To follow up (on that quote), I've listened to the 3-song EP about 20 times through and would upgrade "perfectly good music for what it is" to "really fun, enjoyable music." I like them a lot.

Main point still stands tho...surprised to see them taking the blog route to popularity.

i saw them at the east river park, not that many people showed up for that show.

i like them! it's fun, they are cute, I doubt I'll remember them as an important soundtrack to my life down the road of life, but for now I'm enjoying it quite a bit

These guys completely won me over after seeing them open for New Pornographers at Bowery. Everyone in the room was digging them...great band chemistry, catchy guitar hooks and a songs that get stuck in your head. They had a great stage presence and were very humble on stage -- you could tell they were truly honored to be opening up for NP at Bowery. I was at the bar after the show talking to one of the dudes and he was extremely cool and down-to-earth. What is not to like about them? Because their music is too simple? That's fine, but it's not fair to hate on a band because they are dominating the music blogs; The nature of the music scene these days requires bloggers to build cred by acknowledging the next potentially awesome band before the next guy.

So yeah, I'm a huge fan.

i really fucking love the album and don't understand what's so "vanilla" about them - just because they don't affect some tortured post-punk attitude? are jangly guitars so shocking these days?

ooh he has a penis nose!!!

check the tip!

I saw Vampire Weekend earlier this year at Union Hall (Park Slope), opening for the excellent Georgie James. VW were so horrid and irritating that my friends and I left the venue during their set (returning later for GJ).

I saw them Saturday, and it was alright. I like their songs; really nice. Catchy. That said, I'm beginning to suspect that we're seeing the second coming of Dave Matthew Band. Not to be mean, but I can easily see them sharing fans. It's interesting that the hottest upcoming New York band is so completely un-cool. I mean, their die-hard, old-school fans seem to consist mainly of Columbia girls in spaghetti straps. It's kind of awesome.

"die-hard, old-school fans"

you cant be serious.. a band thats been around this long has no such thing. i saw them at mercury lounge with land of talk however many months ago, and it was quite clear they had a lot of "fans" in the crowd, aka, all their friends.

off topic, can anyone confirm that the Stills playing with A Place to Bury Strangers @ mercury lounge on next thursday?

on topic, it is extremely difficult to be whiter than Vampire Weekend. thoughts?

Elaborate on what you mean by "whiter". Sounds as though you mean that as a derogatory term. If someone were to say it's extremely difficult to be blacker than (fill in the blank), they'd likely stir up a shitstorm.

well you know how your parents always tell you it doesnt matter how well you do in school, but which school you get in to?

here is living proof....

@Anon 2:15:

Yeah, well of course "old school" is relative. I'm not totally serious. But it seemed that most of the people who were singing along to the non-EP songs were conspicuously square and undergraduate, and yes probably their friends. No judgments here- I just think it's amusing that those people can now claim mad indie cred for being down with VW from day one!

I've seen VW three times in the last 30 days, can't believe how into them I am. Haven't been this attached to a band's songs since I discovered Gomez in 2002. Saturday's show was great and it's nice to see some success coming their way.

Jeez, why so much hatred in the blogosphere?? I agree with Drugsy, that those people who dislike them must do so because they are becoming popular in the blogs.

Can't people judge music based on the music and not judge the music based on the hype the band is getting? Don't people understand that the music blogs and the internet have made it virtually impossible for a band to NOT be overhyped these days? Hype or no hype, I think these kids are great!

...and just for the record, I was singing many of the non-EP songs and haven't been an undergraduate since 1987. Although I might be square.

@Mr. Clean:

Umm no, I don't think so. It all depends on context, I suppose.

I feel I can safely say that VW are white as hell. Appropriating African music only serves to make them whiter, as stealing from other cultures is a white, cracker-ass thing to do. Good tunes, though.

Also, lighten up. Unless you're Vampire Weekend. You guys are blinding us with your whiteness already.

so so catchy. what's to hate? every new band's crowd is padded with with mostly friends.

ivy leaguers automatically get people who hate them--and yes, often they are suspect. but i didn't go to columbia, so i feel perfectly happy to like this band. jury's still out on harlem shakes, though. (actually, they are good too.)

I love it when bloggers are shocked that other people like a band that doesn't fit into their perception of the "indie box."

Between a band like Deerhunter or Vampire, I'll take Vampire.

Regarding the DMB comparison (anon 2:09): I hear you, and I think these guys are great, but I don't exactly see them selling out Giants Stadium for 10 years straight and becoming one of the most lucrative touring acts of all time. They don't exactly sound like DMB either. It begs the question: Who are the current DMB fans, and why would they be VW fans? I used to love DMB in high school (I'm now 27), but mostly because I liked getting drunk and making out with 3 girls at a time during "Say Goodbye"

no way, deerhunter is much better. saw both for the record.

whatever, they were good. i get the dmb comparison but you guys all liked dmb back in the day and just won't admit it.

although, the dude next to me fell asleep.

also- how shitty do bands sounds when you are up by the stage at MHOW??? i had to move back in order for the harlem shakes to sound ok. that blows. anyway, the shakes were good too. i love them.

that throwback act that opened up was just eh. hard to look at.

ALSO- that girl? who was interpretive dancing during harlem shakes? i. fucking. love. her. i wish everyone was like that all the time at shows. amazing.

@2:42-

Alright, the DMB comparison is clumsy. But I didn't mean they would share the DMB fans of today. I meant the DMB fans of 13 years ago. Really accessible, collegiate, with a whiff of world music. I can just see them having similar appeal. But no, it's a flawed analogy. And I don't like DMB, whereas I do like VW. You know I do-o-o-o-o-o-ooh!

Sorry.

"If someone were to say it's extremely difficult to be blacker than (fill in the blank), they'd likely stir up a shitstorm."

It's extremely difficult to be blacker than James Brown. Is that a controversial statement (in the right context)?

why would INDIE ROCK made by 4 white kids be "black"? (assuming that's the opposite of white). it's hard to even understand how fucking dumb that comment is.

Anon 3:16, I'm afraid you're missing the point. It's not how black they're not, but how white they are. They're really white. Like they're whiter than Arcade Fire, and AF are Canadian!

Anyway, I like their honky asses.

It's extremely difficult to be gayer than Deerhunter. In the right context of course.

have you guys seen vampire weekend ?
have you seen a picture of them ?
they are 100% white.
they are not even a little bit black in the artist-rendered cartoon from the new yorker.

While VW sounds really white, it must be noted that not all of the members are. Sorry, Rostam Batmanglij, for lumping you in.

Does anybody remember Jonathan Fire*Eater? Oh, wait- they're kinda The Walkmen now.

I'm all about Vampire Weekend. I saw them in Los Angeles a month or two ago now, and while they didn't completely blow me away, I was intrigued enough to go home and check them out, and fell in love with what I heard.

On second thought, maybe the keyboardist is white? He looked kind of brown-ish at the show. Now I'm not sure. Can we get confirmation on this.

Oh wait- I don't really care.

Hey Patti Smith! Check us out commenting about whity/whitie/whitey!

All kidding aside, these guys are good! They play charming, catchy songs. I hope they don't become victims of their own hype, because they're not the type of band that blows your mind. But it's good to have them around.

The ghouls!

Our fair Internet remains corrupted by these servants of the Dark Lord!

This evil must be purged and sent back to the demonic "Columbia University" from whence it was spawned!

Well spoke Anon 4:10...couldn't have said it better myself.

But seriously, let's stay on track here, we're discussing their whiteness.

What's with all the "whiteness" comments?

Hipsters are just wayyy too obsessed/preoccupied with band image.

They make catchy, nice tunes. Period.

Leave all the other bullshit at the door.

