Beirut (band)

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Beirut

Zach Condon of Beirut
Background information
Origin Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Genres Balkan folk
World music
Indie folk
Electronica
Years active 2006–present
Labels Ba Da Bing
Associated acts Alaska in Winter
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Owen Pallett
Website www.beirutband.com
Members
Zach Condon, Perrin Cloutier, Hari Ziznewski, Jason Poranski, Nick Petree, Kristin Ferebee, Paul Collins, Jon Natchez, Kelly Pratt, Tracy Pratt and Ben Lanz
Former members
Jeremy Barnes, Heather Trost

Beirut is an American band. It began as the solo musical project of 23-year-old Santa Fe, New Mexico native Zachary Francis Condon, and later evolved into a band led by Condon. Their first performances were in New York in May of 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar.[1][2] The music combines elements of Eastern European and Balkan folk with Western pop music, fusing the American mainstream and indie-rock culture and the World Music market.

Contents

[edit] Early Years

Zach Condon was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 13, 1986.[3] He was brought up in Virginia before moving back to New Mexico.[4][5] The grandson of legendary jazz guitarist, Eddie Condon, Zach played trumpet in a jazz band as a teenager and cites jazz as a major influence.[6]

Condon attended Santa Fe High School, where he was a student until he dropped out at the age of 16.[5] He later enrolled in community college, which he attended for a short period before traveling to Europe at the age of 17 to stay with his cousin.[7] Here, he became aware of Balkan folk music, most notably that of Goran Bregović and Boban Marković. This discovery and Condon's subsequent exploration of world music proved to be instrumental in the development of Beirut's melodic sound.[1]

[edit] Gulag Orkestar

On his return from Europe, Condon enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where he studied Portuguese and Photography.[4] Condon recorded the bulk of the material used for Gulag Orkestar by himself in his bedroom, going into the studio to finish the album with the assistance of Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel, A Hawk and a Hacksaw) and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw), who became early members of the band Beirut.

On the strength of the recordings, Condon was signed under the name of Beirut to Ba Da Bing! records, and Gulag Orkestar was given a May 2006 release. Condon recruited some friends to play the music live for their first shows in New York, and Beirut was born.

Beirut's first official music video was for the song "Elephant Gun". The video was directed by Alma Har'el. The second video, which was for the song "Postcards from Italy", was also directed by Alma Har'el, and was released later. Lauren Tafuri was the costume designer for both of these videos.

[edit] The Flying Club Cup

Beirut's second album, The Flying Club Cup, was recorded largely at a makeshift studio in Albuquerque and completed at Arcade Fire's studio in Quebec. The music on the album has a French influence due to Condon's interest in French chanson during its recording.[8] Condon has cited French and Belgian singers Jacques Brel (Belgian), Serge Gainsbourg and Yves Montand (Italian/French) as influences.[9] He also expressed interest in French film and culture, claiming this was his original reason for travelling to Europe.[10] The Flying Club Cup was leaked onto the Internet in August 2007 before being officially released in October 2007. In September 2007 they did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon.

[edit] March of the Zapotec

On April 3, 2008, Beirut canceled a previously announced summer European tour.[11] Condon explained the cancellations in a post on the official Beirut website, stating that he wanted to put the effort into ensuring that any shows would be "as good as humanly possible".[12] Soon after, The Stranger reported that Condon was working on a third album tentatively scheduled for a fall release.[13] This album materialized as the double EP March of the Zapotec/Holland EP, containing an official Beirut release based on Condon's recent trip to Oaxaca (March of the Zapotec), and electronic music under the "Realpeople" name (Holland), to be released February 16, 2009.[14] However, the album became available for purchase on iTunes on January 27, almost a month before the projected release date, and was leaked onto the internet on 23 January.

On February 6, 2009 Beirut made their debut television performance in the United States on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing "A Sunday Smile".

[edit] Side Projects

[edit] Realpeople

Realpeople is Zach Condon's electronic side-project. It was under this name that Condon made his first (unreleased) album, The Joys of Losing Weight, and the name to which the Holland EP is credited. The Joys of Losing Weight, which was made when Condon was fifteen, has never been released officially, but has been leaked on the internet.

[edit] 1971

Condon has also released an EP, Small-Time American Bats, under the name 1971. This was recorded with his friend, Alex Gaziano on guitar and vocals, when they were both 16 or so (2002). Alex is a founding member of another band originating from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kidcrash.

[edit] Guest Appearances

Condon plays mandolin, trumpet and ukulele on A Hawk and a Hacksaw's album A Hawk and a Hacksaw and the Hun Hangár Ensemble and trumpet and ukulele on Alaska in Winter's album Dance Party in the Balkans. He appears on indie rock band, Get Him Eat Him's album Arms Down, on the song "2x2".

Condon is featured on the song Found Too Low RMX by Pictureplane and also appears on the first and last tracks of the Grizzly Bear EP Friend.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] EPs

[edit] Compilations

[edit] DVDs

[edit] Personnel

Condon plays a rotary valve flugelhorn and the ukulele as his main instruments. He bought the ukulele as a joke stage prop, but found he liked the sound and was able to play it despite a wrist injury that inhibited him from playing guitar.[15][1]

Live, Beirut's shifting roster generally consists of Condon accompanied by Perrin Cloutier (cello/accordion), Jason Poranski (guitar/mandolin/ukulele), Nick Petree (drums), Kristin Ferebee (violin), Paul Collins (organ/keys/tambourine/ukulele), Jon Natchez (baritone sax/mandolin/glockenspiel), and Kelly Pratt (trumpet/euphonium).

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c "Beirut Interview", Pitchfork, http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/37080-interview-beirut, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  2. ^ "Beirut, the band", New York Magazine, August 06, 2006, http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/18856/, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  3. ^ "Beirut". New Musical Express. http://www.nme.com/artists/beirut. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 
  4. ^ a b "Zach Condon returns home to the land of red and green", Albuquerque Tribune, October 19, 2006, http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2006/oct/19/zach-condon-returns-home-land-red-and-green/, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  5. ^ a b The Wikipedia Files: Beirut, http://blogs.vocalo.org/jkaufmann/2009/07/wikipedia-files-beirut/4921, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  6. ^ "Beirut: Zach Condon’s Brass Band Blowout", ShockHound, February 24, 2009, http://www.shockhound.com/features/386-beirut--zach-condon-s-brass-band-blowout, retrieved December 14, 2009 
  7. ^ "An interview with Beirut", Brooklyn Vegan, http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2006/06/an_interview_wi_3.html, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  8. ^ "Beirut's Zach Condon: young success 'fucked with a lot of things'", All Shook Down: SF weekly, October 08, 2007, http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2007/10/beiruts_zach_condon_young_succ.php, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  9. ^ "Beirut", Myspace, http://www.myspace.com/beruit, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  10. ^ "Exclusive interview with Beirut", The Miscellany News, January 26, 2009, http://www.miscellanynews.com/2.1579/exclusive-interview-with-beirut-1.1312698, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  11. ^ "Beirut cancel all European tour plans", Gigwise, April 03, 2008, http://www.gigwise.com/news/42061/Beirut-Cancel-All-European-Tour-Plans, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  12. ^ Beirut's official website, http://beirutband.com, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  13. ^ "Greetings From Beirut! An Interview with Zach Condon", Line Out, May 08, 2008, http://lineout.thestranger.com/2008/05/greetings_from_beirut_an_interview_with, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  14. ^ Beirut's Zach Condon discusses new EPs, time off, http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/146890-beiruts-zach-condon-discusses-new-eps-time-off, retrieved December 11, 2009 
  15. ^ The Gazette, July 10, 2009, http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Montreal+International+Jazz+Festival+Beirut+conversation/1779539/story.html, retrieved December14, 2009 

[edit] External links

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