March of the Zapotec and Realpeople - Holland



.......is the new, incredible album/EP from Beirut - & one of the single most glorious album covers of the last few years. Simply amazing - that artwork screams so many different things to me: Europe, Turkish cigarettes, Orson Welles, vinyl, furry orange 1970's carpet, sunshine & of course much more, but,.........

Beirut is the brainchild of Zach Condon, a 23 year old native of Santa Fe, New Mexico - Condon's creation is a sidestep of traditional Eastern European flavors blended seamlessly with subtle indie-pop. After 2 solid efforts (Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup), Condon hopped a plane to Oaxaca, Mexico & began recording songs with a local 19-piece group called the Jimenez Band. The culmination of his efforts being part 1 of the EP: March of the Zapotec - 6 unique songs which highlight a "barely rehearsed" brass band & songs strangely reminiscent of Mexican procession music. Interesting none the less.

Part 2/the last 5 songs (Holland) - is strangely different in that the name "Realpeople" was & still is a moniker to Condon & his early years spent making electronic music. Part 2 also serves as a brilliant collection of minimalist electronic indie gems. One would think the 2 contrasting styles of music would sink the EP - but oddly enough, they don't. Condon creates a world in which both ideas work as separate entities, allowing the listener to gain understanding into both worlds. As always, enjoy, or don't.