via Apostrophe Media
After last year's experience at All Points West, I was fairly certain that I would never go back. Aside from the headlining Radiohead, I had a long list of gripes with All Points West. As luck would have it, I found myself with a pass for Friday and an opportunity to see Jay-Z, who replaced Beastie Boys as the day's headliner. I made the decision to go, one I'm not sure I would have made in retrospect.
The clouds reveal what is to come
Learning from the NJ Transit debacle last year, I opted to shell out for a one-day roundtrip ferry ticket. Was it worth the hefty price tag? For one day, yes. I wouldn't pay for 3-day ferry transportation, but I would definitely recommend it for one day or even a return one-way ticket. I arrived around noon, and departed about 5-10 min later. Getting back to Manhattan from Liberty State Park wasn't too bad either. The ferry really should be a complimentary service or significantly subsidized to ~$5.
What is this? Burning Man?
The doors opened well past the designated time of noon, and I spent some time wandering around the grounds once I got in. There were more concession stands and beer gardens this year, which was good news since I would inevitably be forced to buy something to eat. To my shock, I couldn't find any of the water fountains to fill up my APW-approved Nalgene bottle. After walking around in circles with my worthless APW map, I gave up and shelled out $2 for a bottle of water. Did anyone locate the fountains??
I caught the very end of The Knux, a hip-hop duo originally from New Orleans. Next up was Seasick Steve, a one-man blues act who played a variety of different stringed instruments, including a cigar box guitar. An unbelievable guitarist, Seasick Steve sings about his real life experiences in such a rarely blunt and genuine way. For me, the most memorable song was about his abusive stepfather and how Steve had run away from home instead of shooting his assailant.
It's no secret that Fleet Foxes is much loved by Made a Blog, and this performance was unforgettable like all the rest. As the boys set up onstage, the winds started to pick up, a sign that severe weather was on its way. Like they always do, they opened with "Sun Giant" into "Sun It Rises." And, every single time without fail, they send shivers down my back. Rain started to fall during the Fleet Foxes' set, but there was something fitting about bobbing along to "Ragged Wood" in a little precipitation. Unfortunately, my tolerance for the rain did not last long. Fleet Foxes played a new song, one I didn't recognize, but it basically had all the elements that we've come to expect from Fleet Foxes like the mandolin, beautiful harmonies, and a memorable melody. I think they may have sung "wooden hand" a few times, so I'm going to assume that it's the name of the song. Correction: They were actually singing "What in hand" and the name of the song is "Bedouin Dress." Thanks, L.!
Setlist
Sun Giant/Sun It Rises
Drops in the River
English HouseNew Song (Possibly called "Wooden Hand?") Bedouin Dress
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Mykonos
Blue Ridge Mountains
via Apostrophe Media
The National is another consistently good band that always delivers what the audience wants. They kicked off with "Start a War," one of my favorite songs and a most appropriate opener. Unfortunately, the rain became unbearable during their set. The park was getting muddy, the wind was cold, and I almost left to go home. I stuck around for half of The National's set before I sought shelter in an ATM tent. 
via Apostrophe Media
I emerged from the ATM tent as Vampire Weekend hit the main stage. They started with "White Sky," a song that Ezra referred to as being "a new one." I didn't realize that a song could still be new if the band had been playing it since January 2008. However, Vampire Weekend did play a real new song in the middle of their set. I don't really remember much about it other than that it was also characteristically VW-style fun. All in all, it was like every other Vampire Weekend show I've seen. Ezra has become a more comfortable frontman over the years, albeit he has some difficulty stringing words together to form coherent sentences. Seeing as he studied English and that we share the same alma mater, I find this to be a bit embarrassing.
via Apostrophe Media
By the time the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit the stage, the rain had subsided. People rejoiced by slipping, sliding, and dancing in the mud. I'm not the biggest fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but Karen O is an amazing lead singer and she knows how to command a large audience. The large inflatable eyeballs that they sent flying into the crowd reminded me of the theatrics of the Flaming Lips show at Pitchfork. I wish I hadn't seen the band on this particular day and setting, because all I could think about at this point was seeing Jay-Z so that I could go home and sit down.
via Apostrophe Media
When it was announced that Jay-Z would be replacing the Beastie Boys at APW, I almost regretted not planning to go. Well, the stars aligned and I ended up with a ticket. As much as I hated being wet and muddy and standing up for nearly 7 hours straight, Jay-Z made me forget about all these things. When his 10-minute counter went down to zero, Jay-Z emerged onstage and immediately went into a cover of Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." And then, he performed everything I wanted to hear, including some new tunes. "D.O.A." "Beware (ft. Punjabi MC)." "My President is Black (Remix)." "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)." The crowd yelled out most of the first verse of "Can I Get A..." Jay-Z seemed like a music festival pro, playing some new songs and doing medleys of his many hits, even "Numb/Encore (with Linkin Park)." Incredible.
My misery at All Points West was mostly attributed to the terrible weather and mud, but I still wouldn't choose to go to this festival on my own dime. It's absurdly expensive, and I was pretty pissed that I couldn't find the water fountain that was supposed to be closest to the main stage. Getting there and back is painful (PATH + NJ Transit), especially the return trip to NY. The ferry is awesome, but expensive. That said, if Daft Punk were to headline APW, I would be there in a second.
August 4, 2009
All Points West 2009 - Day 1
July 24, 2009
"Reginald's Lament" - The Sophisticuffs
+ 
via chris zak and NME
Ever wonder what Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot, Discovery) sounded like in high school? It was recently brought to my attention that they were involved in about fifteen projects together back in their Glen Ridge, NJ days. Add Dan Millar and Andrei Padlowski, and you've got the Sophisticuffs (photo here), with Wes on bass and keyboard and Ezra on vocals and other instruments. Suddenly, the appearance of Wes in the Vampire Weekend movie trailer makes so much sense.
So what did Ezra and Wes sound like during their pre-college days? In some ways, they sound like what you'd expect from a high school band. Calling them a garage rock band is easy, but that's the first impression that I got from listening to snippets from 48 songs, mostly from an album called Factory. While "Oh No (Oh Yes)" exemplifies their garage band sound, there is more to the Sophisticuffs, and their jazz improvisation and experimental electronic influences are more evident in the tracks that are mostly instrumental. "Reginald's Lament" is the clear standout track on the album, with brass notes that bring Stravinsky to mind. The rest of the Sophisticuffs material isn't as memorable, but it's interesting to see how their current respective bands have grown and evolved since then.
Even before the days of Vampire Weekend, the Sophisticuffs weren't completely unknown. A Google search brought me to this page on Matador records from 2001 where Ben Goldberg describes Factory as the "wildly inventive musical work" of former Matador intern Ezra Koenig. Also, a Sophisticuffs song was used in the 2002 film Don't Ask Don't Tell. Perhaps it won't be long until Ezra and Wes properly team up again.
And, if you're wondering where I got these songs, I didn't download them from the Internet. I got them from a local fan of the Sophisticuffs who still had the CDs (Thanks, D.).
Reginald's Lament - The Sophisticuffs
Oh No (Oh Yes) - The Sophisticuffs
July 23, 2009
"Warm Heart of Africa" (ft. Ezra Koenig) - The Very Best
via Green Owl
Unofficial hiatus is officially dunzo. I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging, but rest assured because I don't intend on staying away any longer. A lot of things have been going on in my non-Made a Blog life, but I managed to sneak away for a weekend of music at a little event called Pitchfork Music Festival. In between eating Giordano's stuffed pizza and gawking at hipsters native to my home state of Illinois, I managed to catch a bit of music. Experiencing the Flaming Lips' ridiculous stage show was unforgettable, but I had to sacrifice catching The Very Best, aka Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit, who went on at roughly the same time at another stage. And, because I was in Chicago, I also missed the show at Le Poisson Rouge. So, I've missed half of their rare U.S. shows in July, which is a shame because their forthcoming album Warm Heart of Africa is one that is bound to end up on some top of '09 lists.
On The Very Best mixtape released for free last year, we heard Esau singing over remixed versions of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." It's no surprise that Ezra Koenig and M.I.A. make appearances on Warm Heart of Africa, nor is it shocking that Esau and Radioclit know how to make their guests sound good. "Warm Heart of Africa," the first released track, is an infectious song that's guaranteed to brighten up a rainy New York summer day and will have you singing along in no time. Ezra Koenig's voice perfectly complements Esau's and the beats of the song, perhaps because we are already used to associating Ezra with his band's so-called "Upper West Side Soweto" sound. "Warm Heart of Africa" is really just a small window into the tremendous album. It's no secret that I'm a fan of Passion Pit, but I have to admit that their debut full-length Manners was unfulfilling and sort of fell flat on its face in some places. Thankfully, we have The Very Best's Warm Heart of Africa to fill in the gaps as my favorite dance-y album of the year thus far. I even like "Rain Dance" featuring M.I.A., and that's a huge deal because I find her to be mostly unbearable.
Warm Heart of Africa will be released later this fall on Green Owl. Make sure to listen to "Chalo," which is my current favorite. I hope The Very Best add some more U.S. dates soon.
Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig) - The Very Best
April 21, 2009
Vampire Weekend - Columbia University 04.18.09
You either like Vampire Weekend or deplore them. Not just dislike them, but absolutely despise them. And, I can see how people can be turned off by what the band supposedly represents: money and privilege. The VW backlash is pretty complicated, but one thing is clear to me. VW has some very enjoyable pop songs, and you’re probably lying if you say that you don’t like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” at all.
A year after VW’s debut album release show, I voluntarily trekked my way up to Morningside Heights for Columbia’s annual Bacchanal spring concert. Some of my favorite college memories (or lack thereof) are associated with the event, and my Avenue Q blues may have convinced me to take the 1 train up to 116th Street. Whatever the real reason may be, I found myself on Low Plaza on the first beautiful day of this spring. The steps of the library were already packed at 1:45 pm, over an hour before Vampire Weekend was scheduled to hit the stage. But before we knew it, the young alumns hit the stage, swigging water out of flask-like bottles.
VW opened with “White Sky,” and went on to play every song from their debut album. They’ve had a lot of time and practice to perfect the old tunes, and they’ve gotten really good at playing them. Their Paul Simon-inspired songs were most appropriate for dancing in the afternoon sun, and the band members surprisingly looked like they were having fun, even Rostam. All the guys seemed very gracious to play their alma mater again, and Ezra even gave a shout-out to Chromeo, who remixed “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance.” While I think that VW is a fun outdoor listen, they seriously need some new songs. I’ve grown tired of listening to Ezra’s singing about a robot’s escape from Cape Cod to New Jersey and spilled kefir on keffiyehs. Ezra claimed that they’re currently working on a second album, but they weren’t ready to perform anything new. No pressure, Vampire Weekend. None at all.
In the past year or so, the VW hype has exploded to such ridiculous heights that it actually blows my mind. I couldn’t avoid them in magazines, on TV, or on the Internet, but the last place I expected to see or hear anything VW-related was during The Wrestler. But, there they were, staring me in the face. A poster for Vampire Weekend’s debut album was hanging in the living room of character Randy’s daughter. Yes, I was annoyed and sick of seeing them everywhere, but I can’t say that I hate their music. And for those of you who hate them without having heard any of their songs, you should probably try to form opinions of your own. While I have no qualms with people who objectively dislike VW’s music, it’s another thing to drink the communal haterade for the sake of riding the mainstream wave.
This leads me to two questions: Are we capable of liking music objectively? That is, can human beings evaluate bands purely based on the music and nothing else? SHOULD we judge music objectively? With the Vampire Weekend phenomenon, it seems like the answer to the former is that most of us do not blindly listen to music, especially when the band’s image is absolutely unavoidable. In the case of VW, I am simultaneously proud of VW’s success and embarrassed by their pretentiousness. They may represent a certain demographic at CU, but their world is one that my small-town Midwestern roots still do not understand, even after four years at that institution. Yet, I like their music. It's not life-changing, but it's more than listenable. Maybe I’m a VW fan because I started listening to them when they were on the cusp of MTV famedom. Whether or not I should judge them or anyone other band by their personalities and circumstances, I don’t know the answer to that one. But, let's try to focus on the music and not what they're wearing. And, yes, I do realize that I like a band that’s been on the Disney Channel.
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
December 1, 2008
Top Albums of 2008: A Reflection
No Jens Lekman album this year, but at least I saw him twice
I feel like I've been spending way too much time on Ukulele Hunt and not enough on blogging. H. just told me that I haven't posted in a blog century. So, as the year is nearly coming to an end, it's time for the "Best of 2008" lists. I started jotting down a rough list in my notebook a couple months ago, but I'm sure I've missed plenty of records that were released in the early part of the year. Some of these albums have somehow changed my tastes and thoughts on music. Others are just too much fun to not enjoy. Life-changing or not, these records are the ones that have shaped my year. It's funny how I can listen to one of these albums and be transported back to the place/time/weather that I associate with it.
As a little refresher, I've looked up my personal list of 2007's top albums. Oh, the hilarity.
Top Albums of 2007 (in no particular order):
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (Blue CD-R Demo)
!!! (Chk Chk Chk) - Myth Takes
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
I know what you're thinking. Where is Bon Iver on this list? Bon Iver turned out to be more of a 2008 thing for me. I've spent many hours attempting to play "Blindsided" on my acoustic. Can I count Bon Iver's debut as an album of 2008 since it was re-released in February? Oh, you may also be asking me what the hell I was thinking with a couple of these on my list. Things change? Also, I think Beirut should have been on that list. I've been listening to a lot of The Flying Club Cup recently. Perhaps, that is also ukulele-influenced. Then again, there are many 2007 albums that I didn't have the opportunity to appreciate until 2008...
Anyway, some of these albums have continued to be classics for me. Just a few minutes ago, I was playing Jens' "Your Arms Around Me" on the ukulele (If anyone has the ukulele version of that, please please send it this way). Just recently, I've been listening to a lot of Vampire Weekend. Judge me if you will, but I associate Vampire Weekend with the fall and early winter, which was when I was listening to their demo on repeat last year. And, a year ago, I never thought that VW would blow up in the way that they did. Now, I'm sickened by how often I hear their name. I can admit it: I am jealous. But, I can't deny that "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is a great pop song. Unfortunately, since their demo made my list in 2007, their proper debut will not be on my 2008 list since the two are roughly the same.
If you're a relatively frequent follower of this blog, you will find that some of the albums on my list are predictable. Clearly, I've greatly favored a handful of bands this year. But, there will be surprises since there are some awesome albums that I never got around to blogging about.
Your Arms Around Me - Jens Lekman
Top Albums of 2008:
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
The Dodos - Visiter
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant EP
The Walkmen - You & Me
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
April 30, 2008
I'm like FAMOUS (but really I'm not because I was a poor plebeian with normal tickets at Coachella)
My name is Sarah, and I like to dance. I like to dance to good music and with people who like to dance. Dance with their eyes closed. Anyways, Mimi asked me to guest write on her blog, and I thought it was going to be a ghostwriting kind of a deal, which is all gravy because my writing sucks, despite my BA in English. But here's what I had drafted while bored at work and on the bus to work. I saved approximately four dollah bills today taking the bus in, but ruined my satin flats.
Coachella was awesome, and Andrew was the perfect person to go with. PERFECT. It makes me wonder who would be more fun to go see shows with- Mimi or Andrew.
:) p
It was an experience to say the least, but not as... grand as I had imagined, not nearly as big or overwhelming as I had expected, although I was rarely at the main stage.
A few disappointments:
Spank Rock never showed up - instead, Amanda Blank and two women did an insulting set, insulting to the audience because it was just unorganized and badly put together. When Amanda Blank messed up, she laughed it off and ran off stage instead of continuing. But Spank Rock is performing with MSTRKRFT at Hardfest.
MGMT - I know I really only like 2-3 songs of theirs. I don't think I gave enough of their songs a listen before going in expecting their entire set to sound like Kids or Electric Feel. I'll stick to the songs that I like.
M.I.A. was a huge disappointment. By no means was I expecting to be blown away, but I did want to experience her live. She's a little "ghetto," if you will, for my taste. I liked her earlier stuff, but quite a few songs feature a copious number of gunshots, to which the audience and crowd throw up their hands fashioned into guns. I'm just not kosher with that. Pumping those into the air to gunshots is not my idea of YAYNESS.
Chromeo was another disappointment. I've seen them a few times, the last at Neighborhood Fest in LA, which was a good performance. I don't know if they took the time to make a set list, but most likely not. It was almost as if they had come up on stage like they were going to have a jam session. I think the main dude is letting it get to his head that he's "made it," and now that he has he has the right to waste the time and money of people who have driven out to see him among other acts. He must have played a maximum of five songs.
Vampire Weekend. Wow. They really blew up. One of the largest crowds at the Outdoor Stage, given it was the first day and an afternoon. Ezra just doesn't have the energy or personality to hold an audience. They may be intelligent and talented musicians, but performers they are not.
This was definitely a weekend of surprises. Bands I wasn't expecting or anticipating were the most enjoyable.
Jack Johnson at night is weird. He's daytime listening, Malibu listening. I have several beach playlists with him on it. Well, I HAD playlists because my external harddrive decided to leave me. Every good man leaves me, with a big void and a huge chunk of history. Literally, all my photos ad music.
Fatboy Slim was awesome. I'm pretty sure Andrew was entertained by me. Floored by the light show. We sat at the back of the tent enjoying the crazy light fixtures and effects. But I digress, because the music was unbelievable. He was an awesome headliner.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings was a welcome break from the continuous chaos that is Coachella. Soulful, but energetic, Sharon Jones really infused the crowd with her rich voice. I sound like I'm writing a newspaper article.
Oh, and her unforgettable pinwheel.
Random note - being made a contributor on this blog kind of feels like being given a key to your boyfriend's place. No, it doesn't actually. I'm just flattered.
Diplo turned the speakers/bass in towards him, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that it scared me a little. I was scared for his ears. I was disappointed that he didn't do the Beatles song.
Cut Copy was absolutely unbelievable. This is when I first took off my shirt - which I didn't anticipate doing. I was jamming HARD.
The shows I enjoyed most I also remember least because i was so lost in my own world of dancing, beats thumping in my head, and interacting with other people around.
PRINCE. CAN. MOVE.
PRINCE. CAN . JAM.
PRINCE. CAN. PERFORM.
At one point, he did an awesome riff, sustained a high note for a good thirty seconds, covered his face with his arm, slowly lowered his arm, devilishly cast his eyes about the crowd, and then continued holding the tens of thousands of people in suspense. Andrew and I marveled at his control over the crowd. How do you have that many people scream your name on command? It's hard enough for me to get ONE person to scream my name.
I'm so glad we went to the main stage and decided to stay. Prince did have a long set, and he gave the crowd what they wanted. For a huge headliner, that's awesome. And his drummer was an older woman in a vibrant red jacket.
Oh, and the first thing I saw was his shiny outfit. All white. And custom heels, or so Andrew believes.
Yelle was so adorable. A few things stand out:
1) her shiny dress
2) her songs were fun and poppy, but start blending in
3) her Heidi Klum accent, e.g. "Ah you rehdee too dahnce Coechehhlaah?" "Do yoo wahnt too shehk yo bootee Coechehhlaah?"
Hot Chip - read Cut Copy, plus the international crew that joined in the dancing madness.
Bonde Do Role was amazing. The crowd kept spilling out of Gobi so we danced outside (I think it was Gobi).
Mark Ronson was good. I heard a few songs but again, it was dark and the outdoor theater, and it just wasn't engaging enough.
Justice. Wow. Suspense.
The intro was literally 2 minutes long. And you could never tell when he was going to end.
"We are your friends" went on for what seemed ten minutes. The entirety of Sahara and, probably, Coachella was jumping at one time or another. It definitely could have gotten dangerous in there.
Simian Mobile Disco was tons of fun - refer back to Hot Chip and Cut Copy.
Booka Shade was interesting.
Kid Sister was adorable. I convinced myself that I had found the orange leather flats she was wearing until Andrew shot me down. She started quite late after A Trak had a long set, and the soundboard cut her short. Well... she did start late so she went over her time.
Some afterthoughts:
There were soooo many Prius' in the lots of parking.
My favorite art installations:
Big Rig Jig
The robots that interact with people and voices and roam around the fields
The Tesla Coils
And my last note - do not go near the burgerrito. Such a bad idea.
Thanks to Mimi for faith in me, such blind faith, an everyday plebeian thrust into the limelight (limelight, aka www.madeablog.com)
Can you still title your blog "Look at me, I made a blog" if you've bought a domain name? I think not.
January 31, 2008
Vampire Weekend Debut Album Release - Bowery Ballroom
I have three things to say...
1. On Vampire Weekend's 1/30/08 Bowery Ballroom Show...
To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for Vampire Weekend's Bowery Ballroom show. I've seen a lot of youtube videos of their live performances, and I wasn't very impressed. So, after last night's show, I'm eating my words. Yes, it is true. Vampire Weekend is good. While most of their music is very mellow and replayable, as Nitsuh Abebe of Pitchfork says, they put on a high-energy show. I had the most fun watching Chris Tomson, the drummer, who enjoys bobbing his head to the beat so much that you can't help but follow suit. Most importantly, Vampire Weekend's music is fun. I don't care what you haters say (and I will get to that later). How can you listen to "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and not want to move to the music? You can't. If you claim that you can, then either you do not enjoy listening to music or you are lying.
Gotta love Ezra's boat shoes + socks combination.
New song, "White Sky." Because every record release show needs a new song that is NOT on the album. From the 1/29 Bowery Ballroom Show.
2. On VW Backlash...
When a band's rise to fame is very fast, it is inevitable that there will be backlash from all sorts of people. But, I think the comments I've been reading on brooklynvegan are out of control. For one, I can't believe people are going out of their way to share their hatred for a band. I don't even bother posting about bands that I find to be unimpressive. Secondly, these attacks on VW are absurd, ranging from criticisms on their look to their musical influences. I'm sure that if Vampire Weekend dressed in typical hipster garb, these people would have less of a problem with them. Because VW chooses to stick with preppy shirts and sweaters, these people are fired up. Also, why do some people get so pissed when a band from humble beginnings hits the big time? Suddenly, they need to explain why VW is completely overrated and unoriginal. I guess in their books, no band is allowed to be remotely influenced by other musical artists. Or have success.
Let's not forget that VW is still a very young and humble band. Around the time doors opened, I saw a fabulously dressed, older woman sitting by herself. I was thinking, "Is that woman in the right place? Is she lost??" Then, I saw Chris Baio (bassist) come up to her and give her a huge hug. I'm thinking she may be his grandmother? Either way, it's endearing that VW's families are coming to their shows. I also talked to Chris Tomson afterwards to congratulate him on a great show and on their successes thus far. He was incredibly gracious and, although he was incredibly busy, he gave me a few minutes of his time. I can't help but be happy for these guys.
This NYTimes piece may make them out to be pretentious Ivy League pricks, but I don't think that is the case. These guys are Columbia alums and the one thing I know about Columbia kids... they are dorky and awkward. As a CU engineer, I definitely know that.
So, Vampire Weekend's name may be all over GQ, Vogue, and MTV (Oh, how I loathe MTV), but my opinion of VW has not changed much since my earlier post. Are they overrated now? Possibly, but I like their music all the same. And, no, I don't think they're like every other indie band. If they were a typical indie band, I wouldn't care for them...I don't think anyone would care for them. Their sound is unique enough for me to be hooked.
3. On Ezra Koenig's Sweater...
Now, for a lighter subject. Last night, that sweater almost started a catfight between a guy and a girl. This guy somehow managed to obtain the sweater and planned on wearing it after throwing it into a washing machine. This girl, claiming to be with management, walks up to him and yanks it out of his hands. Seeing as she went to the back of the coat check line immediately afterwards, I think it's safe to say that she was not with management. The guy was pretty pissed and debated getting the sweater back.
Check out Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut album!
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
M79 - Vampire Weekend
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
November 29, 2007
Vampire Weekend
Picture was taken in Hamilton.
Vampire Weekend, you are my heroes. You graduated from Columbia, you're doing your thing, and you're getting somewhere. You toured with my favorite band, Tokyo Police Club, and with Ra Ra Riot. I don't even personally know any of you and I am so excited because I ACTUALLY LIKE LISTENING TO YOUR MUSIC.
What amuses me the most is that Vampire Weekend's first live performance was at a battle of the bands event hosted by my engineering school's student council. Needless to say, the judges were not experts on music. It's laughable that Vampire Weekend finished 3rd out of 4 bands. Read the Columbia coverage here and coverage by the NY Sun here. I love the judge who commented," Generally, I don’t like hipsters, but you guys are OK." Oh, I am sad to be an engineer right now.
***UPDATE*** Vampire Weekend was featured in Vogue, and the article says that the band formed exactly four days before the battle of the bands event.
I'm definitely planning on going to this Vampire Weekend album release show since the other one is sold out. Both shows are in January at the Bowery Ballroom.
If I didn't have finals, I would go to Cambridge to see TPC, Ra Ra Riot, and Vampire Weekend play at the Friends of John charity show.
So, if you haven't already, give them a listen. The album will be officially released early next year. They say they are influenced by popular African music and classical Western music. "African preppy." Nice and mellow. They did a Daytrotter session not too long ago.
"Oxford Comma" makes me smile, because I am a huge nerd and love the Oxford comma. It bothers me when people don't use it. So, "who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?" I do, Vampire Weekend.
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
Mansard Roof
