Vampire Weekend; Arctic Monkeys of 2008?

I don't read Ripfork; I was citing a convenient, accurate example of the problem I see with a certain strain of criticism that's more interested in the writer than the subject.

And that's fine, Que. Pitchfork does that, for you. But it doesn't do that for me, while other examples of criticism does. And that's fine. But I think that, in saying that, you're agreeing with me that "sometimes people are so interested in their own reactions to that work than saying anything interesting about the work itself," which was kind of my point from the beginning.

"sometimes people are so interested in..."

so = more

no i just don't think a writer shouldn't go outside of his/her perspective--unless of course he/she wants to write under a pseudonym

;)

I sign all my checks kshighway btw.

i miss burt stanton

I'd rather read nabisco's considered, engaged-with-the-work Tumblr posts about Vampire Weekend than, say, YouTube comments where someone who stumbled across the "Horchata" video looking for information about drinks decided to scrawl "What the fuck, this is total shit!" Really, I'm not asking anyone to step outside of their perspective; I just want the focus of critical pieces to be more about the work itself, seen through that one person's perspective, than about that person's perspective itself. Too much bad criticism is more look-at-me than it is look-at-that-work.

Was burt stanton a better sockpuppet? If so, sorry to disappoint. I try.

you'd rather read nabisco than random youtube comments? that's crazy!

this is boring though and belongs on some dumb rock crit thread. this thread is about the mighty vampire weekend!

Scott, stop boring me. Dance. Dance!

ill save yall a lil time

can i just pop in to say that i missed out on tickets to see them on saturday by one point at a quiz tonight and i am really, really devastated. that is all.

dude brings out a little of their inner billy bragg here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YALJ0ZXG59

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YALJ0ZXG59o

lol

Giving Up the Gun video

Ezra rockin' the Roger Federer look in that video.

Anyone else feeling like this album - unlike the debut - doesn't hold up well with repeat listens? Cousins sounds like a sitcom theme and the rest of it as slight as an Owl City album track. I was very into it for like 3 days when it leaked and never want to go back to it ever again. Opposite effect of Los Campesinos and Magnetic Fields new ones.

I played this on the way to work today and was reminded that it's fucking awesome.

It's like the lightness of Owl City with a good chunk of the overbearing twee preciousness removed and a lot more interesting musical pastiches/influence-waving.

that video is fucking awesome

this album gets way better with repeated listens imo. now that it's really sunk in, i think it's just as good as the first one. at first i felt like they would probably never be as dear to me as on s/t, but if anything they've increased their staying power. 'too many slow songs' seemed like a valid criticism for a while, but they operate just as nicely in quirky fast pop mode as in textural ballad mode. "diplomat's son" is my favourite song on the album and i'm glad they're the kind of band who can write that sort of song now.

Anyone else feeling like this album - unlike the debut - doesn't hold up well with repeat listens?

Nope. I stopped listening for a couple of weeks, replayed it last night, and still loved it.

I played this on the way to work today and was reminded that it's fucking awesome.
― slapped by a bear (HI DERE), Friday, February 19, 2010 7:01 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah i listened to diplimats son like five times in a row today

My only gripe with the record, really, happens to be "Giving Up the Gun." It sounds so bland - like they tried to right a radio-friendly song but forgot to come up with a strong chorus. It sucks the life out of the second half of the record. Really though it's the only track on the album I don't like.

The bridge of "Giving up the Gun" is incidentally my favorite part of the record, but the rest of the song kinda collapses beneath it.

Wow, can't believe I made the right/write mistake. I'm going to sit in the corner.

all that slo-mo doesn't make the song any less boring, but i really do admire these guys for exploiting their cuteness in videos, unlike say the Killers hiding behind cowboy hats and mustaches after "Brightside." They've got a cult of precocious teenybopper fans now and I'm glad they're not fighting it.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kwve0ySe6e1qz852uo1_500.jpg

I'm more curious that "Derirah" is actually a name.

inside info

isn't that how Scooby pronounces it?

Rezra Roenig

Giving Up the Gun." It sounds so bland - like they tried to right a radio-friendly song but forgot to come up with a strong chorus.

Don't get this, the chorus of GUTG is a total earworm.

Yeah. As it happens I tossed and turned last night, with that fucking chorus in my head.

Rostam Batmanglij's Out interview.

"runaway hit single, “A-Punk"

The song peaked at #55 on the UK Singles Chart and #25 on Billboard magazine's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart

Rostam Batmanglij's Out interview.

― Inculcate a spirit of serfdom in children (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, February 22, 2010 9:38 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

this is the first mention i'v ever seen of him being gay -- did i miss something?

gaydar fail

word

this makes me like discovery even more tho

It's mentioned casually in their Rolling Stone interview.

The producer and gay member of Vampire Weekend

lol i was thinking abt that phrasing--seems awkward

i think they have to do that w/ pretty much any subject who is gay but not widely known as such because they do interview gays & non-gays & i think it's probably important to readers

i haven't read the RS feature yet

gay indie band members are the new girl bass players

rostam is only the second hottest member of the group tho

ok yeah--i was not sure of the conventions of out magazine tbh. i still feel like there's a better phrasing! but i can't think of it.