The Vampire Weekend "Contra" is ten years old – The Media Hq

Advertisement

The eyes that stare at you from the second Vampire Weekend album are so striking, so intentional, that its fair to assume that the Polaroid was taken for the sole purpose of the album. But in fact, the photo is older than Koenig himself, the one he found while browsing the Flickr image hosting service. The ambiguity of her age and her expression made me feel that she was on the verge of something, which really matches the mood of the new album, said the groups leader. Wrapped in his expression is this question: How does she feel? Maybe she wasnt even really sure at the time. Although Contra was barely 10 years old, her cover girls simple polo shirt and gold hoops feel timeless, and the album itself remains a lasting touchstone of independent rock which has become a considerable classic.

But Vampire Weekend didnt need to make another iconic record. Their eponymous debut in 2008 gave birth to their first certified gold single, A-Punk, popularized by soundtracks from films like Step Brothers and video games like Guitar Hero 5. In the vast field of art-rock artists emerging around the same time, the mix of afropop and Vampire Weekend bedroom was not just an act of indulgence towards the same kids who worshiped bands like Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective; it was a bunch of New York pre-players opening up new avenues for independent music.

Advertisement

(embedded) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vraoiVCDdaM (/ embedded)Vampire Weekend Holiday (official video)

http://www.youtube.com

Although their beginnings were very courageous, Contra has seen the Vampire Weekend introduce a wider pool of influences and exert new sounds. California English used an improbable dash from Auto-Tune, while tracks like Run and White Sky implemented electronic instrumentation previously unknown to them. The guitar trills close to Miserlou from Cousins are the most chaotic group. They sampled the British rapper M.I.A. for the bouncing Diplomats Son, then to continue with the conclusion I Think Ur a Contra, a peaceful and heartbreaking breakout ballad that remains one of the most amazing songs of Vampire Weekend to date.

(integrated) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0u11rgd9Q (/ integrated)Vampire Weekend Cousins (Official Clip)

http://www.youtube.com

Recently, music journalist Evan Rytlewski tweeted a metric he used to estimate the size of a group which he called the Strokes test that made my brain vibrate for days: People get Would they still care about this band if their best album didnt exist? Vampire Weekend was one of the first bands I thought I would pass the test with flying colors. They are part of these groups whose best album will be the subject of lively debates in the years to come; some favor the rootiness of their eponymous new group, while others, like me, tend to lean toward the polite atmosphere of their 2013 masterpiece, Modern Vampires of the City. A minority delight in the pure fun of their double album back, Father of the Bride from last year.

Contras only certainty is that it solidified this gang of Columbia graduates not as one-off successes, but as torchbearers of independent rock who will continue to be idolized and imitated countless times, decades later. . Years after A-Punk stopped automatic playback on our car stereos, Contra serves as an indication of a qualified group to stay on for both a good time and a long time.

(integrated) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwJQlUQjeS4 (/ integrated)Vampire Weekend I think youre against

http://www.youtube.com

.

Advertisement

See original here:
The Vampire Weekend "Contra" is ten years old - The Media Hq

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero