Beirut's Condon Talks New LP ("The Flying Club Cup"), Obsession, Exhaustion

 

From Pitchfork:

 

Forget the 1,000 words. For Beirut wunderkind Zach Condon, a picture can contain an entire album.

 

Take the yellowed snapshot that graces the cover of Beirut's 2006 breakout debut, Gulag Orkestar, in which a pair of young women recline, perhaps mid-roadtrip, on the hood of a car parked on the side of a rural byway. (It was taken, as Condon later learned, by Russian photographer Sergey Chilikov.)

 

"I found that photo, and I took it home with me," Zach told Pitchfork recently. "It was hanging on the wall the entire time [i wrote and recorded Gulag], and I always kind of felt like, 'It's got to sound like that. It's got to sound the way that looks.'"

 

As Condon prepares to put the finishing touches on the Gulag follow-up-- which is about to receive string treatment in Montreal from arranger-of-the-moment Owen Pallett (of Final Fantasy and Arcade Fire) and mixing/mastering in Chicago from Griffin Rodriguez (aka Blue Hawaii of Icy Demons and Bablicon)-- it turns out a visual from a bygone era once again provided inspiration.

 

"I'm thinking about calling [the new album] The Flying Club Cup," Zach revealed. "Back in the early 1900s, like the 1910s or 1920s, there used to be this hot air balloon festival in Paris-- it's titled after that and after this very bizarre 1910 photo I found [by Leon Gimpel]. It's one of the first color photos ever made, at the World's Fair, and it...shows all these ancient hot air balloons about to take off in the middle of Paris. I just thought it was the most surreal image I'd seen in a long time.

 

"Immediately it was like, 'this needs to be the album cover for the next album,' Zach continued. "So it's been hanging on my wall in front of the computer for the whole record. There's a lot you can take from a weird image like that."

 

Appropriately, the Gimpel photograph helped conjure musical ideas that are decidedly less Balkan than Beirut's previous output. Indeed, The Flying Club Cup-- which Zach hopes to have out in September via Ba Da Bing in the U.S. and 4AD overseas-- doesn't sound Balkan at all. "I think [people]'ll laugh if anyone says that about this album," said Condon.

 

For the new album, Zach has gravitated to the sound of lushly-orchestrated baroque pop. "It's a new obsession every year, a new obsession overcomes me and that's all I can do. "

 

"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-- and that was in some sense unfamiliar territory to me. So I started buying new instruments and relying on things I wasn't necessarily comfortable with, like French horns and euphoniums, carrying these big, epic big brass parts that I used to do all on trumpets, and working with accordion and organ instead of all ukulele-- very much throwing myself in the world of classical pop music, I guess you could say."

 

 

 

Condon also noted the influence of newfound musician friends, including A Hawk and a Hacksaw's Jeremy Barnes (who plays on Gulag) and Heather Trost. And he's thrilled to have Owen Pallett aboard. "I've never worked with a musician that amazing at arranging before," Zach enthused. "Just five seconds and he's got this orchestra coming out of four violins."

 

Among Condon's Flying Club Cup favorites is "A Sunday Smile", "this organ grinder sounding song that I did on this ancient, half-broken Farfisa organ in New Mexico. Half of the keys work, half of them don't, so I had to write the songs around the broken keys, but...I'm in love with the sound."

 

Another favorite, "Guaymas Sonora", includes "a drastic drum change in the middle of the song that builds into something quite epic."

 

 

 

While Flying Club is shaping up to be quite a treat musically, Condon hasn't slacked on vocals or lyrics. The singer, who once called his evocative croons on Gulag Orkestar "happy accidents," has noticed improvement. "I'm finding that my voice is developing a little bit more, and I have a feeling that might have come from singing so much on tour, using my voice so much. I mean, I've never taken a vocal lesson in my life, so I really was just playing by ear.

 

"I'm still pretty strict about trying to get the first take right. The only thing I tend to mess up on is the lyrics, so if I get the lyrics right, I keep the first take, because no matter how many times you do it, nothing's as good as the first take vocally. Especially when the song is still so fresh and exciting to you."

 

Those lyrics will once again find Condon exploring places and feelings from times long since past, times he's only able to experience through stories and photographs.

 

"The entire idea behind a lot of these songs and many of the stories that may come behind them is really just trying to completely throw yourself into another world. I don't know why it is that I do that, and I don't know why it is that that's so attractive to me to hear songs like that, but you scan through my iTunes, it's all old, nostalgic music; it all comes from this other era and this other time, and it's an obsession of mine. That doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. There's no reason for it, other than that's how it seems to work."

