Beirut, "Gulag Orkestar" (Ba Da Bing!, 2006).
Wow. This is probably the most ambitious release of the year. It's like Eastern European indie rock. I mean, the main force behind the band -- who's 20, mind you -- wrote the album in New Mexico and resides in New York. But this album is like Klezmer band indie rock. Organ grinder indie rock. Something that should be played in a silent movie house, with old men in the back, sipping vodka and pining for a different time and a different world. But don't get me wrong; this isn't novelty rock. This thing is a record, people! "
Postcards from Italy" is easily one of the best tracks released this year. Sometimes a band comes along that puts out music that's just a little different, a little strange. But it's something that reminds you why you love music in the first place. Neutral Milk Hotel. Air. Sigur Ros. Arcade Fire. Add to this list Zach Condon and Beirut. If he doesn't
pull a Jeff Mangum, we have a new voice to collectively anticipate over.
