TERRELL'S TUNEUP: BEIRUT IS COMING ...

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 20, 2006

Q: Was growing up in Santa Fe boring?
A: I’m sure that’s every adolescent’s complaint about their hometown. When a city is unstimulating, you get pretty isolated. That’s probably why I did what I did.

It almost sounds like the confession of a teenage sociopath who’s discussing some hideous atrocity he perpetrated. But this interview isn’t from some A&E true-crime show; it’s from Pitchfork, an online music magazine.


The bored, unstimulated Santa Fe youth is not some school-ground psycho but rather Zach Condon, a rising young musician with an album that’s rightfully getting great ink and word-of-mouth from places far and wide.

And the deed that he did, inspired by his “isolation,” was to retreat into his room — you can almost feel the presence of Brian Wilson’s spirit at this point — and create what would become the album Gulag Orkestar, released under the name Beirut.

Condon, now 20, did what most Santa Fe kids unfortunately have to do. He got out. Moved to Brooklyn.

But he’s coming home to visit. You can check out Condon and Beirut — which has grown from a boy and his ProTools into as much as a 10-piece band — Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the College of Santa Fe and Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Launchpad in Albuquerque.

While most American musicians his age are inspired by punk rock or hip-hop, Condon was inspired by the soundtracks of movies by Sarajevo-born director Emir Kusturica and by the Balkan brass bands Condon heard while bumming around Europe.

Beirut isn’t the first American band to employ Eastern European elements. There are bands like the gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello, the Bulgarian metal of Kultur Shock, and Balkan blues-blowers Hazmat Modine.

But none of these are as richly textured as what’s found on Gulag Orkestar. Condon seems to be walking some of the same rainy streets that Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits have tread, though even these comparisons fall short.

The sound is based on slightly off-kilter trumpets, accordion, rat-a-tat drums, keyboards and — for reasons not explained, though it works — a ukulele.

One of his cohorts on the record is Jeremy Barnes, former drummer for Georgia indie-rock geniuses Neutral Milk Hotel (and the lesser known A Hawk and a Hacksaw, which opens for Beirut on Tuesday).

And his voice! Condon has a sweet but world-weary croon that seems to come from a soul much older than the kid at the microphone. There’s an undeniably sad tone at work here. Many of the songs sound like funeral dirges, a jazz funeral down the back streets of Budapest, or a circus parade through a Bosnian slum.

Songs like the bolero “Bratislava” suggest a Spanish influence. There are strange pieces, such as the dream-world pop of the final track, “After the Curtain.”

Something tells me that future works by Condon and Beirut might sound completely different. Condon is young, curious, and hungry. There’s a whole world for him to digest. It’ll be a pleasure to hear him do it.

Beirut plays at the College of Santa Fe’s O’Shaughnessy Performance Space in Benildus Hall, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25; tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, call 473-6511. The band performs at the Launchpad, 618 Central Ave. S.W., in Albuquerque, on Thursday, Oct. 26. Doors open at 8 p.m., entrance is $5; call 505-764-8887.


Balkan brass bands and other Eastern European sounds: Want to hear for yourself some of the sounds that inspired Gulag Orkestar? One good place to start is Calabash Music, a major online source of world music.


* L’ Orient Est Rouge by Kocani Orkestar. In interviews Condon has listed this Macedonian band as one of his favorites. The group boasts two trumpets, three tubas, saxophone, clarinet, zurla (a traditional oboe), and percussion. The track that reminds me most of Beirut is the final song, “Djelem, Djelem,” which starts out slow and brooding.

*Live in Belgrade by Boban Markovic Orkestar. This 12-piece Serbian band has been featured in Kusturica soundtracks. They do a rousing version of “Hava Nagila,” though I’m most impressed by the percussion-heavy “Vodopad” and the 11-minute medley of several tunes that allows the band to stretch out.

*Gamagai by Cankisou. This one, which I’ve been listening to for several months, is my favorite of all these. It’s the least traditional and the most rocked out. This can’t be called a brass band — there’s no brass. But there are crazy saxophones and even crazier rhythms. And sorry, Jono, they make the didgeridoo sound really cool. They claim to be based on the culture of the Canki people, a legendary race of one-legged people with roots in Africa and the Mideast.

Radio Beirut: Hear Beirut, various Balkan brass bands, and other bands mentioned here on Terrell’s Sound World Sunday night on KSFR 90.7 FM. The show starts at 10 p.m., but I’ll start this set right after the 11th hour. And don’t forget the The Santa Fe Opry, country music as the good Lord intended it to sound, same time, same station, Friday nights.

ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP: TEARING DOWN NEW MEXICO

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 1, 2006

Democrats get angry when high-level administration figures say or imply that it’s unpatriotic and harmful to America to criticize President Bush’s Iraq policies.

The anger is justified.

Criticizing the government and any politician, high or low, is one of those rights, to steal a line from Merle Haggard, that our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.

But here in New Mexico, where our chief executive is a Democrat, the proverbial shoe is on the other foot.

For several weeks now, when asked about Gov. Bill Richardson’s refusal to debate Republican challenger John Dendahl, Richardson’s campaign brass have said all Dendahl wants to do is “tear down New Mexico.”

Tear down New Mexico. Like some crazed Godzilla knocking over buildings, stepping on cars and breathing fire on anything in his way.

When I first read this, in a quote by Richardson campaign chairman Dave Contarino, it took me aback. But giving him the benefit of the doubt, I initially figured it probably was just overheated campaign rhetoric said spontaneously. Surely he didn’t seriously mean it.

But since then, I’ve read it elsewhere and heard it from campaign officials.

Tuesday night, after Dendahl’s 30-minute primetime interview on KOB, Richardson campaign manager Amanda Cooper said it again. She said Dendahl had used his time on TV to “tear down New Mexico.”

I’d been there in the television studio watching the program — which came about because Dendahl had accepted KOB’s invitation for a debate and Richardson had not.

Dendahl indeed did his best to “tear down” Richardson. He called him a “dictator.” He said he was “two-faced.” He said Richardson was corrupt and compared him to former Treasurer Robert Vigil.

He refrained from calling Richardson a “300-pound chicken.” He probably knows he’s gotten enough mileage out of that line.

Dendahl criticized Richardson’s plans, projects and policies, including the spaceport, the Rail Runner and the state investing in the movie industry.

You might disagree with what Dendahl says and stands for. You might not like his style. You might think he’s too harsh on Richardson — though some say he hasn’t been harsh enough.

But I was there. I was listening closely and taking notes. I didn’t hear him tear down New Mexico.

So let’s get it straight: George Bush is not America, and Bill Richardson is not New Mexico.

I “heart” debates: I have to admit, as a self-confessed political junkie, I like going to public debates. Even when the responses are canned and the rhetoric is stale.

I like seeing the supporters of both candidates — and the few stray civic-minded undecideds — filling an auditorium.

I like the anticipation, waiting for a candidate to break out of the polite happy talk and confront his or her opponent with some unpleasant difference between them.

And I like seeing how the confronted candidate responds. Will he have a good counterargument and turn it around? Will he fall back on some tired slogan and choke?

Of course, there won’t be any of that in the Richardson/Dendahl race.

I thought it was great that KOB offered Dendahl and Congressional District 2 Democratic challenger Al Kissling primetime slots this week. (Incumbent GOP Rep. Steve Pearce, like the governor, has refused to debate his opponent on live television.)

In fact, I thought news anchor Carla Aragon had the best line of the night during the Dendahl segment when she said of the show, “It’s a service to the voters.” This might just seem like TV news patter except for the fact that the Richardson campaign repeatedly has said it would be a “disservice to the voters” to debate Dendahl on television.

But it just wasn’t the same as a real debate.

KOB’s original plan was to hold the debate at the Kimo Theatre in Albuquerque, with each side getting tickets for more than 100 supporters. Questions would have come from a panel of reporters and the audience. And the real fun — the candidates would have been given time to ask questions of each other.

Instead, the “one-man debate” was held in a studio, where the only live audience, besides the TV crew, was Dendahl’s wife, Jackie, a New Mexican photographer and myself.

And nobody had to remind us not to cheer or boo.

ONE-MAN DEBATE

Because Gov. Bill Richardson refuses to debate Republican John Dendahl on television, KOB gave Dendahl a half hour of prime time last night.

I went down to watch it in person. My story is HERE

(I stole this graphic from Heath Haussamen whose post on the Dendahl show can be found HERE)

COMMENTS MEA CULPA

Boy, do I ever feel stupid!

I've been wondering why nobody has been commenting on my site since I switched back to Haloscan.

A couple of weeks ago a friend asked why her comments never appeared. I didn't know why until just now when I was fooling around on Haloscan and found a BUNCH of comments, going back to last August awaiting my "approval."

I didn't realize I had to approve the damned things!

Anywho, I approved them all and changed that setting. So please, comment away. (No advertising, please! I'll delete that crap toot sweet.)

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, October 15, 2006
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Me and My Friend The Cat by Loudon Wainwright III
Fat Angel by The Jefferson Airplane
Mystic Eyes by Them
I Fought the Law by The Bobby Fuller Four
Police on My Back by The Clash
These Times With You by Dead Moon
Steppin' Out by Paul Revere & The Raiders
Apartment Wrestling Rock 'n' Roll Girl by Rev. Beat Man

Live With Me by The Twilight Singers with Mark Lanegan
Sleeping Around by Sonic Youth
Black Flowers by Yo La Tengo
See the Light by Sparklehorse
I See the Light by The Five Americans
Shanty Pig by Mary's Danish
Connecticut's For F*cking by Jesus H. Christ & The Four Hornsmen of The Apocalypse
Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

Stevie's Spanking by Frank Zappa
Ball and Chain by Big Brother & The Holding Company
Tollin' Bells by The Butterfield Blues Band
Pinery Boy by Nick Cave
We Dance Alone by Beck
Dead Brothers Stomp by The Dead Brothers

Gingit by Jadoo
Lost in America by Jon Langford
To Try For the Sun by Lindsey Buckingham
The Good Ship Omega by Judee Sill
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis