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Editorial Reviews
For the past year, Beirut has alternated between touring in support of 2007's much-lauded The Flying Club Cup and writing a wealth of new material. With no sense of a release in mind, bandleader Zach Condon recorded in any style that struck his fancy. Some early discussions about recording material for a film being shot in Mexico morphed into a new idea: What about finding a local band in a small city in Mexico, hiring them to play some new material, and recording the result? It was a sincere challenge every step of the way. Condon had to find the band, which he did through a bandmate's mother who has connections in Oaxaca. To communicate with the performers, he hired a translator, who had to be able to speak English, Spanish, as well as Zapotec, the band members' native language. From there, he flew down to Oaxaca, traveling a half-hour out of town to the tiny weaver village of Teotitlan del Valle, where he met the nineteen members of The Jimenez Band. The ensuing weeks of recording, rewriting, and relating are documented in a series of short films (to be released online as the release date for March of the Zapotec draws near). All well and good, but the six songs found on March of the Zapotec are only a part of what this release has become. Before recording as Beirut, Condon went by Realpeople for his bedroom recordings, and he has revived the name for the second half in this collection, Holland. As opposed to March of the Zapotec, Holland collects a series of songs conceived and completed at home. One song, "Venice," appeared on a compilation by The Believer magazine, while "My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille" was on the Big Change digital-only charity compilation on iTunes. Together, this album-length double release represents the totality of Condon's work over the past year. March of the Zapotec is further testament toward the inventiveness and intimacy he creates as Beirut, a band which started as one person sounding like twelve, and has developed into a particular style and sound. No matter what inspirations jumpstart any one particular song, underlying it all is the realization that Condon is a singular artist creating an original sound. What may appear at first to be two disparate paths are in reality joined by Condon's ability to craft simple melodies that sound both unique and unforgettable. It would be a misconception for Beirut's sound to be considered a dabble in various styles, folk sounds, and music histories, because one could never confuse Condon's music for the original inspiration; all his songs on this release carry more in common with each other than they do their original source of inspiration. And whether he's being inspired by Balkan folk, French chanteuse, Mexican troubadour, '80s synth pop, or '90s house, the common thread remains Condon's ability to personalize the sound. March of the Zapotec marks the continuing emergence of a musician who has only shown an inkling of where he is headed. And while the road may be long, every stop along the way invites a new experience. Enjoy the latest.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all, it is not an album but two EPs joined together.
Maybe it is not exactly what you might have come to expect from this enviably talented young American artist.
The first half features a Mexican funeral band and delivers oompah-ish brass and a strong dose of mariachi horns (featuring real Mexicans!).
"It's a charmingly woozy picturesque postcard Mexico: full of inconsolably grieving mothers, carnivalesque town squares, bitter wives and death by bayonet"... like Jason Schwartzman in the "Darjeeling Limited", traveling across India, but seemingly locked within the world of "Where Do You To My Lovely?", the fixed-point at the heart of it all remains Condon's richly romantic, melancholy croon". - Uncut
The second EP, "Holland", recorded by Condon under the moniker Realpeople (an early pre-Beirut alias) was recorded at home but seems like a great, reveals his more sombre Seventies synth side, featuring entirely unrelated, gently synthesized beats and keyboards and is significantly more successful.
Two of the tracks from Holland have surfaced prior to this release - "My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille" appeared on a digitally released charity affair while "Venice" featured on a compilation given away by uber-hip US monthly "The Believer".
"Venice" has a ghostly beauty, which makes you wish that Condon had fleshed out this group of songs into a whole album.
And then there is the oddly uninspired, bizarre, inconsequential Euro-pop of "No Dice", upon which this collection unfortunately closes, which disappoints.
This is a little weird, but it certainly shows a different aspect of Zach's musical personality and talent.
It's happy, sad, intriguing and different.
After repeated listenings, it will grow on you.
And you will come to like it.
The Flying Club Cup
Maybe it is not exactly what you might have come to expect from this enviably talented young American artist.
The first half features a Mexican funeral band and delivers oompah-ish brass and a strong dose of mariachi horns (featuring real Mexicans!).
"It's a charmingly woozy picturesque postcard Mexico: full of inconsolably grieving mothers, carnivalesque town squares, bitter wives and death by bayonet"... like Jason Schwartzman in the "Darjeeling Limited", traveling across India, but seemingly locked within the world of "Where Do You To My Lovely?", the fixed-point at the heart of it all remains Condon's richly romantic, melancholy croon". - Uncut
The second EP, "Holland", recorded by Condon under the moniker Realpeople (an early pre-Beirut alias) was recorded at home but seems like a great, reveals his more sombre Seventies synth side, featuring entirely unrelated, gently synthesized beats and keyboards and is significantly more successful.
Two of the tracks from Holland have surfaced prior to this release - "My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille" appeared on a digitally released charity affair while "Venice" featured on a compilation given away by uber-hip US monthly "The Believer".
"Venice" has a ghostly beauty, which makes you wish that Condon had fleshed out this group of songs into a whole album.