When someone sent me a fawning email and few songs last month for a listen, I thought he was joking. I can't help but think that they just have a seriously dedicated NYC/Columbia (they're from CU, right?) street team. I mean, the songs were LOL bad, certainly nothing that could possibly garner the kind of attention that they're getting. I'm not pulling some contrarian "OMG CYHSY/MIA/AF/Web-hype BAND IS SUXXOR!" stuff. It's more like, "Seriously? People like this?" Just the first time that I've been seriously dumbfounded to find reasons to like a big-hype band.

The DMB comparisons seem kinda off-base, although the songs I heard sounded like the most abortive tracks from the last African-tinged Trey Anasasio album (fwiw TA isn't a strawman of awfulness for me, but that's the first thing I thought of upon listening).

They make catchy, nice tunes... psych! These guys are awful. Period.

Fixed.

"jimmy buffet of indie rock" pretty much sumps it up, and the Columbia fan base hang out at margaritaville....i just hope people don't start putting vampire bats on their shoulders...then this hype will truly be out of hand.

"Seriously? People like this?" Just the first time that I've been seriously dumbfounded to find reasons to like a big-hype band."

yes generally people who hate on pop music, i would not expect them to like this, that makes sense.

people who are listening to these guys now for enjoyment i would hope and aren't saying wow my mind is blown.... this will become some pretty mainstream stuff i do think. i can see moms driving their kids to soccer practice with this blasting. or at a highschool dance and thats fine i guess.

but for that type of quality to get the hype in a cutting edge on terms of music artists and song writers on the blog end of things, is upsetting to bands that deserve more attention.

basically kids who liked "DMB" in highschool ...found a more intriguing scene when they got older, got into hipsterdom, which is expanding into and across pop culture of nyc and america. so essentially this is a jimmy buffet paul simon dmb love child that came from some motivated individuals who, yet not completlely talentless, went and created something.

I am sure more bands of this hybrid are to come. hell plenty exsist already...thinking ...i mean look at pop punk fucking blink 182, yea they are catchy but so annoying no one really into punk liked them. so its more of what are you doing for the genre or the art or the performance that bothers the blog status. are vampire weekend truly aritsts, thats not known, but based on what they have done now, people have different opinions. i guess we can only blame the evolution of social american culture. and the conflicting desires of man.///

hmm Animal collective are playing two shows. vampire weekend are opening the second one..

I can't wait until they tour with The Hold Steady so I can sit back and watch everyone's heads explode.

we're vampire weekend, and this next song is about ivette, the spanish maid at my house on cape cod

i was there. and i did a video of the new song they played.

http://www.themodernage.org/2007/09/09/vampire-weekend-music-hall-of-williamsburg/

There are two T's in Jimmy Buffett's surname.

Drugs Delaney, I was at the New Pornographers show at the Bowery and I did not dig them, so screw you. (Not that I hated them, but I quickly forgot them.)

Jesus people! way to ruin the fun & enjoyment of a new band! :)

Why did the DMB comment have to be brought up? So damn obvious, now, after watching that video from the WillB Hall show. I can now assume VW will just be fun songs that play randomly on my iTunes...

I almost went to that show and you all make me feel dirty for thinking that!

At least there is the Heima / Hvarf-heim to look forward to and cleanse my filthy dirty little pop music enjoying mind!

what about Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts the day before? how come no one blogged them?

It is way more embarrassing to be a "so-and-so sucks" poster on these boards than to admit to loving Vampire Weekend. Who cares how white they are? They make great music. How white are you?

I think the "Vampire Weekend are white" posters and the "Vampire Weekend suck" posters are different. The first group are trying to be funny. The second group are just being negative.

ARGHGHGH WE'RE BEING NEGATIVE B/C VW'S MUSIC SOUNDS AWFUL!!!

I'm guessing a lot of the neg comments come from people who love pop, and it probably depresses us that we'll have to read VWeekend posts on blogs instead of posts about bands that we like more.

Does anyone have an answer to my NYC/CU street team question? I'm way more interested in the mechanics of VW hype than I am in their music.

well ok the mechanics of hype- its getting people together and they all hype the same thing pretending to be regular people, or i guess you butter up bloggers with some perks like cds or concert tickets so you will only write nice things about their bands. just read the Rick Rubin interview from last week, i think record labels are gonna go in big into blog hype game, especially at a site like this here since basically this is the clearing house of indie music scene in NYC.

also, i think a lot of these posts that tell you to "stop being negative because you hurt these struggling bands", lot of that is coming from record companies or bands themselves as well.

why i meant getting people together- record company emplyees whos job it is to post on blogs. its already happening, read the Rick Rubin NY Times Magazine feature from last week.

That's kinda what I was getting at, Not an Industry. I mean, I guess there's no real way to tell who is sincere and who is a factory wrapped corporate douche interning for a label.

Whatev, I listened and I hated. I should probably just move along.

I'm not in "the industry" at all. I like VW, and I'm disappointed that the negative comments are so dull and devoid of insight. Just "They suck!" and "They sound awful!" I mean, can you put a finger on what you hate so much about it? Not so we can argue (to each his own) but just for the sake of contributing SOMETHING to the discussion?

I don't think VW are propped up by industry-induced blog hype (they weren't even signed until a month ago). I think they're perfectly positioned to fill a particular niche. Smarty-pants kids want more genteel, breezy pop to listen to and possibly score Wes Anderson movies with. And the blog echo-chamber blows bands up at increasingly breakneck speeds. Thus, the surging popularity of Vampire Weekend.

Why does everyone have to hate so much on them? They're really nice dudes and their music is catchy. They're not douchey and they seem to be really humble/surprised that so many big things have happened for them lately.

they suck because they are so light-weight and are lacking in creativity, intelligence, humor, and intensity, and passion and sex appeal, and can't play their instruments and they are bland and boring looking like a frat band. sterile, like Columbia.

Every band sucks that I don't like. Please run all your music purchases and/or concert ticket purchases by me in advance for hipster approval.

bland blue bloods.

colombia is shitting their pants over them because A.) colombia has no-one else to celebrate, at all B.) these boys are conservative, white, and harmless.

What is this crap? Jesus....

What is this crap? Jesus....

And here's to the death of indie rock.... vampire weekend, because they are bloodless?

you people are so lame!

first of all, you're posting on a site that is called brooklynvegan!

and you're calling other people cliche and one-dimensional!

they make fun indie music: you are bitter about SOMETHING. there is very little to dislike (and that, to most people on the planet, is NOT a bad thing..."omg, they're not alternative and artsy enuf for me cause i need something weird and bjorky"...suck it).

I am very embarassed that I really really like this bands music.

I'm not

indie buffet.

i don't get it.

on the other hand, congrats to anyone doing well with their music.

it's not easy to pull off.

kill yourself if you like this band. they are destined to be worshiped by former catholic high school soccer/lacrosse/track/x country athletes that went on to similarly white and annoying colleges and universities.

This is the music the dickhead rich kids in 1980s teen films would have listened to.

They are boring, staggeringly UN streetwise, bland, and suck in a hundred thousand other ways. Alt rock, way back in the 1980s this band reminds me, was a private party for the people that 'got it.' As is *always* the case with shitty middle of the road DMB-cult attracting music, the moths don't understand that the flame is just shit lit afire and cannot suppress their innate cro magnon bro-down frat-daddy faggot tendencies.

With awesomely radical lyrics like this who could not love this music:

"But this feels so unnatural
Peter Gabriel too

Can you stay up
To see the dawn
In the colors
Of Bennetton? "

It even rhymes! I'm such an old skool fan of VW, these guys rock dude man. VW 4 eva!

They remind me of Hanson, what a great band!

Am I the only one who can just picture Rachel Ray singing along to some Vampire Weekend while driving to shoot a new episode of '30 Minute Meals'? It just seems like a natural fit to me. She just seems like the kind of person who would be a huge VW fan.