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| Vampire Weekend (left to right): Bassist Chris Baio, Lead Vocalist/Guitarist Ezra Koenig, Guitarist/Keyboardist/Backup Vocalist Rostam Batmanglij, and Drummer Chris Tomson |
Hey guys, Lia here and it's my day once again!
As you've probably heard, It's Spring Break for us CSUF students and that means most of the day I'm obsessively watching Netflix, catching up on some reading, and listening to a lot music. This song came to my attention again yesterday and reminded me of how great this band is! And look at them in that photo! All cardigans, pastel, and Ralph Lauren. Men after my own heart.
Not only do they look like that, but they're also a pretty smart group. These well-dressed boys bonded through a mutual interest in punk rock and African music at Columbia. The band's name came from a short film Ezra Koenig worked on with that title about a man going to warn the mayor of Cape Cod that vampires were taking over the United States. Some of their musical influences include: The Kinks, Pavement, and Peter Gabriel. Ezra and Rostam are both also into African music, which you can hear the influence of in some of their earlier songs, like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." They write a lot of songs, especially in their first two albums, poking fun at their upper-middle class backgrounds and Ivy League pedigree.
Not only do they look like that, but they're also a pretty smart group. These well-dressed boys bonded through a mutual interest in punk rock and African music at Columbia. The band's name came from a short film Ezra Koenig worked on with that title about a man going to warn the mayor of Cape Cod that vampires were taking over the United States. Some of their musical influences include: The Kinks, Pavement, and Peter Gabriel. Ezra and Rostam are both also into African music, which you can hear the influence of in some of their earlier songs, like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." They write a lot of songs, especially in their first two albums, poking fun at their upper-middle class backgrounds and Ivy League pedigree.
Their newest album, Modern Vampires of the City, however, breaks their usual preppy-African pop sound. "Diane Young," from this Grammy winning album, mixes up Elvis and the Beach Boys with modern beats and Ezra's melodic yet punchy vocals. Also, if you haven't noticed, "Diane Young" is a homophone for dying young, an intentional connection judging from the song's lyrics. My absolute favorite verse from this song is: "Irish and proud, baby, naturally/But you've got the luck of a Kennedy/So grab the wheel, keep holding tight/Until you're tottering off into that good night." I love the juxtaposition of luck and the Kennedy curse in that particular lyric. I also love how they personified the concept of living fast and dying young as this woman with a name that wouldn't look out of place at a country club. Although this album marks the band's growth from world-music-meets-indie sound and post-collegiate references, Vampire Weekend can still skillfully balance heavy sarcasm and intelligent lyrics with a catchy tune and Ezra's spunky vocals.
It's a fun song to listen to when you're driving to the beach on a sunny day or dancing around in your room, so listen below and I hope you check out more of their music! Keep coming back for more of my music recommendations and don't be afraid to give me some recommendations of your own!
It's a fun song to listen to when you're driving to the beach on a sunny day or dancing around in your room, so listen below and I hope you check out more of their music! Keep coming back for more of my music recommendations and don't be afraid to give me some recommendations of your own!
Here's another really great Vampire Weekend song from their first album!
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