Vampire Weekend; Arctic Monkeys of 2008?

Haha, who compared them to Morrissey?

I have seen at least one British person, who may or may not have started this message board, saying that he gets and enjoys a "reminded of college" vibe from this, if I'm reading/remembering him correctly.

Contenderizer, that's kinda my point: they play in ways typical of an indie-pop band -- there's no element of musicianship that's leagues away -- but they present differently, and not really because of the African stuff. They totally eschew any of the things bands usually do to give themselves "weight," and yet they're not sentimental/twee, either. They don't do hard and they don't do starry eyes too much. They can coast happily in these spaces that are upbeat but still relaxed, chipper but not entirely pop-focused, and a lot of their songs are things I find it hard to imagine many other bands coming out with. I'm always bad with getting things like this out of my brain, but I really can't think of an act I've heard recently that I can imagine having recorded "Mansard Roof" -- despite the fact that this song is fairly straightforward, not unconventional or anything!

and they're rebellious in a nice way like that old british band that invented rock & roll

i like the tone of their instruments and i like the recording and i like the songs and i like their voices. wheee @ this thread

"chipper"

This is exactly the right word. And agree with gabbneb about the Squeeze-level simple pop greatness of at least a couple tunes.

on the real tip: i don't even hate it, but the dude's voice reminds me of the decemberists dudes voice

He sounds almost exactly nothing like Colin Meloy.

I like their tunes though. It doesn't matter what their influences or background are - they have some tasty melodies and a very nice sense of interlocking rhythms and space in the arrangements.

The dude talking about Sibelius to p4k was pretty goofy though.

So in summary this thread is: Vampire Weekend are a band from New York.

t/s: Vampire Weekend vs. these guys: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8htHuugvEAA

(I think the choice is obvious)

pretty unfair if you're serious

Plus they reach back to wide-eyed, open-eared 80s indie stuff you don't hear much trace of these days: They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, Camper Van Beethoven, etc.

OTM.

Wry, quirky bands who were liked by college radio types (also maybe include Dead Milkmen, Mojo Nixon, Feelies) and critics alike, but never really LOVED by critics? Bands that were a fun band for R.E.M. fans and DJs and junior high school kids in gifted class...

I can't IMAGINE any of these bands getting the equivalent of a Spin cover and p'fork "recommended" in their day.

I find their songs to be above average college smart-ass fare. I don't find them to be exceptionally catchy or well-written, but I can't help but feel the indie world has low standards in those categories. I like the dude's guitar playing. As a fan of afro-pop, I sort of think it's cool that they have some afro-pop influence, but the band honestly sounds like they're not all on the same page in this regard.

lol jordan.

?

oh nothing, just the unfair call. carry on.

i mean extra golden have like a dude from africa in them and are way more pointedly afro-centric from vampire weekend

yeah I guess that's true. Ok let me rephrase the question: I don't like this band.

Whiney, you can't imagine Camper Van Beethoven having gotten an Alternative Press cover or a lead CMJ story??

I'd say if this were 1992, Vampire Weekend would be featured on 120 Minutes a few times, and maybe worked into an episode of Pete and Pete. I think it's just the state of things that easy going collegiate indie is the mainstream rock style right now.

I'd say if this were 1992, Vampire Weekend would be featured on 120 Minutes a few times, and maybe worked into an episode of Pete and Pete. I think it's just the state of things that easy going collegiate indie is the mainstream rock style right now. The internet.

oh yeah, that thing.

We already talked about blinkers upthread, but Burt, if some MTV2-level success is "the mainstream rock style" then I envy you the Daughtry-free world you live in.

Camper Van were on one of the 120 Minutes comp, back in the day.

