Beirut is the American indie folk project of Zach Condon, begun in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2006 with the Balkan-brass-soaked debut Gulag Orkestar. The Flying Club Cup (2007) and The Rip Tide (2011) are the classic entry points for Condon's baritone and orchestral pop arrangements. Find Beirut vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Beirut began as the solo project of Zach Condon in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2006, initially as a bedroom recording project drawing on Balkan folk music. The debut album Gulag Orkestar (2006), released on Ba Da Bing, attracted critical attention for its unusual instrumental palette. Condon expanded to a touring band and continued releasing through Ba Da Bing, then 4AD and Pompeii Records. The band's lineup has shifted across albums with Condon as the constant.
Beirut's sound combines indie folk, baroque pop, Balkan folk, Mexican folk and mariachi (particularly on the EP Lon Gisland and album March of the Zapotec), Eastern European brass band traditions, and orchestral pop. Condon's vocal style is characterized by a baritone delivery influenced by chanson and continental European song traditions. Their work moves between fully arranged orchestral compositions and more intimate solo material.
Ba Da Bing and 4AD pressings of the Beirut catalog have been issued in multiple variants. Gulag Orkestar has appeared in anniversary and limited editions.
Listeners new to Beirut typically start with The Flying Club Cup (2007) or The Rip Tide (2011). Gulag Orkestar (2006) is a common entry point for their early Balkan-influenced material.
