Band
Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend are an American indie rock band from New York City, that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard Roof", "A-Punk", "Oxford Comma" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa". The band's most recent album, Contra, was released in 2010. Members of the band met whi ... le in Columbia University, beginning with a "serious" rap collaboration between Koenig and Tomson. They bonded over a shared love of punk and African music, and in fact Koenig had gone on tour with The Dirty Projectors during a period of experimentation with African music, inspiring the band to incorporate world sounds into their earliest work. They chose the name Vampire Weekend from the title of a short film project by Koenig. Koenig believes that the vampire imagery of their band name helped spread their work across the internet, attracting people who might otherwise never have listened to their music. The band began playing shows around Columbia, starting with a battle of the bands at Lerner Hall. After graduating from college, the band self-produced their debut album while simultaneously working full time jobs, Tomson as a music archivist and Koenig as a middle school English teacher. 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 UK with The Shins. Success came to the band in the now common form of blog hype and internet buzz, built during the year that their album was on the internet before its official release. The internet attention led to a large pre-release following, which in fact enabled them to go on three full tours before their debut album dropped. 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. Four songs from the band's first album also made the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008. The internet hype had its backlash, however, as anti-fans and critics reacted against a perceived image of Vampire Weekend as rich, privileged ivy league graduates stealing from foreign musicians. One critic went so far as to call Vampire Weekend the "whitest band in the world", to which they took exception, given their Ukrainian, Persian, Italian and Hungarian heritages. Such reactions were not repeated for later world music inspired musicians, suggesting Vampire Weekend may have cleared the way for their style of fusion. Furthermore, this backlash was largely unfounded, as Koenig would later explain some band members got into Columbia on scholarship and that he himself is still paying off student loans. See more [+]

Oxford Comma |||||

Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma? I've seen those Engl...

Harmony Hall |||||

We took a vow in summertime Now we find ourselves in late De...

2021 |||||

2021, will you think about me? I could wait a year but I sho...

Campus |||||

Then I see you, you're walking 'cross the campus Cruel profe...

Jonathan Low |||||

Last born of the clan first one to be free Lived inside a ho...

Ladies Of Cambridge |||||

Chestnut park on a saturday night Mystical boys feelin alrig...

M79 |||||

It's going to take a little time While you're waiting like a...

Mansard Roof |||||

I see a mansard roof through the trees, I see a salty messag...

Ottoman |||||

Ottoman couch, how handsome your furniture Lovelier now, but...

Run Acustico |||||

Every dollar counts And every morning hurts We mostly work t...

Step |||||

Back back way back I used to front like Angkor Wat, Mechanic...

The Kids Dont Stand a Chance |||||

A devastating backstroke All the way from France With shiny,...

Walcott |||||

Walcott, Don't you know That it's insane? Don't you want to ...

A-punk |||||

VERSE Johanna drove slowly into the city The Hudson River al...

Giving Up The Gun |||||

Your sword's grown old and rusty Burnt beneath the rising su...

Horchata |||||

In December drinking horchata I'd look psychotic in a balacl...

I Stand |||||

You've been checking all my facts And I admit I have been la...

Boston |||||

Just got back on a saturday night Mystical boy feeling alrig...

Big Blue |||||

Big blue, for once in my life I felt close to you I was so o...

Diane Young |||||

You torched a Saab like a pile of leaves I'd gone to find so...

Don't Lie |||||

One look sent knees to the ground, Young bloods can't be set...

Everlasting Arms |||||

I took your counsel and came to ruin Leave me to myself, lea...

Hannah Hunt |||||

A gardener told me some plants move But I could not believe ...

Obvious Bicycle |||||

Morning's come, you've watched the red sun rise The LED stil...

This Life |||||

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Ya Hey |||||

Oh, sweet thing, Zion doesn't love you, Babylon don't love y...

Young Lion |||||

You take your time, young lion You take your time, young lio...

Unbelievers |||||

Got a little soul The world is a cold, cold place to be Want...

Hold You Now |||||

I know the reason why you think you gotta leave Promises of...

Worship You |||||

Only in the way you want it Only on the day you want it You,...

Step Remix |||||

verse 1: Danny Brown Back back way back I used to front like...

Finger Back |||||

Bend my finger back (snap) Wrap it in a paper towel Break a ...

Jerusalem New York Berlin |||||

I know I loved you then I think I love you still But this pr...

Bambina |||||

No time to discuss it Can't speak when the waves reach our ...

California English |||||

Wouldn?t ever gag you with a spoon, my only true love Never ...

Spring Snow |||||

verse 1 The snow fell last night Your flight couldn't leav...

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