I wish you would like them Hurting :(

indie aspirational let's call it then. go through the suburbs and you see kids wearing the skinny jeans and shit.. indie's the big style right now. I bet you'd find more highschool kids in the Jersey suburbs listening to Vampire Weekend now than your precious Doughy, whatever that is. I don't think you'd find too many of 'em in 1991 listening to ... the Drop Nineteens or whatever. probably the intetnrets inteterstseeeeeeees

OTM

Back in the day, the audience for indie was much smaller, and information moved much, much slower. Adjusting those differences, though, the level attention accorded VW is pretty much exactly what a promising young indie band would have recieved in the early 90s. Doesn't seem at all surprising.

I'm not sure those skinny-jeaned kids are mostly listening to Vampire Weekend though. More likely [emo/grindcore/hardcore band that I've never heard of]

I mean that's the impression I get from the indie-looking high school kids who work at coffee shops around here

I wish you would like them Hurting :(

I think it just boils down to I don't like the cut of their jibs. I can't completely explain it.

Whiney, you can't imagine Camper Van Beethoven having gotten an Alternative Press cover or a lead CMJ story??

-- nabisco, Friday, 1 February 2008 03:43 (3 hours ago) Link

Hell no! They were a great art-novelty, not a magazine cover band. They saved that for shit like The Cure or The Pixies or Gene Loves Jezebel or something.

Vampire Weekend is way too flowery for me. Whats wrong with music? Indie has become fused with flowers and violins. and not in the good way.

For instance, that Final Fantasy guy did a good job with He Poos Clouds.
Belle and Sebastian worked cuz all the instruments went together. They weren't mixing genres.

now we're down to nude spocks talking to each other

They were a great art-novelty, not a magazine cover band.

oh, I think by Key Lime Pie and a #1 modern rock hit they were up to Gene Loves Jezebel levels of notoriety.

Next step -- the airy heights of the Mighty Lemon Drops.

let's talk about The Ocean Blue again.

Boy that Innocence Mission lemme tell ya.

"You wanted the best and you got the best, the hottest band in the world -- THE MILLTOWN BROTHERS!"

I've been having "A-Punk" stuck in my head.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4177QTBQZJL._AA240_.jpg

Belle and Sebastian worked cuz all the instruments went together. They weren't mixing genres.

what

suburbs of mexico city ?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ru5dsbVOwzQ

or london ?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bEqXcG_9dK0

DUDES, LETTERMAN TONITE. OMG WTF.

Dudes, just because a band has "notoriety" doesn't mean they get magazine covers. Not that CVB isn't great, but putting them on your magazine cover in 1984 is like putting Cake on your magazine cover in 1994 or Electric Six in 2004.

that's why i was referring to the band in 1989

Would you call this band an internet phenomenon? I remember reading about them in the NYC media even as early as late 2006 as being the "next big thing".

Even though they were less alt-leaning back then, isn't the equivalent of a Spin magazine cover in 1989 "a Spin magazine cover"?

Spin covers in 1989: Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, U2, Tom Petty...

Also:
http://stereogum.com/img/oldstand/spin_july89/top_30.jpg

You're nuts!

How would Vampire Weekend not perfectly slot into that 1989 college radio top 10?

It looks like all of those bands are waaaaaaaaay established; I'm surprised you don't see Dinosaur Jr. on there ... I thought that's what all the college kids listened to back then.

Chris, aren't you underestimating the "notoriety" that this band is/will get? I'd reckon this is going to be the biggest indie rock debut since Arcade Fire's, which was three-plus years ago. If SNL comes back, they'll play that. They could be on a Spin cover this year. They'll make the P&J top 10. I've not had time to keep up with 600 posts, so apologies if I miss the point and we're lamenting that it's come to this rather than saying it will never happen, but these dudes are turning into (relatively) a rather big deal.

I unwittingly went to Amoeba during their in-store which was probably the most I've ever seen it during an in-store. The music was utterly unmemorable, but there was some cute banter. Mostly I was annoyed that people were blocking my access to the music sections I wanted to go to.

scottpl, you missed my point.

I'm saying they would fit GREAT in that playlist. They even remind of bands like CVB, Violent Femmes, Feelies, They Might Be Giants. But these are bands (and bands i LIKE) for cult followings and novelty hits--not Spin magazine covers