Vampire Weekend
Encyclopedia
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock
band from New York City
that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings
. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig
, Rostam Batmanglij
, Chris Tomson
, and Chris Baio
. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend
in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard Roof
", "A-Punk
", "Oxford Comma
", and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
". The band's most recent album, Contra
, was released in 2010.
, beginning with a "serious" rap collaboration between Koenig and Tomson. They bonded over a shared love of punk and African music, and in fact Koenig had gone on tour with The Dirty Projectors during a period of experimentation with African music, inspiring the band to incorporate world sounds into their earliest work. They chose the name Vampire Weekend from the title of a short film project by Koenig. Koenig believes that the vampire imagery of their band name helped spread their work across the internet, attracting people who might otherwise never have listened to their music. The band began playing shows around Columbia, starting with a battle of the bands at Lerner Hall
. After graduating from university, the band self produced their debut album while simultaneously working full time jobs, Tomson as a music archivist and Koenig as a middle school english teacher.
In 2007, Vampire Weekend's song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
" was ranked 67th on Rolling Stones list of the '100 Best Songs of the Year'. In November 2007, they toured the UK with The Shins
.
Success came to the band in the now common form of blog hype and internet buzz, which led to a large following before any official releases. They were declared "The Year's Best New Band" by Spin
magazine in the March 2008 issue, and were the first band to be shot for the cover of the magazine before releasing their debut album. Four songs from the band's first album also made the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
. The internet hype had its backlash, however, as anti-fans and critics reacted against a perceived image of Vampire Weekend as rich, privileged ivy league graduates stealing from foreign musicians. One critic went so far as to call Vampire Weekend the "whitest band in the world", to which they took exception, given their Ukrainian, Perisan, Italian and Hungarian heritages. Such reactions were not repeated for later world music inspired musicians, suggesting Vampire Weekend may have cleared the way for their style of fusion. Furthermore, this backlash was largely unfounded, as Koenig would later explain some band members got into Columbia on scholarship and that he himself is still paying off student loans.
The band's debut album Vampire Weekend
was released January 29, 2008. A success in the US and UK, it peaked at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart
and number 17 on the Billboard 200
. Four singles were released from the album; while "A-Punk" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Modern rock
chart and number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
, "Oxford Comma" peaked at number 38 in the UK. "A-Punk" was ranked the 4th on Rolling Stone's
list of Best Songs in 2008. "A- Punk" was also used to open the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly feature Step Brothers
, and featured in the UK television show, The Inbetweeners
, and the video games Guitar Hero 5
, Just Dance 2 and LEGO Rock Band
.
During the early stages of their career, substantial media attention surrounded Vampire Weekend's incorporation of African pop sounds into American music, but despite an admitted love of African music, and Koenig's explicit mentioning of 1980's Madagascar
pop music as a source of inspiration for the band, Vampire Weekend has always maintined that they are not "an African band". Koenig went so far as to say in interviews that Vampire Weekend feared being perceived as part of what he saw as a western trend of "fetishizing" world music
, and would be hesitant to follow so directly in the footsteps of former greats such as Paul Simon
in collaborating with and making too great a deal of foreign musicianship in American pop..
, was released on January 11, 2010 in the UK and the following day in the US. On January 12, 2010, "Horchata" was released as a free download on the band's website. The album's first single, "Cousins
", was released on November 17, 2009. Initial copies of the CD and LP sold at independent records stores in the US include a 3-track bonus CD containing two "melts", which featured bits of album tracks and a remix. Contra was the band's first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200
.
On January 9, 2010 the band did an acoustic show for MTV Unplugged
. The following month, the band toured Europe and UK with Canadian electro duo Fan Death as their support. The video for their next single "Giving Up the Gun
" was also released on February 18, 2010 which included cameos from Joe Jonas
, Lil Jon
, RZA
and Jake Gyllenhaal
.
