Dance Party in the Balkans

stumble stumble stumble love. Yesterday I found this awesome track from a group called Alaska in Winter with our favorite Zach Condon of Beirut performing along side. I read a few good reviews, and finally snatched up the album. The music sounds a lot like Beirut, with electronic beats underlying horns and beautiful vocals. Brandon Bethancourt, who leads the group, wrote his songs while spending a semester in a tiny cabin in Alaska. He then came back home, snatched up great performers from great bands (Beirut, duh) and recorded an album that is perfect for any Beirut fans who need something new-yet very similar. I've been listening to this album (Dance Party in the Balkans) almost nonstop since yesterday, and I can't really see myself ever wanting to stop, unless it's to protect myself from overdoing it.

From the looks of it, I think all his mp3s are being taken down from blogs, so I'll skip that part, leave you up to your own means, and redirect you to his myspace. All the songs are beautiful but "Close Your Eyes - We Are Blind" is the one performed with Zach Condon, and therefore the one you probably want to listen to first to fall in love.

And if all that wasn't totally wonderful, it turns out Alaska in Winter is performing with Beirut this fall! Which means that the epic as fuck show in SF that I'm going to is going to be 2x as amazing.

You can get an mp3 from I Guess I'm Floating, a pretty rad blog (and where I happened to get hooked), but for all else I suggest you head to your favorite pig-speak treasure chest.

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