Vampire Weekend

Infobox musical artist
Name = Vampire Weekend

---

Img_capt = Vampire Weekend, performing in Hamburg,
02. November 2007
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = New York, NY
Genre = Indie rock, Afro-pop influences [cite news |title=Record Review: Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend |first=Nitsuh |last=Abebe |work=|publisher="Pitchfork Media" |date=2008-01-28 |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/48053-vampire-weekend ] [cite news |title=Vampire Weekend's African Transfusion |first=Alison |last=Stewart |work=The Washington Post |date=2008-01-29 |page=C05 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/28/AR2008012802634.html ]
Years_active = 2006 - present
Label = XL Recordings
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.vampireweekend.com http://www.vampireweekend.com/]
Current_members = Ezra Koenig
Rostam Batmanglij
Chris Tomson
Chris Baio
Past_members =

Vampire Weekend is an indie rock band from New York, formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. Their moniker is derived from lead singer Ezra Koenig's amateur film of the same name. The film centers around a younger Ezra fighting off vampires in scary masks in order to protect his virginity. [cite news |title=Trailer: Vampire Weekend |work=LimeWire Music Blog|date=2008-01-29 |url=http://blog.limewire.com/posts/1138/]

History

Vampire Weekend gained attention via a variety of blogs, such as Stereogum. [cite news |title=Band to Watch: Vampire Weekend |work=Stereogum |date=2006-04-13 |url=http://stereogum.com/archives/band-to-watch/band-to-watch-vampire-weekend_005100.html/ ] The band is influenced by both African popular music and Western classical music, describing their genre of music as "Upper West Side Soweto", performing such songs as "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", and "Oxford Comma", which references Congolese soukous music.cite news |title=Preppie Afro-Pop and Other Odd Blends |work=The New York Times |date=2007-06-18 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/arts/music/18vamp.htm?_r=1&oref=slogin ] An alternative description of their sound—"trust fund frat rock"—was given by fellow musician Nicholas Thorburn. [http://www.paperthinwalls.com/listeningparty/index?id=74] [http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/islands-cover-brian-eno-and-themselves-on-daytrott_009862.html] The members of the band met while attending Columbia University; they then self-produced their first album after graduation while concurrently working full-time jobs. Lead vocalist Ezra Koenig and drummer Chris Tomson first collaborated as members of the comedy-rap band "L'Homme Run".cite news |title=Vampire Weekend: The Graduates |first=Andy |last=Greenwald |work=Spin |date=2007-02-25 |url=http://www.spin.com/articles/vampire-weekend-graduates ]

In 2007, Vampire Weekend's song, "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", was ranked 67th on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the 100 Best Songs of the year. In November 2007, they toured the United Kingdom with The Shins. [cite news |title=The 100 best Songs of 2007 |work=Rolling Stone |date=2007-12-27 |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601363/the_100_best_songs_of_2007/17 ] [cite news |title=Vampire Weekend To Tour With The Shins |work=Angryape |date=2007-10-11 |url=http://angryape.com/news/2007/10/11/vampire-weekend-to-tour-with-the-shins] They were declared "The Year's Best New Band" by "Spin" magazine in the March 2008 issue, and were the first band to be shot for the cover of the magazine before releasing their debut album. [cite news |title=Vampire Weekend: The Graduates |work=Spin |date=2008-02-25 |url=http://www.spin.com/articles/vampire-weekend-graduates ]

Criticism

In 2008, Vampire Weekend were dubbed the "whitest band" by Christian Lander, the creator of the site Stuff White People Like, in an interview with Salon.com. [cite news |title=The Unbearable Whiteness of Being |work=Salon.com |date=2008-7-5 |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/07/05/white_people/ ]

Band members

*Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar)
*Rostam Batmanglij (keyboard, guitar, vocals)
*Chris Tomson (drums)
*Chris Baio (bass guitar)

Previous bands

The most notable previous project of the band is L'Homme Run, a rap group that Ezra Koenig formed during his time at college. The group was meant to be funny, but not actually a joke, a distinction which Ezra says ultimately doomed the project.

Ezra Koenig also played saxophone in the free jazz improvisation collective Total War and avant-afro pop band Dirty Projectors, both based in NYC.

Discography

Albums

* "Vampire Weekend" (January 29, 2008)

EPs

*"Vampire Weekend" EP (2007)

ingles

Compilation tracks

* They contributed a cover of "Exit Music (For a Film)" for "" (2007), a digital album, compliments of stereogum.com, celebrating 10 years of Radiohead's album "OK Computer".

* They contributed a track entitled "Ottoman" for "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (Soundtrack)" (2008).

References

Interviews

* [http://www.bwog.net/index.php?page=post&article_id=2458 Interview with Vampire Weekend at the Bwog]
* [http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/1075/84/ Interview with Vampire Weekend at Wireless Bollinger]
* [http://www.thefader.com/blog/articles/2007/06/07/vampire-weekend-vants-to-rock-your-face Write-up on Vampire Weekend on Fader.com]
* [http://aspen.plumtv.com/videos/vampire_weekend Vampire Weekend on Plum]
* [http://video.digforfire.tv/services/link/bcpid1447672731/bclid1343601469/bctid1387524609 Vampire Weekend on Digforfire.tv]

External links

* [http://www.vampireweekend.com/ Vampire Weekend website]
* [http://myspace.com/vampireweekend Vampire Weekend's MySpace page]