Vampire Weekend, Worth the Hype?

I must say after so much hype from GQ and Spin magazine (and even Teen Vogue), I was very leery of Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album.  Especially since Spin magazine tends to give mixed and unreliable reviews, as of late.  Nevertheless, consumed with my curiosity, I set forth to determine the true sustenance behind the media-savvy preps from Columbia University.

Vampire Weekend, the “rawest new band in indie rock” according to GQ, climbed the charts of popularity before their first album was even signed, thanks to what Spin magazine labels the “new speed of buzz,” which in fact, would be the gossip and critiques of bloggers and conversationalists.  Apparently the extraordinary hype and paradoxical preppiness turned the heads of magazine editors, contributing even more to their accidental media campaign.  Since their rapturous debut, they have landed sold out shows across the states and opened for The Shins in Europe.  In early March they graced SNL with their presence and performed on The Late Show with David Letterman.

So what about this snazzy album? What crazy sounds could spawn from Ivy League graduates, rendering them the new princes of indie rock and roll?  Inevitably, I am thinking Beatles.  Or maybe Beatles meet reggae?  The catchy yet flippant tunes roll smoothly from one track to the next, inviting the listener to sit alongside the nearest beach, or pool, with an umbrella-clad drink and an old fashioned, striped swimsuit.  Ever so pleasant on the ears, Vampire Weekend brings “easy listening” to the forefront of indie music; however, the lyrics and melodies are anything but forgettable.  In fact, that might just be the problem—getting the songs out of your head.  The album as a whole displays variety with a vast array of instruments and sounds rare to the rock catalogue.  Fresh, energetic, and coy, the unique songs triumph over their vast genre and fully deserve the fiery hype.

Nonetheless, Vampire Weekend can be seen at this year’s version of Coachella on opening day.  The band will also be performing at the Pemberton Festival 2008, sharing the stage with Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Coldplay, Jay-Z, The Flaming Lips, Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie, and many other notable (?) bands.  

Check out photographs of Vampire Weekend on tour, or check out Spin’s (sigh) extensive article “Vampire Weekend: The Graduates.”

Addendum:  “ARGUING ABOUT VAMPIRE WEEKEND…Is so last month.  Literally.  Did you even read our March Issue?”—The Spin 20 Ranking on Pop Culture Since 1998, Spin Magazine April 2008

“Violence of the Lambs”, Not Without Controversy

“The greatest threat to civilization in the next half century is not nuclear arms or global warming or a superresistant virus that will wipe us out by the millions.  John Jeremiah Sullivan contemplates the coming battle between man and best.” 

In one of my classes (for which I should be writing a paper; however, I am squandering my time writing other things…) we are discussing culture jamming.  While in a biology lecture (neither indulging in cell membrane communication nor researching a paper topic for the aforementioned class) I happened upon this article in an old issue of GQ (I am behind in my periodical reading).  I know, I know…GQ.  But! This article demands attention, and it certainly claims its fair share in blogs and online journalism.  John Jeremiah Sullivan exquisitely writes with sophistication, purpose, and yes a little trickery, but who does not enjoy a quality piece of literary prank now and then?  The article foreshadows the near future, years when man and beast rival for ownership of land and resources, years that Sullivan predicts loom not too far ahead.  I have listed some links with fair discussions of the article; however, I advise first reading the actual article before its criticism so as not to spoil the punchline.

The article: Sullivan, John Jeremiah. “Violence of the Lambs.” Gentlemen’s Quarterly Feb. 2008.

 Noteworthy links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/04/AR2008020402772.html

http://stevereads.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-penny-press.html

http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2008/01/gorillas-pissed.html