Beirut

While it may sound like an entire Balkan orchestra playing modern songs as mournful ballads and upbeat marches, Beirut’s first album, Gulag Orkestar, is largely the work of one 22-year-old Santa Fe, New Mexico native, Zach Condon, and was almost completely recorded at home. Horns, violins, cello, 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 that sound like they’re being brought to you by a 10-member ensemble.

Download:

- March of the Zapotec/Holland EP ( 2009)

- Pompeii EP (2007)

- The Flying Club Cup (2007)

- Gulag Orkestar (2006)

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