On March 6, 2010 the band appeared as the musical guest of Saturday Night Live
with comedian Zach Galifianakis
as host. It is the second time the band has appeared as a musical guest on the show, the first being during the show's 33rd season
in 2008 in an episode which actress Amy Adams
hosted. They also played festivals across the USA such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and All Points West, as well as the Groovin' The Moo festival in Australia.
On June 5, the band played in Philadelphia, PA as part of the 3rd annual Roots Picnic, hosted by the band The Roots
.
Their third single, "Holiday
", was released on June 7, 2010. It appears in Tommy Hilfiger and Honda commercials during the 2010 holiday season. Another new song, "Jonathan Low", appeared on the soundtrack
to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which was released on June 8.
On June 25, 2010, the band played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival
, in Pilton, Somerset, UK. The band were also on the main stage at T in the Park 2010
at Balado Kinross, Scotland, on June 8, and played the Oxegen Festival in Kildare, Ireland on July 9. They also headlined the Latitude Festival
in Suffolk, UK on July 18. On 16 July the band headlined the Main Stage at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
.
In the summer of 2010 the band played at the Utopia stage on Peace and Love, Sweden's biggest Festival.
On July 30, 2010, the band played at Jisan Valley Rock Festival in South Korea along with Muse
, Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys, Corinne Bailey Rae and many others.
The band, along with their record company XL Recordings
and photographer Tod Scott Brody
, are being sued by Kirsten Kennis, the model on the cover of Contra, over the use of her image.
In 2010, Vampire Weekend embarked on a North American tour with Beach House and Dum Dum Girls
. The tour started off on August 27, 2010, in Vancouver, BC at the Malkin Bowl. Koenig mentioned to the audience that before this concert, the band had the longest "vacation period" that they have had in a while.
Contra was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost to The Black Keys
's Brothers
.
About a week before the Music to Know Festival was to begin, it was canceled due to lack of ticket sales.
On July 22, 2011, Ezra Koenig and the rest of Vampire Weekend held a Ustream
session with their fans. The band stated that their tour dates would end after the Music to Know Festival in August. The band said they would focus on their new album and were "researching" for it when they ended the video chat. Amidst the releases of his two latest solo tracks, Rostam stated Vampire Weekend has begun work on new tracks for their follow up to Contra
.
On November 11, 2011 it was revealed that Vampire Weekend has been in Excello studios, located in Brooklyn
, writing and recording material for their third album.
" for Stereogum presents .. OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer
(2007), a free tribute album celebrating 10 years of Radiohead
's album OK Computer
. They have also covered "Everywhere
" by Fleetwood Mac
, "I'm Goin' Down
" by Bruce Springsteen
, "Have I the Right?
" by The Honeycombs
and "Ruby Soho
" by Rancid
.
The band also contributed the song "Ottoman" to the soundtrack to the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
. Ottoman was then taken and sampled by rapper Kid Cudi. Two tracks from their debut record also appeared in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man
. A new song, "Jonathan Low," was released on June 8, 2010, appearing on the soundtrack to the third installment of the Twilight Saga films, Eclipse.
Rostam Batmanglij has made a record with Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot called Discovery
. Vocalist Ezra Koenig
was featured on "Carby" by Discovery
and "Warm Heart of Africa" by The Very Best.
titled episode 6 of season 2, an episode set around Halloween
and vampire imitators, "Vampire Weekend."
Vampire Weekend's influential and signature "preppy" fashion sense was allegedly inspired by their friendship with LA fashion designer Bryn Lander, after whom their song "Bryn" was named.. This relationship is not unlike that between Astrid Kirchherr
and the Beatles (whose famous hair cuts are rumored to be Astrid's idea).
As homage to her influence in their style and the style of bands that followed them, Vampire Weekend's song "Bryn" is now being used to launch Bryn Lander's latest fashion boutique.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig
Ezra Koenig
Ezra Koenig is the lead singer and one of the guitarists of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:...
, Rostam Batmanglij
Rostam Batmanglij
Rostam Batmanglij is a producer and multi-instrumentalist of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend and co-founder of electro-soul group Discovery.-Background:...
, Chris Tomson
Chris Tomson
Chris Tomson is the drummer of New York based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:Tomson grew up on a farm in Imlaystown . His father is an engineer and his family is of Irish and Ukrainian heritage . His full name is Christopher William Tomson...
, and Chris Baio
Chris Baio
Christopher Baio is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for the New York City-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Early life:...
. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend (album)
-Japanese Bonus Tracks:-Personnel:*Ezra Koenig – lead vocals, guitar, piano, hand drum*Rostam Batmanglij – organ, chamberlin, piano, harpsichord, guitar, vocal harmonies, drum and synth programming, shaker, producer, string arrangements, engineering, mixing...
in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard Roof
Mansard Roof (song)
"Mansard Roof" is the debut single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released on October 23, 2007.-Music video:"Mansard Roof" was the first song from Vampire Weekend's album to have a video. The video was filmed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The main scene in the video, directed by Alexis Boling,...
", "A-Punk
A-Punk
"A-Punk" is a single by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on The Late Show with David Letterman...
", "Oxford Comma
Oxford Comma (song)
"Oxford Comma" is the third single by Vampire Weekend, released May 26, 2008, from its debut album, Vampire Weekend.- Song title and meaning :...
", and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine.-Tracklist:Digital Download :...
". The band's most recent album, Contra
Contra (album)
Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
, was released in 2010.
Early days and debut album (2007-2008)
Members of the band met while in Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, beginning with a "serious" rap collaboration between Koenig and Tomson. They bonded over a shared love of punk and African music, and in fact Koenig had gone on tour with The Dirty Projectors during a period of experimentation with African music, inspiring the band to incorporate world sounds into their earliest work. They chose the name Vampire Weekend from the title of a short film project by Koenig. Koenig believes that the vampire imagery of their band name helped spread their work across the internet, attracting people who might otherwise never have listened to their music. The band began playing shows around Columbia, starting with a battle of the bands at Lerner Hall
Alfred Lerner Hall
Alfred Lerner Hall is the student center or students' union of Columbia University. It is named for Al Lerner, who financed part of its construction...
. After graduating from university, the band self produced their debut album while simultaneously working full time jobs, Tomson as a music archivist and Koenig as a middle school english teacher.
In 2007, Vampire Weekend's song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine.-Tracklist:Digital Download :...
" was ranked 67th on Rolling Stones list of the '100 Best Songs of the Year'. In November 2007, they toured the UK with The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
.
Success came to the band in the now common form of blog hype and internet buzz, which led to a large following before any official releases. They were declared "The Year's Best New Band" by Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine in the March 2008 issue, and were the first band to be shot for the cover of the magazine before releasing their debut album. Four songs from the band's first album also made the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J....
. The internet hype had its backlash, however, as anti-fans and critics reacted against a perceived image of Vampire Weekend as rich, privileged ivy league graduates stealing from foreign musicians. One critic went so far as to call Vampire Weekend the "whitest band in the world", to which they took exception, given their Ukrainian, Perisan, Italian and Hungarian heritages. Such reactions were not repeated for later world music inspired musicians, suggesting Vampire Weekend may have cleared the way for their style of fusion. Furthermore, this backlash was largely unfounded, as Koenig would later explain some band members got into Columbia on scholarship and that he himself is still paying off student loans.
The band's debut album Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend (album)
-Japanese Bonus Tracks:-Personnel:*Ezra Koenig – lead vocals, guitar, piano, hand drum*Rostam Batmanglij – organ, chamberlin, piano, harpsichord, guitar, vocal harmonies, drum and synth programming, shaker, producer, string arrangements, engineering, mixing...
was released January 29, 2008. A success in the US and UK, it peaked at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and number 17 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Four singles were released from the album; while "A-Punk" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Modern rock
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart and number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "Oxford Comma" peaked at number 38 in the UK. "A-Punk" was ranked the 4th on Rolling Stone's
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
list of Best Songs in 2008. "A- Punk" was also used to open the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly feature Step Brothers
Step Brothers (film)
Step Brothers is a 2008 American slapstick buddy-comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller, and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who originally teamed up in Talladega Nights . The screenplay was written by Ferrell and McKay, from a story written by Ferrell,...
, and featured in the UK television show, The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
, and the video games Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
, Just Dance 2 and LEGO Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band is a music video game and part of the Rock Band series developed by Harmonix Music Systems, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games...
.
During the early stages of their career, substantial media attention surrounded Vampire Weekend's incorporation of African pop sounds into American music, but despite an admitted love of African music, and Koenig's explicit mentioning of 1980's Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
pop music as a source of inspiration for the band, Vampire Weekend has always maintined that they are not "an African band". Koenig went so far as to say in interviews that Vampire Weekend feared being perceived as part of what he saw as a western trend of "fetishizing" world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, and would be hesitant to follow so directly in the footsteps of former greats such as Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
in collaborating with and making too great a deal of foreign musicianship in American pop..
Contra (2009–present)
The band's second album, ContraContra (album)
Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
, was released on January 11, 2010 in the UK and the following day in the US. On January 12, 2010, "Horchata" was released as a free download on the band's website. The album's first single, "Cousins
Cousins (song)
"Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara...
", was released on November 17, 2009. Initial copies of the CD and LP sold at independent records stores in the US include a 3-track bonus CD containing two "melts", which featured bits of album tracks and a remix. Contra was the band's first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
On January 9, 2010 the band did an acoustic show for MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
. The following month, the band toured Europe and UK with Canadian electro duo Fan Death as their support. The video for their next single "Giving Up the Gun
Giving Up the Gun
"Giving Up the Gun" is the third single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. The song was originally performed by L'Homme Run, a comedy rap duo originally consisting of vocalist Ezra Koenig. The video was released February 19, 2010 Koenig got the idea for the song from a history book...
" was also released on February 18, 2010 which included cameos from Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas
Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas is a Pop American singer, musician, actor, and dancer. He is a member of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band made up of him and his two brothers, Nick and Kevin...
, Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
and Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
.
On March 6, 2010 the band appeared as the musical guest of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
with comedian Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
as host. It is the second time the band has appeared as a musical guest on the show, the first being during the show's 33rd season
Saturday Night Live (Season 33)
Saturday Night Live aired its thirty-third season, during the 2007–2008 television season on NBC.Because of the 2007–2008 WGA strike, there are 12 episodes this season instead of the usual 20 , making this the shortest season in the series run and beating out both the sixth season...
in 2008 in an episode which actress Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
hosted. They also played festivals across the USA such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and All Points West, as well as the Groovin' The Moo festival in Australia.
On June 5, the band played in Philadelphia, PA as part of the 3rd annual Roots Picnic, hosted by the band The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
.
Their third single, "Holiday
Holiday (Vampire Weekend song)
"Holiday" is Vampire Weekend's third single off their album Contra. The video premiered on MTV.com on May 27, 2010. The song was featured in Christmas-themed television advertisements for Tommy Hilfiger and Honda during the 2010 holiday season....
", was released on June 7, 2010. It appears in Tommy Hilfiger and Honda commercials during the 2010 holiday season. Another new song, "Jonathan Low", appeared on the soundtrack
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...
to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which was released on June 8.
On June 25, 2010, the band played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, in Pilton, Somerset, UK. The band were also on the main stage at T in the Park 2010
T in the Park 2010
T in the Park 2010 was a music festival that took place in Balado, Scotland from 8–11 July 2010. It was the seventeenth event to take place. The festival was headlined by Kasabian, Muse and Eminem. Tickets for the event sold out on 26 February 2010.-Tickets:...
at Balado Kinross, Scotland, on June 8, and played the Oxegen Festival in Kildare, Ireland on July 9. They also headlined the Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
in Suffolk, UK on July 18. On 16 July the band headlined the Main Stage at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim is an annual music festival which takes place in the village of Benicàssim, province of Castelló, Valencian Community in Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica artists, as well as having other elements besides music like short films,...
.
In the summer of 2010 the band played at the Utopia stage on Peace and Love, Sweden's biggest Festival.
On July 30, 2010, the band played at Jisan Valley Rock Festival in South Korea along with Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys, Corinne Bailey Rae and many others.
The band, along with their record company XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
and photographer Tod Scott Brody
Tod Scott Brody
Tod Scott Brody is an American film producer, editor, and still photographer who, during the 1980s, was an executive at both Cannon Films and MGM...
, are being sued by Kirsten Kennis, the model on the cover of Contra, over the use of her image.
In 2010, Vampire Weekend embarked on a North American tour with Beach House and Dum Dum Girls
Dum Dum Girls
Dum Dum Girls are an American indie pop band from California that formed in 2008. Their name comes from both The Vaselines' album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys"...
. The tour started off on August 27, 2010, in Vancouver, BC at the Malkin Bowl. Koenig mentioned to the audience that before this concert, the band had the longest "vacation period" that they have had in a while.
Contra was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost to The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
's Brothers
Brothers (The Black Keys album)
Brothers is the sixth album and Grammy Award-winner of Best Alternative Music Album by American blues-rock duo, The Black Keys. The album was announced on March 2, 2010 by Pitchfork Media and became the band's third release from Nonesuch Records on May 18, 2010...
.
About a week before the Music to Know Festival was to begin, it was canceled due to lack of ticket sales.
Post Contra and Upcoming Album
In response to questions about their follow up to the album Contra, the band has stated that they will be taking their time, Koenig stating "I see no reason to rush it". The band has been discussing the third album and trying new ideas during sound checks but the writing and recording phase of production has not truly begun. In a recent interview with MTV Koenig stated that while the past two albums were inspired primarily by geography, the band has been drawing inspiration from the pop humor of big-budget comedy films such as The Love Guru featuring the comedy styling of John Oliver and Mike Meyers, and Bride Wars.On July 22, 2011, Ezra Koenig and the rest of Vampire Weekend held a Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
session with their fans. The band stated that their tour dates would end after the Music to Know Festival in August. The band said they would focus on their new album and were "researching" for it when they ended the video chat. Amidst the releases of his two latest solo tracks, Rostam stated Vampire Weekend has begun work on new tracks for their follow up to Contra
Contra (album)
Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
.
On November 11, 2011 it was revealed that Vampire Weekend has been in Excello studios, located in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, writing and recording material for their third album.
Members
- Ezra KoenigEzra KoenigEzra Koenig is the lead singer and one of the guitarists of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:...
– lead vocals, guitar - Rostam BatmanglijRostam BatmanglijRostam Batmanglij is a producer and multi-instrumentalist of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend and co-founder of electro-soul group Discovery.-Background:...
– keyboards, guitar, backing vocals, co-writer, lyricist - Chris TomsonChris TomsonChris Tomson is the drummer of New York based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:Tomson grew up on a farm in Imlaystown . His father is an engineer and his family is of Irish and Ukrainian heritage . His full name is Christopher William Tomson...
– drums, percussion - Chris BaioChris BaioChristopher Baio is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for the New York City-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Early life:...
– bass guitar, backing vocals
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
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| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Rock |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
UK Indie UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
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| 2008 | Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (album) -Japanese Bonus Tracks:-Personnel:*Ezra Koenig – lead vocals, guitar, piano, hand drum*Rostam Batmanglij – organ, chamberlin, piano, harpsichord, guitar, vocal harmonies, drum and synth programming, shaker, producer, string arrangements, engineering, mixing...
