Vampire Weekend
"Afro beats...for white people"
"Afro beats...for white people"
Which album should you get first? Contra (2010)
Great if you’re in the mood to….Hear music that is actually original, fall asleep with some great tunes in your head, or just vibing with some headphones on.
Where are they from? New York City
Why will you like them? Vampire Weekend may just be the most exciting Ivy League band since Rage Against the Machine. Combining African inspired drum beats with very stylized melodies and all around catchy tunes, the band isn’t exactly the music industry’s best kept secret but they are definitely bringing something very new to the table and if you haven’t yet listened to this album from beginning to end, you are depriving yourself of a rare unique listening experience and quite possibly your new favorite band.
What about their live performances? The band’s recordings feature several horns and strings which are tastefully peppered throughout the albums so when the band is able to travel with their full ensemble, it is quite an experience. When the band appears as the core quartet, they are able to fill in the blanks with some vocal acrobatics and what can only be described as natural talent.
5 things you wouldn’t have cared about 5 minutes ago: Vampire Weekend formed at Columbia University in 2007The band’s name, Vampire Weekend, comes from an independent film written by lead singer Ezra Koenig (most of the songs of their 2008 debut self titled were inspired by the film as well). Two of the band’s songs are featured in the soundtrack for the Will Ferrell comedy, Stepbrothers. Lead singer, Ezra Koenig appears on the acclaimed song “Warm Heart of Africa”, performed by the Malawian afro-electronic outfit, The Very Best. Ezra Koenig and drummer, Chris Tomson first collaborated as members of the comedy-rap band "L'Homme Run" (check them out on youtube, it’s actually pretty unfunny). Despite their constant homage to the tribal beats of the motherland, Vampire Weekend was dubbed the "whitest band" by Christian Lander, the creator of the site Stuff White People Like.
Official Website: VampireWeekend.com
Tour Dates: vampireweekend.com/shows
Hear them now at: ITunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Pandora, YouTube, MySpace or facebook.
If you like what you hear, check out these bands: Murder by Death, Phoenix, Arcade Fire, Echo Movement.
Reverend E. Auguste'
Thanks for the info! I will check them out <>
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