Vampire Weekend is an afrobeat-influenced indie rock band which formed in February 2006 in New York City, New York, United States. The band consists of Ezra Koenig (vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Baio (bass) and Christopher Tomson (drums). The band has released two albums: Their successful 2008 self-titled album and 2010's "Contra". The band has gained positive comparisons to such artists as Paul Simon, Haircut 100 and The Walkmen
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News
27 January 2009
The NME Awards Nominations Are Out
Oasis may have released yet another decaffeinated version of their original, now apparently outlawed, brew last year, but that hasn`t stopped their fans from riding the buzz of their latest sugar pill. Yes, the somewhat mouldy Mancs picked up an unbelievable seven nominations for this year`s NME Awards last night - however, with a tantalising nod for `Worst Band` it`s clear not everyone is still enamoured with the Gallagher brothers.
Elsewhere, the nominations look like a who`s who of the NME front cover over the past year including two shouts for Crystal Castles who`s Alice Glass picked up the much-derided number one spot in last year`s `cool list` and various recognition for the work of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets.
This year`s `Godlike Genius` award, nominated by the magazine, goes deservedly to The Cure for over three decades of fine music, horrendously-applied make-up and disguising cosummate happiness as acute misery.
Best British Band
Bloc Party
The Last Shadow Puppets
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best International Band
Crystal Castles
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke
Laura Marling
Lightspeed Champion
Jay-Z
Pete Doherty
Best New Band
Glasvegas
Late Of The Pier
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
White Lies
Best Live Band
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best Album
Bloc Party `Intimacy`
Glasvegas `Glasvegas`
The Killers `Day & Age`
Kings Of Leon `Only By The Night`
Oasis `Dig Out Your Soul`
Best Track
Kings Of Leon `Sex On Fire`
The Last Shadow Puppets `The Age Of The Understatement`
MGMT `Time To Pretend`
The Ting Tings `That`s Not My Name`
Vampire Weekend `A-Punk`
Best Video
The Last Shadow Puppets `My Mistakes Were Made For You`
Late Of The Pier `Heartbreak`
Oasis `The Shock Of The Lightning`
Radiohead `House Of Cards`
Vampire Weekend `A-Punk`
Best Live Event
Glastonbury
Isle Of Wight
Reading and Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival
Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey
The IT Crowd
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Skins
Best Film
The Dark Knight
Juno
Quantum Of Solace
Twilight
Wall-E
Best Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party `Mercury`
Crystal Castles `Courtship Dating`
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris `Dance Wiv Me`
Friendly Fires `Paris`
Late Of The Pier `Bathroom Gurgle`
Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys `At The Apollo`
Foo Fighters `Live At Wembley Stadium`
Kaiser Chiefs `Live At Elland Road`
Muse `HAARP`
The Rolling Stones `Shine A Light`
Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner
Barack Obama
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse
George Bush
Gordon Brown
John McCain
Pete Doherty
Best Dressed
Alex Turner
Alexa Chung
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse
Brandon Flowers
Johnny Borrell
Katy Perry
Pete Doherty
Worst Album
Britney Spears `Circus`
Coldplay `Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends`
Jonas Brothers `A Little Bit Longer`
Razorlight `Slipway Fires`
Scouting For Girls `Scouting For Girls`
Worst Band
Fall Out Boy
Jonas Brothers
Oasis
Scouting for Girls
Tokio Hotel
Sexiest Male
Carl Barat
Keith Murray
Matt Bellamy
Miles Kane
Pete Doherty
Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart
Hayley Williams
Kate Jackson
Lykke Li
Stephanie Dosen
Best Website
Bebo
Facebook
Last FM
MySpace
YouTube
Best Venue
Brixton Academy
Manchester Apollo
London Astoria
Glasgow Barrowlands
London O2 Arena
Best Album Artwork
The Cure `4:13 Dream`
Guillemots `Red`
The Killers `Day & Age`
Muse `HAARP`
We Are Scientists `Brain Thrust Mastery`
Best Band Blog
Foals
Lightspeed Champion
Little Boots
Noel Gallagher/Oasis
Radiohead
Godlike Genius
The Cure
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
13 June 2008
Last Call For T in the Park Tickets!
Anyone still looking for tickets to this year's T in the Park at face value will need to know that the organisers are putting up a very small number for sale to the public on Monday 16th June at 9am through
Ticketmaster.
Although this year's line-up is on the lean side (particularly the open air stages) there's still plenty to excite you from the likes of The Futureheads, Chemical Brothers, Los Campesinos!, Rage Aaginst the Machine, dEUS, Erol Alkan, Sons & Daughters, The Stranglers, Band of Horses, MGMT, Lightspeed Champion, Little Man Tate, Aphex Twin, Justice, DJ Hell, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Rob Da Bank, Primal Scream, Echo & The Bunnymen, Vampire Weekend, The Ting Tings, Interpol, Hot Chip, Seasick Steve, Battles, 1990s and Yeasayer among others!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
28 April 2008
Vampire Weekend Reschedule Manchester Date
Vampire Weekend have been forced to postpone and reschedule their show at the Manchester Academy 2 which was to take place next Thursday. A statement from their label XL reads:
"Regrettably Vampire Weekend have had to postpone and reschedule their sold out show at Manchester Academy 2, originally due to take place on Thursday 8th May."
"The new date is Sunday 1st June."
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Tickets for the original date remain valid for the new date."
