Beirut

[u2popmofo]

I realized there was no thread for these guys, so I thought I'd make an overwhelmingly link-heavy one.

For those who aren't familiar with the band, Beirut was originally almost entirely the work of Zach Condon from Albuquerque (Joyful, please tell me how 2 of my present favorite bands could come from New Mexico). They have released 2 albums and a couple EP's in under 2 years time. Their first album and EP, Gulag Orkestar and Lon Gisland, were heavily inspired by Eastern European folk music. Zach was actually 19 when he wrote much of Gulag Orkestar. Their most recent album, The Flying Club Cup, was inspired by French chanson music.

Instead of describing their music, I'll let the real thing do the talking. They have a huge number of great video links out there on the net. Here are a few I find extremely enjoyable.

Beirut on Jools Holland a few weeks ago
Nantes
A Sunday Smile

La Blogoteque (who I should make a separate thread about soon) has a site up where you can watch videos of Beirut perform ALL of the songs from The Flying Club Cup.
http://flyingclubcup.com/

More from La Blogoteque, here are Beirut's videos from their classic "Take Away Shows" series of artists performing impromtu songs/shows on the streets of Paris. Okkervil River fans will see some surprisingly awesome guests in both of these videos (I literally flipped out when I first noticed them in the videos, Cujo can confirm).
Nantes
The Penalty

Here is the official video for 'Elephant Gun', one of my favorite songs of theirs, from the Lon Gisland EP. It's a strange, yet highly entertaining, video and an awesome song.
Elephant Gun

And last, but certainly not least, here's the music video for the song that won most people over to them and Gulag Orkestar, 'Postcards From Italy'. I truly can see myself still listening to this song in 20 or 30 years and still enjoying it as much as I do now.
Postcards From Italy

You can even download Postcards From Italy in MP3 form legally for free from Insound.
Go here

In summary, Beirut make beautiful and unique music and come highly recommended.

 

[joyfulgirl]

For those who aren't familiar with the band, Beirut was originally almost entirely the work of Zach Condon from Albuquerque (Joyful, please tell me how 2 of my present favorite bands could come from New Mexico).

Please tell me how two of your present favorite bands come from Abq and I don't own any records by one of them yet. But I love everything I've heard by Beirut and I'm going to buy records soon. Like, maybe in an hour. I've been meaning to do this for some time now and it's ridiculous that I haven't yet.

But as to your original question, the desert has always been inspirational for artists of all kinds. And it's a nice town.

And which record should I start with?

edit: or, never mind--I'm watching the videos, I'll figure it out

 

[u2popmofo]

Re: Re: Beirut

And which record should I start with?

Ugh, hard to decide! I think most people, myself included, found Gulag Orkestar more immediately enjoyable where Flying Club Cup took a few listens. The Lon Gisland EP is extremely good as well though, if I'm remembering right I think I actually started with the EP because I couldn't find the album anywhere. The sound/style between the two albums/periods is different enough that it may just come down to the person as well.

 

[got_edge]

BABIES

Start with Gulag Orkestar. The stuff he did with Vincent Moon is aaaaamazing. The street performance of 'Nantes' (with a cameo by our boy, Will Sheff) is just incredible. There's also a video of Zach performing 'Siki Siki Baba' with Kocani Orkestar -- A+!



OH OH OH! I'm going to track down the video of Beirut performing with Final Fantasy. OMG!!!!

 

[clarityat3am]

I love their stuff on Gulag Orkestar, but when I saw them live I was disappointed. Broke my heart. I was so excited to hear them live, too.

 

[Queen Bee]

I'm going to track down the video of Beirut performing with Final Fantasy. OMG!!!!

For real? Why have you never made me aware of that??? God damn, woman.

 

[got_edge]

I'm pretty sure I have... Whatever, I can't find a direct link so here's the page: http://brooklynheathen.com/200705/beirut-bowery-videos/

Scroll down to the second-to-last video. It's the one where Zach is drunjk and says that France beat Italy in the World Cup


"Are you old enough???"

"No."

 

[LJT]

I love everything Zach has done so far, and shall possibly follow them for eternity now...Scenic World rocks my socks in that very romantic swishy wishy way.

^Ooh and thanks for the excellent vid link

 

[joyfulgirl]

I do as I'm told without wasting time.

I picked up Gulag Orkestar and am loving it. It was an easy decision* since they only had one copy of that and several of The Flying Club Cup so I can always go back and get that. It's possible I might even like the newer one more since I am more drawn to French chanson than to Eastern European folk music but it's really great!




* plus I found the sticker blurb "best indie rock band of the 19th century" irresistible.

 

[impy13]

I'm gonna listen to Flying Club Cup, gang. I'm gonna.

 

[DaveC]

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about beer pong.

 

[Saracene]

I love both of their albums, I love the European vibe of the music, it puts me into a somewhat nostalgic mood. Makes me think of warm summer days in my mother's hometown, with old women playing accordion in front of their houses... or something like that.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

Okkervil River fans will see some surprisingly awesome guests in both of these videos (I literally flipped out when I first noticed them in the videos, Cujo can confirm).

It's true, folks. Mofo's reaction was almost as boisterous as the time he received 8 Oksana Baiul posters for his birthday.