 

 

 

After two more nights in New York, Beirut breaks for a bit before a relatively light summer festival schedule the includes stops at Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Primavera Sound. In general, Condon hopes to rest up a bit-- one album into his career and he's already had to cancel part of a tour (last fall) after exhaustion landed him in a Paris hospital.

 

"It felt like my body was falling apart while I was completely out of control of it," he said, describing last fall's incident. "I remember there were some hilarious things-- in hindsight. I mean, at the time it was the scariest things imaginable: I couldn't see moving cars, my cellphone was ringing in my ears 24/7 even though I'd left it back in New York before I even went to Europe. All these strange things were happening-- it was almost like a psychedelic trip into the unknown.

 

"I was in Europe and I didn't know where I was. I think I walked on stage in Dublin saying, "Hello, Cleveland" or something! It was absolute insanity."

 

Condon's not the only young performer to suffer exhaustion of late-- both Lily Allen and Lady Sovereign, among others, canceled dates recently for the same reason.

 

"It feels like the indie world-- if you can call it that-- has changed so drastically over the past five years," Condon mused. "We're throwing these people that are used to playing grungy little clubs in Williamsburg or wherever their home town is, and all of a sudden [they're] treated like rock stars and being traveled around the entire globe and the most grueling schedules. I mean, these are schedules that the Backstreet Boys used to be doing! Not kids that recorded records in their bedroom...I feel like everybody in my position is all of a sudden feeling quite overwhelmed by the fact that, well hell, this is all blowing up in our face.

 

"And you can't complain about that, because that's exactly what we wanted, but it sure as hell is hard to wrap your head around."

 

Overwhelmed or not, Condon's prepared for the Flying Club Cup aftermath, which will likely vault Beirut even further into the indie spotlight. "This will be a situation that is, once again, entirely new to me," he offered. "So all I can really do is shorten the tours, sleep a little more, drink a little less, try to treat myself like a 40-year-old, instead of...you know."

Beirut Announce Album Release Date, Tracklist, Tour

Photo by Danelle Manthay

 

Before we even had a chance to miss them, Beirut are back with their second album, the one Zach Condon discussed at length in a Pitchfork interview last month. Although Condon suggested LP2 would bear the name The Flying Club Cup, the official title has not yet been announced-- but we do have some tasty tidbits to tide you over until that time.

 

Indeed, it's a tracklist, and holy Moses, a release date. The former, complete with a track #0 (whatever the hell that means-- maybe you have to hit the "rewind" button on your CD player past 0:00 on the first track?), can be yours to cherish and share just after the jump. Calendars ready? The latter is October 9, a day that will go down in infamy as the day a little band that could called Beirut dropped their second album (via Ba Da Bing!).

 

The new album was mixed and mastered by Griffin Rodriguez (of Icy Demons and Bablicon) and features string arrangements and guest vocals from Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett. It includes many of the act's first tunes laid to tape since Beirut evolved from boy-in-bedroom (as on last year's smash Gulag Orkestar) to boy-with-bodacious- band-at-his-disposal (as on this year's Lon Gisland EP).

 

Just don't expect Beirut's beloved Balkanisms on this one. As Condon told us last month, "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...very much throwing myself in the world of classical pop music" while writing and recording the latest LP.

 

And in fact, a Brel cover turns up on the flip of the latest Beirut single, "Elephant Gun", which the 4AD crew fires off in the UK on June 25.

 

Catch Beirut across Europe this summer, and back in North America for a couple week's worth of dates this fall-- with the exquisite Colleen opening.

 

Tracklist:

 

00 A Call to Arms

01 Nantes

02 A Sunday Smile

03 Guyamas Sonora

04 La Banlieu

05 Cliquot

06 The Penalty

07 Forks and Knives (La Fête)

08 In the Mausoleum

09 Un Dernier Verre (Pour la Route)

10 Cherbourg

11 St. Apollonia

12 The Flying Club Cup

OCTOBER 9!!!!!! can't waitttt :dance:

me likey :wacko:

Didn't know he was releasing a new album. Coool! October too :cool:

Brass intruments makes me excited. I just got into them and Wow!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the thread. That Vibrato...yum

You know how I know I'm a band geek?

 

I'm excited that there's going to be some good euphonium work on the new album. (My instrument!)

 

Never mind the fact I'm giddy for the album as it is. I actually went and downloaded some Jacques Brel stuff to get an idea of the sound. I believe the first single will include a cover of "Le Moribond" as a b-side.

But there is already a cover of that song, it's featured in Elephant Gun EP

 

oh and how was Jacques Brel's music?

It's a really good idea btw, I may do the same thing too hehe..

But there is already a cover of that song, it's featured in Elephant Gun EP

 

oh and how was Jacques Brel's music?

It's a really good idea btw, I may do the same thing too hehe..

Very very good, I quite like "Le Moribond," "Madeline," and "No Me Quitte Pas."

 

And unless I got the wrong five songs, I don't believe that cover's already been on Lon Gisland...

^ No, I actually was talking about the new Elephant Gun EP, with the songs "Elephant Gun" , "Transatlantique" and "Le Moribond / My Family’s Role In The World Revolution" ;)

*Read post above his last* :embarassed: oops

 

I've not got a copy of that yet, then

I could upload it for you, if you want :)

I could upload it for you, if you want :)

That would be fantastical.

Alright, well it may quite take a little while.. but as soon it's finished I will PM it to you :wink:

no prob, thank you so much!

*bump*

 

Postcards from Italy's video has been released, not too long ago.

 

It is the second collaboration between the great "Beirut" and director Alma Har'el. Their first was for the song "Elephant Gun".

 

It is, by far, the most beautiful video I have EVER seen!! Absolutely wonderful! :heart:

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! :nice:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD5hg0maVNw

The Flying Club Cup - New Updates

 

 

Beirut is releasing The Flying Club Cup Monday' date=' October 8, through their new European label, 4AD Records. The US release will arrive October 9 on Ba Da Bing. Zach Condon and band began recording The Flying Club Cup in April, relocating the sonic scape from the Balkans to France. The album is promising to be, “just as captivating as its predecessor.”

“Although the new album is closer in spirit to France than the Balkans - combining lyrical orchestral arrangements with romantic vocals like the chansonniers of yore - its confidence and melodic grace prove beyond doubt that Zach Condon is a prolific and unique talent.”

(4AD Records)

Recorded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in A Hawk and a Hacksaw’s practice room, Griffin Rodriguez (A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Man Man) was brought in to produce and engineer most of the album. Owen Pallet (Final Fantasy) at Arcade Fire’s Masonic recording studio. Zach Condon and his eight piece band recorded the instruments, and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw) added violin on several songs. (Amazon)

 

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup track listing:

00 "A Call to Arms"

01 "Nantes"

02 "A Sunday Smile"

03 "Guyamas Sonora"

04 "La Banlieu"

05 "Cliquot"

06 "The Penalty"

07 "Forks and Knives (La Fête)"

08 "In the Mausoleum"

09 "Un Dernier Verre (Pour la Route)"

10 "Cherbourg"

11 "St. Apollonia"

12 "The Flying Club Cup"

 

Note: track 00 appears on the official track listing.

 

November will find the eight-piece band traveling through Western Europe: UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. No word yet on a North American tour, but one can only expect the announcement will be coming soon.

 

Nov 06 UK, Manchester: Club Academy

Nov 07 UK, Glasgow: The Arches

Nov 08 UK, Leeds: Irish Centre

Nov 09 UK, Cardiff: The Point

Nov 10 UK, London: The Roundhouse

Nov 12 France, Paris: Olympia (Inrocks Festival)

Nov 13 France, Strasbourg: La Laiterie (Inrocks festival)

Nov 14 Belgium, Brussels: Botanique

Nov 15 Netherlands, Amsterdam: Paradiso

Nov 16 France, Lille: Grand Mix

Nov 18 Denmark, Copenhagen: Vega

Nov 19 Germany, Hamburg: Fabrik

Nov 20 Germany, Koln: Kulturkirche

Nov 21 Germany, Munchen: Elserhalle

Nov 22 Germany, Schorndorf: Manufaktur

Nov 24 France, Lyon: Ninkashi

Nov 25 Switzerland, Zurich: Mascotte

 

 

It will feature string arrangements by Owen Pallett of the band Final Fantasy' date=' while it will be mastered by Griffin Rodriguez.[2]

 

Condon on the name and inspiration for the new album:

"I'm thinking about calling [the new album] The Flying Club Cup...Back in the early 1900s, like the 1910s or 1920s, there used to be this hot air balloon festival in Paris-- it's titled after that and after this very bizarre 1910 photo I found [by Leon Gimpel]. It's one of the first color photos ever made, at the World's Fair, and it...shows all these ancient hot air balloons about to take off in the middle of Paris. I just thought it was the most surreal image I'd seen in a long time."

 

Condon on the sound of the new album:

"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-- and that was in some sense unfamiliar territory to me. So I started buying new instruments and relying on things I wasn't necessarily comfortable with, like French horns and euphoniums, carrying these big, epic big brass parts that I used to do all on trumpets, and working with accordion and organ instead of all ukulele-- very much throwing myself in the world of classical pop music, I guess you could say."

 

Several songs from the forthcoming album have been played on tour.

 

:smiley:

Beirut, Final Fantasy, half of Arcade Fire and a load of other musicians come out for the encore at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC, Sunday 6th May 2007

 

Two of one of my most favourite bands ever, performing together! This is just FANTASTIC! :heart:

Wish I could've been there, though. :(

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kmrz0n6Ed5k

 

Same video but from an another angle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C33l3CthHn0

All these videos...thank you ever so much! Admittedly, I don't care for that particular song, but I do love seeing Zach and Arcade Fire together. Looks like they're having tremendous fun...oh to have been there.

 

Makes me wanna go to the Arcade Fire concert here in October...

^ OH! :stunned:

You most certainly should! I'd never even attempt not going to an AF concert, if I ever had the chance to go to one!

 

Btw, the song 'Cliquot' from 'The Flying Club Cup' has been covered by Final Fantasy. It is a really nice song, plus it sort of gives me an idea of the feel of the new album. :smiley:

 

You can find it here. :wink:

IT LEAKED!!! YAYYY! :dance: :dance: :smash: %(*#^((&%$ :dead:

 

Posted it here; if anyone's interested or is just a huge fan like moi! :D

So, my thoughts on the new album..

I absolutely LOVED it from first listen.. the opening song 'Nantes' is so fantastic, can never get tired from it.. and that tiny sound of, what I think is a scene from some French movie, just adds up to its beauty. :nice:

The rest of the songs are great as well.. and can grow on you very fast. Really, couldn't find a single one that I didn't enjoy or more frankly, love!

And it's nice to see how Beirut's music evolved to a new sound.. not so very different from 'Gulag Orkestar' but there is quite a change, which I didn't mind at all. And his voice.. aah! :heart: He sings a lot more in this album.. and with a voice like that, who would mind? :wacky: I mean, he has one of the most wonderful and soothing voices ever, that can keep me smiling every time I put their music on.

 

Beirut's music is really a bliss, once you get into it.

THANK YOU ZACH! :kiss:

 

The sound of the album is noticeably larger and more cleanly produced than Gulag. Whereas Gulag Orchestar was recorded in Condon’s bedroom, Flying Club Cup was recorded in the Arcade Fire’s church come studio. Whereas Condon recorded Gulag Orchestar alone, Flying Club Cup features the eight regular touring members and string arrangements by Owen Pallet (Mr Final Fantasy). The album is very much in keeping with the move towards grandeur and intricacy in indie music at the moment.

 

There are two things that haven’t changed: Condon’s acquired taste of a voice and the risk that at any moment the whole thing could crash over into pretentious, student-railcard music. But the songs are strong and regular moments of absolutely gorgeous sound (the opening of Forks and Knives, The Penalty and Cliquot) that you are quickly distracted from the possibility.

 

Overall, eight thumbs up.

-----

 

Here are 2 very enjoyable videos to watch:

1. Zach Condon & Kocani Orkestar - A Sunday Smile and Siki Siki Baba (By La Blogotheque)

Note: I have this performance of Siki Siki Baba in MP3, if anyone desires.

 

2. Zach Condon sings 'Knife' (from Grizzly Bear) in the streets of Paris

(This video just give me another reason to love this guy! :D)

 

Oh and great news for any fans here, Beirut's official site has been updated and they have a forum too!! The index for the site is indeed very beautiful. Yay!

I share most of those sentiments. A solid album, definitely a step forward. The sound is definitely Beirut, but more mature, more professional. Owen Pallet deserves a lot of credit for it; the string arrangements never become monotonous or boring, which on this album is an accomplishment! Also, his voice on "Cliquot", my personal favorite right now, is a refreshing change of pace, a little more straightforward vocals as opposed to Condon's crooning (which is still as beautiful as ever.)

 

A terrific bit of progress is what will hopefully become a long, illustrious career.

I've just stumbled upon this: http://flyingclubcup.com, while checking Beirut's forum just a moment ago. It certainly have made my day! :nice:

Apparently, La Blogothèque and the band itself filmed each track of 'The Flying Club Cup' in Brooklyn, and will publish each of them on that site.

How great is that?! :D

 

Here is Nantes and The Penalty.

Too bad in Penalty's page there is no translation of what's written in French. :/ But well, if any of you who sees this could summarize it a bit in English for me, I would be most grateful.

 

Anyway, hope you enjoy them! :D

La Blogothèque have a new couple of their interesting take away show video of Beirut available:

http://www.blogotheque.net/article.php3?id_article=3455

 

--

Here is the Downloads Thread.

 

:smiley: