You’ve got to admire Milan Records PR team who are capitalising on Beirut blog buzz to get this record by Alaska in Winter noticed. Entitled Dance Party in the Balkans it does indeed feature the talents of Zach Condon on trumpet and vocals on five songs. The result is a debut album from Brandon Bethancourt who spent time recording music in an isolated cabin on the south coast of Alaska, hence the name.
With the help of Condon, Heather Trost of A Hawk And A Hacksaw and other friends he recorded additional parts in New Mexico. The result is a mix of electronica and Balkan folk which falls somewhere between Condon’s own projects Beirut and The Joys of Losing Weight. Sample a mix of tunes from the record below. Tracklisting after the jump.
[audio:https://nialler9.com/mp3/AlaskaInWinter_Mix.mp3]
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Tracklisting
1. The Homeless and the Hummingbirds (feat. Zach Condon on trumpet)
2. Your Red Dress (Wedding Song at Cemetery) (feat. Zach Condon on trumpet)
3. The Beautiful Burial Flowers We Will Never See (feat. Zach Condon on trumpet)
4. Balkan Lowrider Anthem
5. Lovely Lovely Love
6. Twenty Four Hours in Lake of Ice
7. Dance Party in the Balkans
8. Harmonijak (feat. Zach Condon on trumpet)
9. Staring at the Sun
10. Horsey Horse [Remix Version]
11. Rain on Every Weekend [Remix Version]
12. Don’t Read Dostoyevsky
13. Close Your Eyes-We Are Blind (feat. Zach Condon on vocals & ukulele)
14. A Love Note From Your Piano [Bonus Track]
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the cohost of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, event curator and producer of gigs, parties & events.