Vampire Weekend is a very rare kind of album - the kind that is actually as popular as it deserves to be. My ex-Goth instincts want to rage against the pop music status quo, choosing to pursue bands that were absurdly obscure and avoiding anything being played on even the alternative stations. I discovered Vampire Weekend's EP last year via Emusic and I was proud to have found out about a great band before having even read any reviews about them. My pride turned to indignation when I started hearing "Mansard Roof" on one of the Sirius alternative stations at my gym, of all places. I remember thinking, "Best new music? I've been listening to them since July." But transcendantly great music can never be hoarded for long, especially since Vampire Weekend's debut full-length more than delivers on the promise of the EP. Their South African-tinged college rock is literate yet sincere, with extraordinarily catchy songs that wear their Peter Gabriel influences proudly. I hope their success doesn't spoil their next effort, as it has with so many bands previously saddled with the unfair expectation of saving rock.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is a very rare kind of album - the kind that is actually as popular as it deserves to be. My ex-Goth instincts want to rage against the pop music status quo, choosing to pursue bands that were absurdly obscure and avoiding anything being played on even the alternative stations. I discovered Vampire Weekend's EP last year via Emusic and I was proud to have found out about a great band before having even read any reviews about them. My pride turned to indignation when I started hearing "Mansard Roof" on one of the Sirius alternative stations at my gym, of all places. I remember thinking, "Best new music? I've been listening to them since July." But transcendantly great music can never be hoarded for long, especially since Vampire Weekend's debut full-length more than delivers on the promise of the EP. Their South African-tinged college rock is literate yet sincere, with extraordinarily catchy songs that wear their Peter Gabriel influences proudly. I hope their success doesn't spoil their next effort, as it has with so many bands previously saddled with the unfair expectation of saving rock.
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