, I took a chance again, and... singer-songwriter dude with an acoustic guitar. Goddammit. Was not too impressed vocally.

Maya Hobeika



Now this… is an odd yet intriguing inclusion. Maya Hobeika is a classically-trained soprano who has performed as part of a choir as well as solo, covering everything from Mozart to Ziad El Rahbani. She is the only Arabic-language contestant as far as I can tell, and it goes without saying that vocally she is tremendously talented, but how will she be presenting herself when going up against rock bands and alternative acts? Will she be performing one of her classical Fairouz-like pop songs? Does she have something a bit more cutting-edge up her sleeve? The tension is killing me.

Charles Cha



Sigh... singer-songwriter dude with acoustic guitar.

Sun and Moth



Sun and Moth (formerly known as Odd Man Out) are a 4-piece indie-punk outfit, citing Arctic Monkeys and The Clash as influences, among others. As a punk rock fan and supporter of "heavy rock", I'm all aboard for this. It may be a more widely-appealing not-so-abrasive style of punk rock, in a similar vein to what Lazzy Lung do, but screw it, I'll take what I can get.

Belime



Last but not least, it's pop singer Belime, who is among the more polished and focused alternative pop acts in Lebanon, alongside Poly and Aziza. I'm not into pop music honestly, so this doesn't really mean much to me, however, for those who are into pop music, what he offers is not too bad, well-produced and nicely packaged. He will be playing with a live band too, which is great, considering how it's become generally acceptable for pop artists to just sing over their instrumental track, or even lipsync to it. If you dig pop music, and a live show, this is your thing.


Pheel Prediction:  This is a tough one. I'd like to guess Sun and Moth or Belime, but that Maya Hobeika might just end up blowing everyone else out of the water...


And so we reach the end of our journey, having explored some of the fresh faces you'll be seeing and hearing live on stage soon. Regardless of what I have to say about these artists, I'm still glad that so many diverse genres and styles are getting featured, and I hope everybody continues to develop themselves and fine tune their craft beyond Beirut Wave Two.

Be sure to head down to The Grand Factory every Saturday from February 7th till 28th to catch all these performances, plus a special appearance by folk-rock darlings Safar on the 7th, as well as a screening of the BOS-produced documentary Beirut - Behind the Music, every night. You don't wanna miss this.