Out May 9th on Bada bing records
“While it may sound like an entire Balkan gypsy orchestra playing modern songs as mournful ballads and upbeat marches, Beirut’s first album, Gulag Orkestar, is largely the work of one 19-year-old Albuquerque native, Zach Condon, with assistance by Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel, A Hawk and a Hacksaw) and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw). Horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions (no guitars on this album!) all build and break the melodies under Condon’s deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the Eastern European beats like a drunken 12-member ensemble that has fallen in love with The Magnetic Fields, Talking Heads and Neutral Milk Hotel”
buy it from Ba Da Bing!
Sample Music:
Postcards from Italy
Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
Interior of a Dutch house
I have to say that there are many ways that bands have been getting theri name out, and getting their numbers up. Beirut started as a blog/myspace band and it’s funky mix of music has captured a lot of attention. Yet another album for my list.
Tags: Interesting, Music, News, Review