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17 | 4 | 2 | — | 15 | 1 | 44 | 37 | 23 |
ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... : Gold British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Platinum Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold |
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| 2010 | Contra Contra (album) Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
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1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 4 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold |
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Alt |
US Pop Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
BEL (FL) Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK Indie UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
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| 2007 | "Mansard Roof Mansard Roof (song) "Mansard Roof" is the debut single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released on October 23, 2007.-Music video:"Mansard Roof" was the first song from Vampire Weekend's album to have a video. The video was filmed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The main scene in the video, directed by Alexis Boling,... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Vampire Weekend |
| 2008 | "A-Punk A-Punk "A-Punk" is a single by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on The Late Show with David Letterman... " |
106 | 25 | 91 | — | 55 | 1 | |
| "Oxford Comma Oxford Comma (song) "Oxford Comma" is the third single by Vampire Weekend, released May 26, 2008, from its debut album, Vampire Weekend.- Song title and meaning :... " |
— | — | — | — | 38 | — | ||
| "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine.-Tracklist:Digital Download :... " |
— | — | — | — | 178 | 1 | ||
| "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Horchata" | 102 | — | — | 26 | — | — | Contra |
| "Cousins Cousins (song) "Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara... " |
— | 18 | — | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | "Giving Up the Gun Giving Up the Gun "Giving Up the Gun" is the third single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. The song was originally performed by L'Homme Run, a comedy rap duo originally consisting of vocalist Ezra Koenig. The video was released February 19, 2010 Koenig got the idea for the song from a history book... " |
— | 34 | — | 65 | 172 | 8 | |
| "Holiday Holiday (Vampire Weekend song) "Holiday" is Vampire Weekend's third single off their album Contra. The video premiered on MTV.com on May 27, 2010. The song was featured in Christmas-themed television advertisements for Tommy Hilfiger and Honda during the 2010 holiday season.... " |
125 | 31 | — | 55 | 183 | 12 | ||
| "White Sky White Sky (song) White Sky is the fourth single off Vampire Weekend's 2nd album Contra. The single release features three remixes of the song by Basement Jaxx... " |
— | — | — | 66 | 78 | 6 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. The Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... chart ceased to exist in 2009. |
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Compilation tracks
Vampire Weekend contributed a cover of "Exit Music (For a Film)Exit Music (For a Film)
"Exit Music " is a song by Radiohead, written specifically for the ending credits of the 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Although not included on either of the two soundtrack albums at the request of Thom Yorke, the song appears on the band's highly acclaimed third album, OK...
" for Stereogum presents .. OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer
OKX
Stereogum Presents... OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer is a free, downloadable tribute album to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Radiohead's OK Computer. The tribute album features songs by a variety of bands including the Cold War Kids, Vampire Weekend, My Brightest Diamond, and The Twilight Sad...
(2007), a free tribute album celebrating 10 years of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's album OK Computer
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
. They have also covered "Everywhere
Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Everywhere" is a single released by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac from their album Tango in the Night. It was released in the UK on February 24, 1988 and reached # 4. In the United States, it was released a little earlier on November 28, 1987 and reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot...
" by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, "I'm Goin' Down
I'm Goin' Down
"I'm Goin' Down" is a 1984 song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. In 1985, it became the sixth single released from his massively successful album Born in the U.S.A.-History:...
" by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, "Have I the Right?
Have I the Right?
Have I The Right? was The Honeycombs' debut single and biggest hit. It was composed by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who had made contact with the Honeycombs, a London-based group, then playing under the name of The Sheratons, in the Mildmay Tavern in the Balls Pond Road in Islington, where they...
" by The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966...
and "Ruby Soho
Ruby Soho
"Ruby Soho" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the third and final single from its third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves...
" by Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
.
The band also contributed the song "Ottoman" to the soundtrack to the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
. Ottoman was then taken and sampled by rapper Kid Cudi. Two tracks from their debut record also appeared in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man
I Love You, Man
I Love You, Man is a 2009 American comedy film originally titled Let's be Friends and written by Larry Levin before John Hamburg rewrote and directed the film...
. A new song, "Jonathan Low," was released on June 8, 2010, appearing on the soundtrack to the third installment of the Twilight Saga films, Eclipse.
Rostam Batmanglij has made a record with Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot called Discovery
Discovery (band)
Discovery is the American indie rock, electronic, funk recording project of Rostam Batmanglij, the keyboardist from Vampire Weekend, and Wesley Miles, the vocalist from Ra Ra Riot, friends who began recording together in the summer of 2005.-History:...
. Vocalist Ezra Koenig
Ezra Koenig
Ezra Koenig is the lead singer and one of the guitarists of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:...
was featured on "Carby" by Discovery
Discovery (band)
Discovery is the American indie rock, electronic, funk recording project of Rostam Batmanglij, the keyboardist from Vampire Weekend, and Wesley Miles, the vocalist from Ra Ra Riot, friends who began recording together in the summer of 2005.-History:...
and "Warm Heart of Africa" by The Very Best.
Music videos
| Year | Song | Album | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Mansard Roof Mansard Roof (song) "Mansard Roof" is the debut single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released on October 23, 2007.-Music video:"Mansard Roof" was the first song from Vampire Weekend's album to have a video. The video was filmed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The main scene in the video, directed by Alexis Boling,... " |
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (album) -Japanese Bonus Tracks:-Personnel:*Ezra Koenig – lead vocals, guitar, piano, hand drum*Rostam Batmanglij – organ, chamberlin, piano, harpsichord, guitar, vocal harmonies, drum and synth programming, shaker, producer, string arrangements, engineering, mixing... |
Alexis Boling |
| 2008 | "A-Punk A-Punk "A-Punk" is a single by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on The Late Show with David Letterman... " |
Garth Jennings | |
| "Oxford Comma Oxford Comma (song) "Oxford Comma" is the third single by Vampire Weekend, released May 26, 2008, from its debut album, Vampire Weekend.- Song title and meaning :... " |
Richard Ayoade Richard Ayoade Richard Ellef Ayoade is a British comedian, actor, writer and director best known for his role as Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd.Ayoade was born an only child to a Norwegian mother, Dagny , and a Nigerian father, Layide Ade Laditi Ayoade. Ayoade studied at St... |
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| "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band, Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine.-Tracklist:Digital Download :... " |
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| 2009 | "Cousins Cousins (song) "Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara... " |
Contra Contra (album) Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200... |
Garth Jennings |
| 2010 | "Giving Up the Gun Giving Up the Gun "Giving Up the Gun" is the third single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. The song was originally performed by L'Homme Run, a comedy rap duo originally consisting of vocalist Ezra Koenig. The video was released February 19, 2010 Koenig got the idea for the song from a history book... " |
The Malloys The Malloys The Malloys is the working name of music video and film directors and brothers Emmett Malloy and Brendan Malloy. They are signed to HSI Productions.- Videography :*"Holiday" by Vampire Weekend... |
|
| "Holiday Holiday (Vampire Weekend song) "Holiday" is Vampire Weekend's third single off their album Contra. The video premiered on MTV.com on May 27, 2010. The song was featured in Christmas-themed television advertisements for Tommy Hilfiger and Honda during the 2010 holiday season.... " |
Popular Culture and Fashion
The ABC network comedy-drama series CastleCastle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
titled episode 6 of season 2, an episode set around Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
and vampire imitators, "Vampire Weekend."
Vampire Weekend's influential and signature "preppy" fashion sense was allegedly inspired by their friendship with LA fashion designer Bryn Lander, after whom their song "Bryn" was named.. This relationship is not unlike that between Astrid Kirchherr
Astrid Kirchherr
Astrid Kirchherr is a German photographer and artist and is well known for her association with The Beatles and her photographs of The Beatles during their Hamburg days....
and the Beatles (whose famous hair cuts are rumored to be Astrid's idea).
As homage to her influence in their style and the style of bands that followed them, Vampire Weekend's song "Bryn" is now being used to launch Bryn Lander's latest fashion boutique.