Spotlight
Beirut’s Zach Condon Distills Himself
Trumpeter/ukulelist/singer Zach Condon, native Santa Fean and frontman for Beirut, has garnered a world of attention for music that draws heavily on his serial “flirtations,” as he calls them, with various genres. French chanson, Balkan brass, Mexican church bands, electronica—each has provided the inspiration and stylistic setting for a Beirut album.
The constants in those recordings, though, are Condon’s love affair with melody and his ear for the right sound in the right place. For the latest Beirut release, The Rip Tide, Condon focused on those elements, hoping to distill his own sound from the multigenre cocktail. He’s succeeded in creating his most personal and arguably his most beautiful and mature work to date.
Photo courtesy of Le Chat Lunatique
Troubadour
Coca Leaves, Vinyl and Confiscated Mustache Scissors ...
Le Chat Lunatique goes to Colombia
The mountains are to the east, and there’s a tram to the top of them. Spanish is spoken, tamales are eaten, potholes are plentiful. Albuquerque’s Le Chat Lunatique felt right at home in Bogotá. The gypsy jazz band made its first, but likely not its last, visit to Colombia in early September to take part in the 23rd Festival Internacional de Jazz del Teatro Libre.
Akiliah Martinez
Show Up!
Electronic Blessings
Fest spotlights new wave of Native musicians
Brad Charles wants you to know there's more to rez music than metal. Charles and his partner, Hansen Ashley, make up the Navajo Nation-based post-punk duo Discotays. Dissatisfied with performance opportunities on the reservation for indie and electronic music, Charles organized a showcase to coincide with the 100th annual Northern Navajo Nation Fair.
