Beirut is een door Zach Condon opgerichte band en heeft als thuisbasis New York. De muziek van Beirut valt in de categorieën Indie, Folk en Pop.
Op jonge leeftijd verlaat Zach Condon school en vertrekt naar Europa. Hij verblijft o.a. enige tijd in Amsterdam. Daar komt hij in contact met traditionele Balkan muziek. Bij terugkomst in Amerika schrijft hij de nummers voor het eerste album van Beirut. In 2006 wordt dit album, Gulag Orkestar, uitgebracht bij Ba Da Bing. In de nummers op dit album klinkt duidelijk de invloed door van Oost-Europese Zigeunermuziek. Hetzelfde jaar waarin Gulag Orkestar wordt uitgebracht volgt ook nog een tweede album, Lon Gisland.
Na een tussen-album, Pompeii EP, met ouder werk van Zach Condon volgt in oktober 2007 het album The Flying Club Cup. Dit album is geïnspireerd op een verblijf van Zach Condon in Parijs
Discografie:Beirut is the name of the band of 21-year-old Santa Fe native Zach Condon. The first official release under the Beirut name was assisted by Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel, A Hawk and a Hacksaw) and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw); it combines elements of Eastern European and folk sounds.
Though young, Condon has already released a few albums. He recorded under the name The Real People when he was 15, making The Joys of Losing Weight, which is a lo-fi electronic record (ie, generally in the style of 'Scenic World' on Gulag Orkestar) fashioned consciously after The Magnetic Fields. At 16, he recorded an entire doo-wop album that was inspired by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. Zach also released a three-song EP titled "Small Time American Bats" under the name 1971. The album was recorded in 2001-2002 and has never been officially released. Condon attended Santa Fe High School, where he was a student until he dropped out at the age of 16 to travel Europe where he was first exposed to Balkan gypsy music, notably including the Boban Marković Orchestra and Goran Bregović.
In 2006, Beirut released two Balkan-inspired recordings through Ba Da Bing, Gulag Orkestar and Lon Gisland, both also available as an expanded version of Gulag Orkestar LP through the UK label 4AD. Beirut has also released other individual songs, three available on Pompeii EP, and the one on a split with Calexico, and one on a compilation for The Believer magazine. While living in Brooklyn, Condon also shot a video for "Scenic World" at the Sweet'N Low factory, and performed several venues in New York and Europe.
The Believer Magazine issue Zach appeared on (June/July '07), featured the song "Venice", which can be heard here.
His first official music video was for the song "Elephant Gun". The video was directed by Alma Har'el.The second video 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.
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).
According to the band's official website, Condon was "briefly hospitalized for extreme exhaustion" in November 2006, resulting in the cancellation of the rest of the tour. The band resumed performing live in March 2007.
In June 2007 they played the Glastonbury Festival's Jazz World Stage, and were widely considered one of the best acts of the festival.
Later in 2007, Zach appeared as a guest trumpeter on the second album from Get Him Eat Him, titled Arms Down.
Beirut's second album, The Flying Club Cup, was leaked onto the Internet August 25, 2007. It has been released and is available on iTunes, eMusic, and Amaz
Gulag Orkestar (2006)
Long Gisland (2006)
Pompeii EP (2007)
The Flying Club Cup (2007)
Ik ken alleen het laatste album maar dat is een smakelijk stukje muziek.
URL:
http://www.beirutband.com/