The delay means the band may very well be able to announce the top 40 placing from the stage for new single 'Oxford Comma' which is released the previous Monday - 26th May.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
1 April 2008
Reading and Leeds Festival line up announced
The line up for the Reading and Leeds festivals were announced yesterday (March 31st) and the full line up (so far) is:
Reading: Friday August 22, Leeds: Saturday August 23
Main Stage
Rage Against The Machine
Queens Of The Stone Age
The Fratellis
The Enemy
Biffy Clyro
Serj Tankian
Dizzee Rascal
Taking Back Sunday
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Anti-Flag
NME/Radio 1 Stage
Babyshambles
The Wombats
Vampire Weekend
MGMT
Reading: Saturday August 23, Leeds: Sunday August 24
Main Stage
The Killers
Bloc Party
The Raconteurs
Editors
We Are Scientists
Dirty Pretty Things
The Subways
NME/Radio 1 Stage
Manic Street Preachers
Bullet For My Valentine
Justice
Foals
Reading: Sunday August 24, Leeds: Friday August 23
Main Stage
Metallica
Tenacious D
Slipknot
Feeder
Avenged Sevenfold
Dropkick Murphys
NME/Radio 1 Stage
The Cribs
Conor Oberst
Pendulum
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Single Reviews
27 October 2008
A-Punk (Re-issue)
OK it`s a re-issue and mixing African influenced guitar styles and rhythms with modern pop has been done before, so maybe it`s the lack of interesting alternatives in indieland that makes the second single from Vampire Weekends self titled album sound so vital at the moment.
Vibrant, fun and intelligent, `A - Punk` helps confirm why Vampire Weekend deserve their growing popularity.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma? sings Vampire Weekends front-man Ezra Koenig in what has to be the most unlikely chorus for a pop song ever. This, the bands third UK single, promises to propel the NYC band ever closer to broad, mainstream recognition. Although not as immediately infectious as last single from their eponymous long player, A-Punk; Oxford Commas stripped down, minimalist beauty foregrounds Koenigs sweet lyrics of high-society hypocrisy and disdain, without the faintest whiff of self-indulgence. This cracking little grower of a single deserves to be bought in droves.
Dave Allen (View Original Article)
Live Reviews
27 April 2008
Coachella Festival
With kind permission from
everybodystalking here's a reprint of Ian D Matthews recent Coachella blog.
Friday, April 25th
Just arrived at the venue. The temperature isn't too bad - only 95f (last year was 105f). Seeing Black Kids in a few minutes and just caught the end of Redd Kross - pleasantly surprised as I was thinking of Kriss Kross! No evidence of pants being back to front though...
The Verve
Watching (or rather listening) to Vampire Weekend, who sound rather feeble in an outdoor environment but at least they're not wearing sweaters today. The Breeders played a chaotic set but rolled out 'Cannonball' and 'Divine Hammer' to keep the masses happy. Black Kids were very cool, Jens Lekman not so much although his current single 'Opposite of Hallelujah' was well received. Coming up Goldfrapp, Aphex Twin and The Verve.
The Verve played most of Urban Hymns so obviously it was a great set! Richard Ashcroft's voice was soaring, particulary on 'The Drugs Don't Work'. Goldfrapp were a little disappointing - the new folky material hit and miss, with the rushed changeover contributing to some sound problems. I'm sure they would have insisted playing the main stage if it wasn't for their late addition to the lineup. However, 'Happiness' sounded great, as did the songs from the last album. Caught a bit of Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip which was cool.
Saturday, 26th April
We started Saturday amongst the throng watching MGMT but the increased Saturday crowd and temperature (99f today) make the tented stages almost unbearable. So we're over at the main stage watching Cold War Kids. Stephen Malkmus follows on the other outdoor stage. Looking forward to Kraftwerk and Portishead later.
Cold War Kids were good, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks better - their trippy jams perfect festival fodder... Caught a couple of St Vincent songs but wasn't really feeling it so hit the dance tent for Hot Chip who played as the sun was going down. They were ok, as are Rilo Kiley who just played 'Moneymaker'...
Portishead
Portishead and Kraftwerk were both amazing with the Brits having a slight edge over the Germans on account of not being replaced by robots at any point during the set! Both had superb visuals with Kraftwerk using some of their well known videos and imagery. Portishead, meanwhile, used live black and white footage with two or more cameras blended using the sort of bleed and distortion techniques used in Dr Who or Top of the pops in the 70's - perfect for the haunting music. Beth Gibbons voice was immaculate and it was interesting to compare the Portishead set with the messy set of Goldfrapp yesterday...
Sunday, 27th April 2008
Just finished watching I'm from Barcelona, who were good fun. Kind of a Swedish Polyphonic Spree but with more singers and less instrumentation. Not sure who else to see today but want to catch Spiritualized or Metric later...
The most memorable thing so far today was getting attacked by a swarm of bees. The sky went black in a somewhat Hitchcockian episode. Saw a little of Shout out Louds including their Cure ripoff which is probably a single as I've heard it a few times. Wasn't feeling Manchester Orchestra so went to see Stars (possibly the fourth best band in Montreal) and Set yourself on fire is applicable song for Coachella weather. Checked out Does it offend you yeah! but nu-rave is getting a little old this weekend. Back at the main stage watching Gorgol bordello who are surprisingly entertaining and going down a storm!
Love and Rockets
Despite being David J's third best band (do your own research) Love and Rockets played a great set to close the 2nd stage. If someone had told me L&R would make my top 5 acts this year I would have said 'pigs might fly' - although with Roger Waters just about to close the main stage even that was a possibility...
Earlier, we gave up on Spiritualized (whose strings and semi-acoustic set was being spoiled by the close proximity to the dance tent) and went over to watch Metric, who were pretty good.
Didn't see much of Roger Waters as we wanted to get a headstart on the 120 mile trip to LA. Overall this year wasn't great, but highlights were Portishead, The Verve, Kraftwerk, Stephen Malmus and the Jicks, Black Kids and Love and Rockets - I guess that pig did fly after all!
Ian D Matthews (View Original Article)
