Vampire Weekend is an indie pop band which formed in February 2006 in New York City, New York, United States. The band consists of Ezra Koenig (vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Baio (bass) and Christopher Tomson (drums).
Their self-titled debut album was released on January 29, 2008 on XL Recordings to, so far, critical success and the single A-Punk garnering heavy airplay on Alternative radio stations throughout the US. They are quickly garnering comparisons to Paul Simon’s Graceland for the Afro-pop style, as well as to The Kinks, new wave luminaries Haircut 100, and NYC’s The Walkmen. The album itself is also drawing comparisons to The Strokes’ 2001 debut, Is This It, which also broke through at the time for its pop simplicity and ingenuity.
Vampire Weekend received much buzz from local blogs throughout 2007 during their rise to a record deal. Rolling Stone placed Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa at number 57 for the top 100 songs of 2007. They also garnered much local buzz in the summer of 2007 with their song Oxford Comma, which gripes about prep grammar, Lil’ Jon, and coal drama. They are currently on their first major tour, covering North America and ending at Coachella 2008 in Indio, California.
Their second album “Contra” will be released on January 12, 2010. It contains the single “Cousins”
They are self-proclaimed “specialists in the following styles: ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’, ‘Upper West Side Soweto’, ‘Campus’, and ‘Oxford Comma Riddim.’”
The name Vampire Weekend comes from a movie that Ezra Koenig made in the summer of his freshman year at college.
