Well, summer is fast approaching our doorsteps, and I’ve been looking for some new tunes to accompany the season. By no means is Beirut new material, but it’s new to me. What was originally a bedroom project for frontman, Zachary Francis Condon, turned into a full-fledged band, who have since then released two albums and various EPs. I had always known of the name, but not the tunes, and following the advice of someone recently, I decided to check them out. Let me tell you: the music is pretty awesome. They sound of an Eastern European folk band mixed with a very ‘Americana’ element (Condon’s voice is Jim Morrison-esque in my opinion, it blows my mind to hear such a deep swaggering voice come from what looks like a rather effeminate man)—completely unlike anything else I’ve heard. ‘Nante’ is from their album, The Flying Club Cup, and sounds fantastic—it seems to be a song reliving the past European experiences of Condon. The next two are from their album Gulag Orkestar. The first I had to include, entitled ‘Rhineland (Heartland),’ because it reminds me of my time living in Switzerland, sitting by the Rhine and listening to the very street bands that influenced Beirut. Lastly, and perhaps my favorite, is ‘Postcards From Italy’—it showcases how badass an instrument the ukulele is, and when that trumpet kicks in, the song elevates to a whole new level. I think when I’ve found the girl that I intend to spend the rest of my life with, I’ll send her a postcard from Italy, a small tribute to Beirut and the lasting effect that they are surely going to have on me.
Downloads:
Rhineland (Heartland) — Beirut
Postcards From Italy — Beirut
Once I hear, I also get the urge to see. The same someone who suggested Beirut also showed me this neat website. It’s called La Blogotheque and it seems to be a source of music news. But something that sets them apart is that they film various artists performing in street-locals around the globe. One of those artists happened to be Beirut (featured below), but they’ve also taped other acts such as Phoenix (one of our favs here), Lykke Li, Grizzly Bear, the Kooks, and many many more. Check it out:
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