Vampire Weekend
To make up for having two people called Christopher in the band – one of all time’s most boring names – Vampire Weekend also host fellows called things like Ezra and Rostam. Well, not things like, as those are the exact, actual names of singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij, the band’s keyboard player and orchestral arranger. The other half of the band is made up of bass playing Chris Baio and drum thwacking Christopher Tomson, who wins the award for most sensible moniker hands down.
What, you want more of a history than just their names? Well, prior to Vampire Weekend, Ezra studied English and went on to teach it at eighth grade level, Rostam studied music and fittingly went on to be a film score composer’s assistant, Chris studied Russian Regional studies and, as befits a person who studies a combination of music and economics, Christopher Tomson had a job as an archivist for Sony BMG. When I find out their blood types and number of sexual partners, I’ll let you know. Jeez.
The quartet met in 2002 at Columbia University and bonded over a love of pop and classical music, but didn’t form Vampire Weekend for another four years. Other musical projects busied their time, everything from folk and country bands, to rap (weird though it may seem, Koenig was in an electro-rap duo called L’Homme Run, who featured Chris Tomson on guitar) and bluegrass outfits. Yet after a shared love of Afrobeat music was discovered at a party, Vampire Weekend were formed in the February of 2006, taking their name from an unfinished movie directed by Koenig where a character called Walcott travels from New Jersey to Cape Cod to battle with bloodsucking vampires. As you do.
Though he wasn’t to make much of a mark in cinema, Walcott does give his name to one of the finest tracks on Vampire Weekend’s debut LP, a record – produced by Batmanglig and recorded in Greenpoint, Brooklyn – which has much of a base in a demo blue-coloured CDR the band self pressed and threw around the world in 2007. One copy was picked up and loved dearly by XL Recordings (home to Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead and M.I.A. amongst others), others fell in to the hands of blogs like the influential Ear Farm and Stereogum (not to mention that of Talking Heads main man David Byrne), and soon the whole world wanted a piece of the V.W. – they booked some shows with Animal Collective, headlined the Bowery Ballroom, and only then decided they should probably get a manager.
After the obligatory label scramble, XL were the imprint who secured the band’s services, and next Monday they’ll release an album which should feature on many ‘best of the year’ lists come the end of this annum.
VAMPIREWEEKEND.COM: Vampire Weekend like big pictures and primary colours. That, and, via their charming official website, giving you free downloads of what are arguably their best songs.
MYSPACE.COM/VAMPIREWEEKEND: Four of their strongest tracks will give any newcomer a good idea of what’s going on musically with these boys, and an informative blog will let you know goings on in other, non-musical realms too.
ACOUSITC SESSION @ MTV: MTV sat the ‘Weekend down, pointed cameras at their fresh, beaming faces, and made ‘em play three of their hits using only the powers of an acoustic guitar. Watch.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND @ XL: As places for up to date Vampire Weekend news go, the band’s label is probably a pretty safe bet. There’s a nice picture of them in a field or something, too.
LIVE @ HOXTON BAR AND GRILL: Certainly the best gig Tom Hannan’s seen so far this year. Despite it being only January the 21st.
CAPE COD KWASSA KWASSA (ACOUSTIC LIVE):
A-PUNK:
MANSARD ROOF: