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| Vampire Weekend | 
 enlarge | Artist: Vampire Weekend
Label: Xl
Category: Music
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £5.47
You Save: £6.52 (54%)
New (24) from £5.47
Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 17
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 40318
UPC: 634904031824
EAN: 0634904031824
ASIN: B0010V4TZU
Release Date: January 28, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Mansard Roof | | • | Oxford Comma | | • | A-Punk | | • | Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa | | • | M79 | | • | Campus | | • | Bryn | | • | One (Blake's Got A New Face) | | • | I Stand Corrected | | • | Walcott | | • | Kids Don't Stand A Chance |
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Who would have thought it? Nobody, that's who. The last time African music enjoyed any meaningful dalliance with the Western mainstream it was under Paul Simon's patronage with his peerless 1986 album Graceland. That's if you don't count Damon Albarn's extra curricular indulgences (which you don't). The last place we expected it to turn up again was from four New York kids who otherwise might have been found fiddling with their fringes in dorm rooms waiting for the Albert Hammond Jr. tour to hit town. Even by the obscure standards US indie has set itself over the last few years (see TV on the Radio and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) Vampire Weekend offer up a witch's brew of audacity. That alone would be sufficient to garner infamy and a rep for experimentation, but they also hang from this rebellion of form a stream of alt-tunefulness so efficient and unabashed it would make The Strokes' first album blush. Thus, the piping reggae organ and sun-kissed swagger of "Oxford Comma" is given a heartbeat by tight lo-fi garage drums and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" lilts along with cheerful tribal rhythms and crisp African guitar, bound by ascending psychedelic vocals. And that's not to mention the mad strings that make listening to "M79" like watching Ski Sunday on hallucinogens. Their advanced rhythmical awareness even makes more standard indie rampages "I Stand Corrected" and "Walcott" less standard. Which is about the length of it; Vampire Weekend, making the standard much less standard. --James Berry
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Marvellous... July 17, 2008
Truly an excellent and exciting record. It seemed worth adding a comment just to say that the much-hyped African graceland influence of this band is somewhat over-emphasised. True, on one or two tracks, it's very obvious and a key part of the sound (Cape Cod). But to be honest, it's a bit of a red herring. For the most part, this is a quirky melodic original and catchy pop album brimming with ideas (how about a comparison of early Police meets the more commercial side of Pavement?). Perhaps some of the negative reactions are because this band really is hard to categorise - so inevitably, people may feel let down if it's not what they expected.
A Refreshing Blend of Music July 12, 2008
I had never heard of Vampire Weekend until I heard my daughter playing the LP of the same title. Always on the look out for interesting music and bands that try to do something new, I was immediately attracted to what I was hearing. She went on to tell me that the group is an Indie rock band from New York city. Vampire weekend is an exciting debut LP by a four-piece band whom I believe burst on the scene in 2006.
Whatever the music is called, what I find interesting in Vampire Weekend is that they produce an exciting and to some extent refreshing blend of rock, punk, and African sounds and rhythms. Every now and again it is good to hear a band producing and performing pop music that tries to do something different other than the usual bash of guitars and screams into a micro phone that we get from many an over rated pop band.
The music is very energetic it makes you want to get up, jump up and dance. The lead vocals by Ezra Koenig are quirky but at the same time edearing. Vampire Weekend play a broad range of instruments from the expected guitars to harpsicord. They write their own lyrics and had a hand in the production and string arrangements. Listen to the track M79 and you soon realise that the blend of rock and classical sounds renders this band as a huge talent among mediocrity.
It's a pleasure to hear a new band producng something new. In my view Vampire Weekend has also achieved a rare feat in that I believe the LP appeals to a wide age range. This is a very good debut LP: buy it and I am sure like me you will enjoy it.
Supprisingly relaxing July 10, 2008
This album turned out to be an unexpected hit for me, because I don't usually like short songs. It's a perfect soundtrack for a Summer that were just not having at the moment. You can imagine playing vollyball at he beach to some of these songs. It lasts a grand total of 34 mins which is fairly short really (all though there is a clic album that lasts 29 mins).
'Mansard roof' is probaly the best song on the album, but 'Walcott' and 'A-Punk' are not far behind. If you want an album with clever lyrics and intrecant music then isn't probly not for you. But it's got a very destinct style and a cheeky edge.
Best songs: Mansard roof, Walcott, A-Punk and Bryn
Worst song: Kid's don't stand a chance
Oh and by the way there not screamo like there name sujests
 OVER HYPED! July 8, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was expecting so much more from this band, after all the exposure they have had on radio one.I even went to see them live and was unimpressed.
 There is such a thing as TOO quirky, you know June 29, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I want to like Vampire Weekend. I really do. They deserve kudos for keeping their songs short, fun and catchy, while bringing Soweto-style rhythms to the masses for the first time since Graceland. Fun little melodies bounce along as if their only purpose is to make you happy, and singer Ezra Koenig yaps his vocals like a playful puppy, eager for a biscuit. So far, so endearing. But there is something of a feeling of look-at-me smart-arsedness about it all that threatens to undo their good work at times. Recent single Oxford Comma is an example - a song that seems to bemoan grammatical fascism and an obsession with correct spelling. I mean, eh? Someone is wearing their clever trousers. Catchy tune, though.
But while there are other disappointing moments - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa starts off giving the impression that it's going to be better than it turns out, while One (Blake's Got A New Face) is just plain ruddy irritating - there are a lot of good moments too. Opener Mansard Roof is a short but pleasing way to get the ball rolling, and stays in the head much longer than its 2 minute running time; A-Punk will get fans of late 70s 2-Tone feeling nostalgic; while my personal favourite M79 is a delight, starting with a bright little harpsichord intro (yes, a harpsichord) and featuring a string section jaunty enough to bring the sun out.
I get a distinct feeling there is a very good album in this band. This just isn't yet quite it.
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