The name of this band is Vampire Weekend. We are specialists in the following styles: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa","Campus", and "Oxford Comma Riddim."(Note the use of an Oxford comma in the second sentence.) In other contexts, however, they've called their musical genre "Upper West Side Soweto." Here they are doing "A-Punk":
Watching and listening to these guys, I can't help but think of another group that had phenomenal success beginning about thirty years ago, Talking Heads. (There's a short account of the one time I attended a Talking Heads concert here.)
Let's compare the two groups:
1. Fancy college degrees. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
2. Twee lyrics. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
3. Architectural references. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
4. African pop influence. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
5. Punk influence. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
6. Foreign-born member. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: Yes.
7. Woman member. Talking Heads: Yes. Vampire Weekend: No.
So, it seems that VW lacks only one element of Talking Heads' formula for mega-success. Guys, you gotta getta gal.
Thanks to Homer Fink of Brooklyn Heights Blog for turning me on to VW.
Update: Homer has referred me to the MySpace page of another group with an Ivy League pedigree, Cambridge-based Chester French. "The Jimmy Choos" is a lively rocker that appeals to my inner shoe fetishist, and "People" sounds remarkably like Wild Honey period Beach Boys.
Second update: Perhaps providing support to Brain Tracer's theory about the psychic qualities of MP3 players, on my way home from my office my iPod played "And She Was" by Talking Heads, then followed it with VW's "Mansard Roof."
You may like their Ivy League rivals Chester French!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/chesterfrench
wow. i don't think i understood a word of that post.
ReplyDeleteYou have cool taste in music! I have never heard of VW, but I like them! Cute video, too.
ReplyDelete