And then there is the oddly uninspired, bizarre, inconsequential Euro-pop of "No Dice", upon which this collection unfortunately closes, which disappoints.
This is a little weird, but it certainly shows a different aspect of Zach's musical personality and talent.
It's happy, sad, intriguing and different.
After repeated listenings, it will grow on you.
And you will come to like it.
The Flying Club Cup
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've read 10 reviews of this album, 6 critics liked it, 4 didn't. Below is my attempt at aggregating all those reviews.
This album is actually a double EP. The other EP is Realpeople's (Zach Condon's pre-Beirut name) Holland.
Zach Condon (leader of Beirut) is starting to come across as a musical tourist. He goes someplace new, soaks in some music, becomes inspired and then writes his own music. March of the Zapotec was born from Condon's trip to Oaxaca Mexico where he heard some Mexican funeral music and ended up recording six songs with a local 19-piece band.
Holland on the other hand is some lo-fi electronica that drew comparisons to the Magnetic Fields and Boards of Canada.
The element that holds these two EPs together is Condon's voice. It's amazing. And strangely almost always described as a "croon", but whatever. Ultimately, it's solid work from an amazingly talented singer/musician. It could use a little more focus on writing songs instead of creating atmosphere. Also the critics who didn't like the EPs thought that it was uneven. And I get the feeling critics will really start ripping him if he doesn't settle on a style sooner or later.
This album is actually a double EP. The other EP is Realpeople's (Zach Condon's pre-Beirut name) Holland.
Zach Condon (leader of Beirut) is starting to come across as a musical tourist. He goes someplace new, soaks in some music, becomes inspired and then writes his own music. March of the Zapotec was born from Condon's trip to Oaxaca Mexico where he heard some Mexican funeral music and ended up recording six songs with a local 19-piece band.
Holland on the other hand is some lo-fi electronica that drew comparisons to the Magnetic Fields and Boards of Canada.
The element that holds these two EPs together is Condon's voice. It's amazing. And strangely almost always described as a "croon", but whatever. Ultimately, it's solid work from an amazingly talented singer/musician. It could use a little more focus on writing songs instead of creating atmosphere. Also the critics who didn't like the EPs thought that it was uneven. And I get the feeling critics will really start ripping him if he doesn't settle on a style sooner or later.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Reading blogs and reviews that tear Zach Condon apart for his foray into electronic music on the second half of this EP makes me wonder why people are so desperate to hear the same sound from their artists. I'm more than impressed that someone with such an old-world style and sensibility can turn around and produce electro-pop that is just as joyful or melancholic as his full band productions are. I can't wait for more from this very talented young artist.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Okay
I liked some of music on this cd, but not as much as one of his more recent cds. it's still good to have as part of your collection.
Published 14 months ago by Aly
Dirgelike but hopeful
The incredible thing about the music of BEIRUT is its combination of the lachrymose with the life-affirming. Read more
Published on March 25, 2010 by Michael T. Maloney
Mexican Tubas Meet Techno Pop
Frankly I do not understand this CD, nonetheless it is quite enjoyable. The first half features songs punctuated by wheezing brass horns, with heavy emphasis on the tuba no less. Read more
Published on December 31, 2009 by nepos
Beirut does it again!
If there's one thing that's gauranteed to put me in a good mood, it's the music of Beirut. This album does not dissapoint.
Published on May 8, 2009 by Shelby L. Rogers
March of the Zachotec
Since picking up Flying Club Cup and subsequently every other release by Beirut, I've almost burned myself out on these records. Read more
Published on April 29, 2009 by Jason G. Miller
National Anthems From Imaginary Countries
This two-disc set morphs from the kind of ghostly horn ensemble music you might hear while on a bender in Guadalajara (or even Sarajevo) to little electronic ditties your kid... Read more
Published on April 3, 2009 by Loyd A. Boldman
Another great album from Beirut
This is a great album that has a Mexican sound to it but it's entirely a Beirut record. The second disc is comprised of dance songs that doesn't sound anything like Beirut. Read more
Published on April 1, 2009 by Elias I. Vazquez
Fun, toe-tapping oddball music
A 2-CD set, each CD brings a different sound and sensibility to the room. A nice mixture of the modern with the traditional, these CDs would fit well into any eclectic... Read more
Published on March 22, 2009 by W. W. Spurgeon
uneven but excellent...
March of the Zapotec (and Realpeople: Holland) is comprised of two extended players spliced together to make one long player. Read more
Published on March 8, 2009 by Demetrius A. Armstrong
please fix the type setting on the album cover
It is very badly type set. Very nice picture & colors. But fix that text.
The music is pretty good. Sometimes very pretty. Sometimes less good than previous albums. Read more
The music is pretty good. Sometimes very pretty. Sometimes less good than previous albums. Read more
Published on March 7, 2009 by J. Anzalone
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March of The Zapotec and Realpeople Holland is one of Beirut's 10 releases.
Zach Condonhave been a member of Beirut.
Zach Condonhave been a member of Beirut.
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