Weekly Top 10: Songs for Spring

Though spring has actually been upon us for the past week and a half, the 70-degree temperatures currently in my locale have finally made it official. Below you'll find tracks both about spring and evocative of spring as well. Some may be more obvious (The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun"), while others may not jump out right away (Wilco's "Hummingbird"). Still, an enjoyable, seasonal collection. Check it out.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: SXSW Acts (Part 2)]

Best of 2009: Biggest Disappointments

This list isn't necessarily the "best of" 2009-- we're talking about the year's biggest disappointments (albums only)-- but nonetheless, it's another important top 10 topic. This isn't meant to patronize these artists either. On the contrary, we still respect many of these individuals or groups, however we expected a better showing out of them this year. They all still have chances at redemption, some even with albums slated for 2010. So check out our list of 2009's Biggest Disappointments below.

10. Fist of God, MSTRKRFT

9. March of the Zapotec & Real People- Holland, Beirut

8. Grrr..., Bishop Allen

7. The Spirit of Apollo, N.A.S.A.

6. Scars, Basement Jaxx

5. Hazards of Love, The Decemberists

4. Mama, I'm Swollen, Cursive

3. The Satanic Satanist, Portugal. The Man

2. Outer South, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

1. Daisy, Brand New

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009: Best Mixtapes]

Weekly Top 10: Best Songs Named for Geographic Locations

For this week's list, we decided, for no apparent reason, that it would be fun to pick out songs named for either a city/town, state or country. We tried to avoid the obvious cliche tracks, except one, and unfortunately, two of the songs we originally wanted were not available. So, just so everyone's aware, The Beatles' "Back in the U.S.S.R." and Neutral Milk Hotel's "Holland, 1945" should have been here. Still, I think it's a pretty worthwhile list, as we tried to create variation in locations where possible. Enjoy.

Top 10 Songs Named After Countries/Cities

New Beirut Video, "The Concubine"

I'm pretty sure my brother called "The Concubine" the best track off of Beirut's new record. That also wasn't saying much, since the album as a whole lacked the real energy and originality that were a mainstay of Zach Condon's previous efforts. Still, I suppose it's worth talking about his new video. The Mexican vibe works for the song- however, I still don't understand why the visual representation culminates in sharing a smoke with a member of the Animal Noises "enemies list", Gene Simmons, in complete KISS garb. Alas, check it out below, for the last (I promise this time) video of the day.

Pre-Screening: Beirut

Album: March Of The Zapotec/Holland

Artist: Beirut

Label: Ba Da Bing Records

Due Out: February 17th

Zach Condon made quite a stir last April, when he posted an apology letter on Beirut's homepage, canceling all the dates of the band's upcoming European summer tour, putting the band on indefinite hiatus, and promising only that the band would eventually, "be back in some form." Like many Beirut fans, I feared the worst. Luckily, not too long after, in an interview with the alternative Seattle newspaper, The Stranger, my fears were put to rest, when Condon confirmed that he had begun working on a new record, which he had tentative plans to release in the upcoming year.

That record is the double EP, March Of The Zapotec/Holland. A unique pairing of a set of songs inspired by Condon's recent trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, and a set of electronic songs which he credits to Realpeople, his pre-Beirut, bedroom recording project. On the surface, it would seem that these two sounds might clash, but in fact, they balance each other out surprisingly well. What really sets this release apart most from what we are used to from Beirut, is that the Balkan and French, European sounds that dominated the last two records have been traded for a brassy, funeral band aesthetic. The influences from the past records are still audible in the music, but it is decidedly more somber, and with the help of a 19-piece Mexican backing band, its instrumentation is very true to the region that inspired it.

The opening track of March Of The Zapotec, "El Zocalo", starts things off with what sounds like a lively marching band, gearing up for a big parade, circa 1945, setting the stage for the tracks to follow. This goes right into "La Llorona", a tuba and trumpet driven waltz, with few lyrics, but extremely dynamic instrumentation. A theme that continues into the next track, "My Wife", which is entirely instrumental, and then to "The Akara", one of the standouts of the first half. With mournful brass and a lockstep combination of metallic percussion and the strumming of a traditional, Mexican stringed instrument, it is one of the more fast-paced tracks as well. This song flows seamlessly into the brief, "On a Bayonet", and then onto "The Shrew", which Zach Condon has called one of his favorite pieces in multiple interviews. It's another waltz, like much of Zapotec, but one that develops slowly, reaching a speeding climax of tumbling trumpets and bass drum, and then easing back into its origins, closing the first part of the double EP.

Holland begins with "My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille", a song which many of you may have heard already if you happened to read about Natalie Portman's Big Change: Songs for FINCA compilation on the interweb last year. It's a bouncy, dance track, with deep bass and synths that evoke images of an evening near the shore in France, illuminated by only the moon and stars. The next song, "My Wife, Lost in the Wild", has a similar feel, but is much slower, and makes use of layered and differently pitched vocals, to the point where they are like another instrument, rather than the focal point. This is, quite possibly, my favorite track on the entire double EP. Following that, is "Venice", another tune that was on a separate compilation (the Believer 2007 Music Issue) before this record. It's reminiscent of early Beirut songs like "Fountains and Tramways", from the Pompeii EP, with its simplicity and lyrical repetition. The next song, "The Concubine", gives us something refreshing, that seems like it could even have fit in on one of the two previous full-lengths. It opens with accordion and bells, and has a steady beat that powers it along, as Condon croons. The final track, "No Dice", is completely instrumental, and is a fitting, energetic ending to a record that varies greatly throughout, with a melody reminiscent of "Sunday Smile", off of The Flying Club Cup.

Overall, I liked this release, in terms of being a solid EP. It also offered a unique vessel for Zach Condon to release some material of his that otherwise may not have seen the light of day. Zapotec expanded the band's sound in a way that I had not expected, but I was definitely pleased with. The main complaint I have, and I think other people may share, is it isn't as big and grandiose as their previous releases. If anything, the lack of brand new material just leaves Beirut's fans hungry for more in the near future on the band's next full-length.

Rating: 7.0/10

Best Track: "My Wife, Lost In The Wild"

New Beirut, "La Llorna"

The first noise out of the Beirut camp comes from the first single off of the upcoming March of the Zapotec/Holland, "La Llorna".  As many have heard, Zach Condon recorded half of the album in Mexico with the Jimenez Band, and the other, a series of home recordings.  This track and video are both extremely interesting, as Condon has adjusted the Balkans-sounding Beirut to the Mexican atmosphere in which he was recording in.  The result- so far, so good.  March of the Zapotec/Holland is out February 17th, via Pompeii Records/Ba Da Bing.