Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

I freely admit I lasted thirty seconds into "Step," thought "Fuck this" and moved on.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, March 18, 2013 6:04 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this

really do not like either of these songs. way worse than the singles from the previous records, which I still didn't like all that much but at least were a bit endearing.

I also don't get this seeming move to a facebook macro-ish visual aesthetic

that cursive font on a black and white photo makes me feel like I am being cordially invited to the 3rd annual playa's ball

this thread makes me think i'm at the 3rd annual playa haters ball!

I like both songs on first listen. They seem like logical progressions from styles they played around with on Contra. Count me as psyched for the album.

Everybody talking about "Step" but I'm way more into "Diane Young". The Souls sample in the former is cute but it doesn't do a lot for me beyond that. I fux with digital rockabilly tho.

boys coming back in fine form. the production gives the songs a somberish quality that's new for them. it's a good look.

ezra sounds fantastic, also.

ezra's vocals are fantastic across the entire album

From Diane Young: "You've got the luck of a Kennedy"

Good to see Ezra refusing to take his own advice and leave Hyannis Port, the ghetto.

"Stet"'s vocal melody is kinda formulaic Ezra imho

very harsh on stet

Ezra's hair is fantastic.

ok "step" is quite good

diane young has been stuck in my head for a day

not feeling his vocal on "Diane Young" yet but the band is terrific. As for "Step," the "I feel it in my b-o-o-nes" hook is stuck in my head.

the little vocal turn at the end of "boooones" is what makes the chorus for me

also this song is another one for the pachelbel's canon list

I am not feeling "Step" ;_;

"Diane Young" is great tho ^_^

I feel like most rock bands should take every mid-tempo song from their catalog and burn them on a bonfire tho

do not want

If you follow the melody of Step back through Souls of Mischief and its Grover Washington sample you end up at Bread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqXek853SDE

I would not have caught the Souls of Mischief "allusion" if you guys hadn't mentioned and, now that I'm listening for it, it's still barely catching my ear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvBmr_b-Rpg

the melody + "back back way back when" + "every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl"

I am quite surprised by Ned's reaction. I think Step is the best thing they've done. I don't really 'get' Diane Young though....maybe it will take a few more listens. My sister would be upset by the video as a Saab owner.

― Grandpont Genie, dinsdag 19 maart 2013 13:23 (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah what a waste of a beautiful 900 cabrio

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), dinsdag 19 maart 2013 14:01 (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

GG's sis and baaderonixx teamed up: http://pitchfork.com/news/50128-vampire-weekend-caught-in-controversy-over-burning-of-saab-cars-in-diane-young-video/

Ha ha yeah saw the initial outrage on the Saab blogs I follow. Funny to see that world collide with the Pk4 one

Is it true that the bassist of Aerosmith is a "Saab enthusiast"?

Ownership and brand loyalty

As the brand has an unusual image in most markets, Saab owners tend to be correspondingly offbeat: intellectuals and enthusiasts.[109][110] In his studies of brand communities, Albert Muniz, professor of marketing at DePaul University in Chicago, found significant characteristics of Saab owners which he called Snaabery.[111][112] These included ownership of an original, pre-GM Saab; camaraderie with other Saab drivers and contempt for other brands such as BMW. Writer John Crace characterised the typical "Snaab" as a creative advertising executive with large spectacles and an asymmetric hairstyle.[113] Rüdiger Hossiep, a psychologist at Ruhr University Bochum, found that Saab drivers have the highest level of psychological involvement with their cars, being over 10 times more passionate than the average Volkswagen driver.[111] Saab's main three markets are Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.[113]

what a lol controversy

Next time they'll up the ante and burn a Saab owner.

why do bands even bother "apologizing" for shit like this

i'm seeing them tomorrow, apparently

do they know?

this thread is my warning

have fun!

great staging/stage setup. they played a lot of the first album, maybe 3 cuts from Contra, plus a smattering of new songs (I only recognized that "you always step to my girl" one)

was disappointed that the merch table didn't have legwarmers

give us a Koenig Hair Update

it has entered a luxurious mop phase

they were really good in general, a lot of fun. the bass player kept doing this knock-kneed dance step that I associate with the Knack or the Cars. They had a giant, ornately framed mirror mounted behind the drummer and giant strobe lights stuck in hanging Roman columns that lined the stage. the slow-down/breakdown in Diplomat's Son was probably the musical highlight of the evening for me.

first album is so fucking classic

On first listens, not sure if I enjoy Ya Hey as much as the 3 other new songs.

good version of that out?

concert streaming now

I thought "Unbelievers" was pretty good.

yep

Ya Hey a little better than the title suggests but I can imagine the "Ya Hey" bits might get a bit annoying after a few listens.

Youtube American Express ads featuring them constantly coming up

The deadpan bits grate (except for Chris Tomson, who's a natural).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5SIKnwMZqI

Listened to Diane Young properly for the first time yesterday and while the song is fun the production is fucking awful. They've gone for that frontloaded drums approach that's been done by hundreds of inept post-Flaming Lips bands, whereas previously a big part of the appeal was the tidiness of their sound.

Hmm, it's the point of the song, which is uncharacteristically goofy and noisy, and nothing else on the album sounds like that. The overdriven production is of a piece with the "baby baby baby" vocal.