 

[U2democrat]

I love Postcards from Italy. All their songs make me want to live in some little village in Europe somewhere, such great music

 

[u2popmofo]

Beirut on Jools Holland a few weeks ago
Nantes
A Sunday Smile

I still watch these videos all the time. Absolutely love the sound on both of these. I seriously wish the album versions sounded this good. These 2 Jools Holland performance vids are almost becoming what that one Sigur Ros concert was for Joyful a few years back. Almost.

Speaking of which, Joyful, how are you liking? Have you picked up the Frenchy album yet?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Re: Re: Beirut

These 2 Jools Holland performance vids are almost becoming what that one Sigur Ros concert was for Joyful a few years back. Almost.

Speaking of which, Joyful, how are you liking? Have you picked up the Frenchy album yet?

So nice to have my special times remembered by others, and especially since it has nothing to do with my talking about them ad nauseum.

I have indeed picked up both records and played them nonstop for awhile. I even tried to get my officemate to like them but she made fun of them and called it "oom pah pah music." But that didn't stop me from telling everyone else I know about them.

Like you, I think maybe I took to the first record a little bit more at first but I like them both a lot, and I love the videos.

 

[u2popmofo]

Cheers to buying Flying Club Cup. Jeers to people not liking Beirut.

Yeah, it seems like most people have had that reaction with the albums. It's odd though, I seem to find myself not wanting to listen to Gulag much lately. Now you just need the Lon Gisland EP. Trust me, it's worth it!

 

[Canadiens1131]

Scroll down to the second-to-last video. It's the one where Zach is drunjk [/i]

Zach is always drunk

 

[got_edge]

Zach is always drunk

Confirmed.

 

[u2popmofo]

Zach is always drunk

Drunk?!
Whatever do you mean?!

 

[joyfulgirl]

As in Zach has a drinking problem?

 

[u2popmofo]

If I could perform surprisingly listenable impromptu covers while while drunk, I have a feeling I would have this same "problem" as well.

 

[PookaMacP]

I love their stuff on Gulag Orkestar, but when I saw them live I was disappointed. Broke my heart. I was so excited to hear them live, too.

Same here. Saw them in Dublin last summer and they were really under-rehearsed. Zach Condon did the worst version of Hallelujah solo on a mandolin at the end and it was so awful it was nearly painful to watch - he forgot the words about four or five times. Dreadful.

Gulag Orkestar is the album to start with - it's sold with the Lon Gisland EP over here. I don't care too much for Flying Club Cup myself.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Well, that's unfortunate.

 

[u2popmofo]

Sounds like there may be some sort of changes to Beirut in the future, as Zach posted this on their website today.

A Letter from Zach

It's with great regret that I have to tell all of you that Beirut is canceling their summer European shows. My reasons for doing this are many, a lot of them personal, but I still feel I need to provide something of an explanation.

The past two years have been a mindblowing experience. From the first indications that people were putting songs from Gulag [Orkestar] up on their blogs to our incredible tour of Australia and New Zealand that we just completed, everything that has happened has been beyond anything I'd ever hoped could happen with the music I wrote and recorded in my bedroom. Once things started happening, I decided I wanted to do everything as big as possible. So, I set about putting together a large band, and giving that band a huge sound, and making the most spectacular records we possibly could.

I know this can sound like an artist shithead kind of comment, but going through all that really does have its low points along with the highs. The responsibilities of gathering people around your vision, working with great people like those who work directly for the band and those at the label, wanting to insure that every show is as good as humanly possible so that every single person in the audience sees that we put in a real effort, all of that leads to a lot of issues in terms of doing right by people who have done you right.

It's come time to change some things, reinvent some others, and come back at some point with a fresh perspective and batch of songs.

Please accept my apologies. I promise we'll be back, in some form.

-Zach


"An artist shithead kind of comment"

I'm just glad to hear him mention "a fresh batch of songs", even if it's just an idea at this point.

Joyful, have you purchased the Lon Gisland EP yet? One of my friends finally found and bought it today and was gushing about it, so I'm listening to it again right now. It really is extremely solid for an EP. Definitely worth the money, but the proof is in the puddin':
Elephant Gun

 

[got_edge]

lol, again?


Elephant Gun is the shit ray: ray:

 

[joyfulgirl]

Joyful, have you purchased the Lon Gisland EP yet? One of my friends finally found and bought it today and was gushing about it, so I'm listening to it again right now. It really is extremely solid for an EP. Definitely worth the money, but the proof is in the puddin':
Elephant Gun

I haven't found it anywhere here and haven't ordered it but I do have Elephant Gun (must have been a free download on pitchfork or somewhere) and it's great! I'm listening to it now trying to decide if it will be the closing song one of the mixes I'm making for a friend who's driving to Alaska and is in desperate need of road music.

 

[joyfulgirl]

They're finally going to be playing their hometown, my town, in June.

 

[u2popmofo]

They're finally going to be playing their hometown, my town, in June.

New Mexico > Europe

 

[joyfulgirl]

New Mexico > Europe

June 2, come on down. It's a great small venue on a patio. Same place I saw DeVotchka.