Brooklyn’s Vampire Weekend sent Stereogum a blue CD-R, which popped up in our iTunes as Vampire Weekend: Blue CD-R. Fair enough. The demo’s sound quality matches the title’s DIY promise, but these are indie-pop gems of a different cut, pulling on the world music bend of Paul Simon’s Graceland and late Talking Heads, wrapped in literary barbs and ample alliteration (“all your diction dripping with disdain,” for one).
VMPRWKND cite African bands like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Kanda Bongo Man as pull points, and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” delivers. Of course, these Columbia grads flaunt their Western roots, too: “A-Punk”‘s got some Kinks, “Oxford Comma” is like MMJ’s Z revisited from Brooklyn. Still haven’t seen ‘em live, but the reviews have been astounding. Take a listen and love.
Vampire Weekend are releasing their first “official” 7″ on Free News Project and a proper EP, both in May. They’re booking a tour to see the sights of the eastern seaboard. We’ll getcha those dates in a bit, so there’s time yet to work on your kwassa kwassa.
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These guys are amazing!
HOLY COW!
I love these guys. I have listened to their album maybe more than any others over the last couple months.
=)
I have been listening to these guys like crazy too!
honestly ive listened to this cd every day on my ipod– its absolutely amazing, about time they got famous!!
Ah, their time has finally come… wahahahaha!
YES! i love this band!
Hell yes
you folks talking about an album got an upload to fill on oink
Nice stuff.. the Graceland\late-period ‘Heads comparison is pretty much on the money.
you boys clean up your bedroom or no indei rock for you!
great to see these guys getting some attention. i reviewed the CD for the next issue of the Deli magazine. they have a knack for pop, that’s for sure. i expect big things. some label better jump on this fast.
They’re playing the WBAR-B-Q tomorrow:
WBAR-B-Q 2007 Lineup Announced
This year’s WBAR-B-Q will take place on Sunday, April 15. With nine bands on the bill, it promises to be one of the tightest events ever staged by humans. Brooklyn rockers ONEIDA headline the festival, with support from Athens, GA’s insane DARK MEAT, WBAR favorites caUSE co-MOTION, and more. Also on the bill are several WBAR-affiliated bands, including The Shot Heard Round the World, Yan Yan, and Vampire Weekend.
ONEIDA**
Dark Meat***
caUSE co-MOTION!******
Public Record*********
Soiled Mattress & the Springs*************
Vampire Weekend****************
Nat Baldwin & Sam Rosen********************
The Shot Heard Round the World***********************
Yan Yan********************************
Sunday, April 15, 2007.
Doors @ 12:30 PM, Music @ 1 PM.
FREE ADMISSION
CHEAP FOOD
2 IDs to Drink.
Lehman Lawn, Barnard College
Take the 1 train to 116th Street, enter at 117th and Broadway.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BAND BUT WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VAMPIRES I MEAN THEY ARE CLEARLY JUST RICH KIDS WHO CAN AFFORD TO HAVE LIP SURGERY AND ALSO THEY HAD MUSIC LESSONS GROWING UP
MY NEW BAND IS CALLED LIP SURGERY
these boys are awesome. i booked them for my bday party in september, fell in love, had them back for the very first pull-out method i threw in jan, and have watched them skyrocket from there. they deserve every bit of praise! flavorpill (ok, me) has been on their tip from the beginning: http://nyc.flavorpill.net/65360 and
http://nyc.flavorpill.net/mailer/issue343/index.html#pullout
They should rename stereogum.com stereoshamelesspromotiongum.com
joshua brandt what the hell are you talking about. do you not understand the purpose of an mp3 blog is expose good music to a wider audience?
an all-girls band consisting of only-yoko ono’s should start a rival band called dracula’s vacation
an all-girls band consisting of only-yoko ono’s should start a band called dracula’s vacation
someone should start an all-girls band consisting of only-yoko ono’s called dracula’s vacation
whoops! where’s the delete button on this page? my bad!
Good Weather for Airstrikes had the same two songs posted more than two weeks ago.
Is Stereogum the new Pitchfork?
First song: I don’t think I like this. Too cute. I do like the line “It feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel.” Still, actual African music (and Graceland) should supercede this stuff.
Second song: dull.
really really good music, can’t wait to hear more!
this is really fun–i’d like to hear more…where are they playing?
dekker, i think joshua brandt was talking about all the self-promotion in the comments on this post. but i don’t blame anybody for doing that; people don’t read all these random blogs (good weather for whatsitnow?), so this is their chance to say “more opinions here, in this place you’ve never heard of.” i really don’t mind, i usually check. as long as it’s related to the stereopost.
ah, and this music is fucking rad. k, i’m done.
spencer you are in big trouble
INSANE
Vampire weekend is a wonderful band and I’m so glad to see that others feel the same. p.s. I LOVE ROSTAM!!!!
they are hot. and i love oxford coma.
So fantastic live, so fun recorded.
I love pink plaid boy on keyboard. His dance moves are unbeatable.
this is good.
A++ these kids stand more than a chance!
they sort of make me feel like i’m on a cruise ship in the 80′s.
Bryan, these guys would have been thrown off a cruise ship in the 1980s, unless they could have come up with a credible Beach Boys cover STAT.
i love it!!!
oxford comma is amazing.
also, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” was mashed with Clipse’s “Wamp Wamp (What It Do)” by Les Bank Robbers (listen here: http://www.myspace.com/lesbankrobbers)
i’m not a very big fan of the mashup (i’m too much in love with the Clipse + Grizzly Bear one) but it’s worth a listen.
They are boooring. Rich college kids with PR money. Strange Boys are a much better young band
I went to college with these guys and they were in a diff band back then and I didn’t understand what the hype was then and still don’t understand it.
It’s more about their image than their actual music if you ask me. Not inspiring at all!
i loveeeeeeeee these guys ,i’ve listening to their songs over and over recently especially oxford comma!
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
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Boooo they went to college
their music makes me feel funny… down there.
I find it funny how 95% of these comments are incredibly positive, but now a few months later, theres a fucking anti-hipster backlash.
Ofcourse there is. This is stereogum. Its fashionable at the moment, give it time i’m pretty sure Justin Vernon will be seen as the spawn of satan…