Vampire Weekend; Arctic Monkeys of 2008?

a rich city kid who explores the cultural wealth/folk wisdom of the meposian diaspora

I love "Run" a lot atm.

From experience, the new album is best appreciated on a good sounding system and not, if you can help it, as a stream or via computer speakers. Made all the difference to me.

shit sounds like that embarrassing "discovery" lp

No way, that really was embarrassing. At least they write real songs in the context of VW.

the Discovery album almost dissuaded me from listening to this in the first place.

I'm unapologetically in love with this album. Even better than the first, I think.

Amazon MP3 has the record for $3.99. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YP45EQ

Time to go listen to this thing!

i cosign this so hard. a few missteps i think ("california english" soudns like a bad max tundra song, the m.i.a. sample is so unnecessary and detracts a lot from the otherwise great "diplomat's son") but overall i mean damn.

Man, I'm listening to "Diplomat's Son," and the first thing I thought was, "This sounds like MIA." No shit.

Record's solid. I loved "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" off of the s/t, and "I Think Ur A Contra," on first listen, is also beautiful, albeit more subdued.

Also just listened to the cover of Radiohead's "Exit Music" that they did for Stereogum. Let's pretend that doesn't exist.

Man, between the P4K review of Contra and his Stylus piece, Mike Powell is KILLING IT. Approaching nabisco in terms of constant OTMness.

Haven't read it yet, but here's the review: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13807-contra/

Does Powell writes for any publications besides P4k?

*write

Excellent review.

this is an interesting album. cousins is the only thing that sounds like old VW really. giving up the gun is pretty 80s but still VW. i could see this track becoming pretty big. its quite anthemic. the synths and some of the production could maybe be seen as a concession to what everyone else is doing at the mo, but they really personalise it. prob gonna be one of the best albums this year.

more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear
more exciting than the relentlessly sophisticated Grizzly Bear

sophisticated meaning dreary.

"I Think Ur A Contra,"

If this is the actual song title I will hunt these people down.

Strap on your weaponry Ned, its for real.

It's a beautiful song, too.

They will learn the truth of the dictum "To create beauty is to suffer pain" (which, if not a real dictum, has now been conveniently invented by me).

more trainspotting. 'Taxi Cab' =~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NBqzWEOXkA

which isn't a bad thing at all

yeah came here to say that review is excellent

the p4k 1

Is that Radiohead sample at the start of Giving Up The Gun? The twinkly analogue computer sounds from the end of Let Down...

analog computer is an oxymoron FYI

Not if it's not a real computer.

(Okay, leave me alone, it's late...)

Does Powell writes for any publications besides P4k?

http://www.villagevoice.com/authors/mike-powell

Thanks jaymc!

http://yvynyl.tumblr.com/post/319971293/when-hating-an-album-is-vogue-whats-a-critic-to-do

People like that don't exist outside of Tumblr, right?

"well, selling out to starbucks is just the old selling out to itunes"

wish i think youre a contra didnt sound so chris martiny but i still like it.

the reasons people don't like bands such as vampire weekend are as varied and as complex as reasons why people like them in the first place.

that was for my ol buddy kshwy

if no ones posted this already -
http://soundcloud.com/greenshoelace/10-i-think-ur-a-contra

:-) You're right, Mr. Que. Still, I got the sense from reading that post that he actively didn't want to like the record. Almost as if he had his mind made up before listening to it.

again, ksh, there are probably plenty of people on the other side, who make up their mind to like something before they hear it. . . it's not that mysterious

Totally true! I'm sure I've been on both sides, and still am for some records. Both attitudes are frustrating, but I guess people can't go into listening to a record without expectations unless they're given a record by a band they don't know anything about.

i kind of hated their first record, but the production on this makes me waaay more interested. it's heartening when bands get better instead of getting worse.

The vocal melody in the verse of "Giving Up The Gun" sounds exactly like that Wyclef song..."Just cuz she dances go-go, it don't make her a ho, no."

jordan otm, this is nicely engineered, haha, reminds me more of hearts and bones than graceland

"Universal acclaim" http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/vampireweekend/contra

Okay I like this quite a bit! It certainly feels like Rostam had a big hand in this after his Dicsovery album.

dicksovery

some of the songs really annoy me and yet i'm still enjoying listening to them for the production

(and a couple i really like)

studio tricks nabbed from mirage era mac a bit but that might b jus cos they covered everywhere

dicksovery

― an american hippie in israel (Jordan), Tuesday, January 12, 2010 6:06 PM (8 minutes ago)

go big or go home man, dicksuckery

the alternative press excerpt on metacritic is sadly pretty otm

Misguided in points, Contra shows a more accomplished and daring Vampire Weekend--albeit a less endearing one. [Feb 2010, p.97]