The francophilian Beirut, a.k.a. boy wonder Zach Condon, developed a European-folk sound roughly resembling the debut of Wisconsin-based Pale Young Gentlemen.
Like an actor immersed in a role, Condon fosters ideas from obsessions with particular artists and styles. For his latest full-album The Flying Club Cup, he delved into Jacques Brel recordings, along with other collections of chansons. Another muse was the photograph used for the cover of Flying Club - a European beach scene from the early 1900s.
I was listening to a lot of Jacques Brel and French chanson music - pop songs shrouded in big, glorious, over-the-top arrangements and all this drama... - Zach CondonCondon's baroque-pop fixations led to the release of two full-albums and three EPs during 2006 and 2007 - recordings flavored with Balkan and French influences.
It's a new obsession every year, a new obsession overcomes me and that's all I can do. - Zach Condon
profile @ myspace
mp3 @ carlsandburgvisits (nantes - beirut)
mp3 @ t-sides (elephant - beirut)
mp3 @ t-sides (the penalty - beirut)
feed @ hypem
video @ youtube (elephant gun - beirut)
video @ youtube (nantes - beirut)
video @ youtube (forks and knives la fête - beirut)
video @ youtube (the penalty - beirut)
video @ youtube (les bourgeois - jacques brel)
stream @ imeem.com (elephant gun - beirut)
review @ pitchforkmedia
interview @ mtv
home page @ beirutband
label @ badabingrecords
What do klezmer music fans think of Beirut's Flying Club album?
