January 24, 2010 by Kip Hooker, Section: Album Reviews, Comments (13)
Vampire Weekend/Self Titled
Vampire Weekend . . . what a stupid stupid name. And it’s an especially stupid name for a band whose music seems fare more reminiscent of Elvis Costello practicing the Paul Simon/Rhythm of the Saints song book than anything even remotely grossly similar to Peter Murphy. Every time I hear that name -and I’ve heard it often enough over the last year or two- I think to myself “Hey is this one of those goth or emo bands?”. Oh but there, I’ve gone off and done it again. I’ve come off and used goth and emo as being interchangable synonyms of one for the other. And while that is how it is now but back when I was walking ten miles uphill in the snow to get to school we had a very different parameter for the categorizing of emo. It was folks in western shirts. The ones with the mother of pearl snapping buttons. The kind you can now get at Gap, but once upon a time had to rummage through a thrift store to come up with. It was also chucks and khaki pants. The khakis you could also get at the gap but were less preferable than ones purchased at the thrifter because:
A) Their purchase didn’t require a secondary trip.
B) Their purchase didn’t require a secondary income.
C) Their purchase was bound to be less harmful to your indie cred. And indie cred was, after all, what it was all about.
As for the chucks a little bit of thrift store searching might have yielded such a prize, but as for my I was more inclined to parlay the money I’d saved on shirts and pants into items of never before used shoes and underwear. In any case it was about more than the clothes. The clothed were just a secret handshake. A note from underground reaching out and drawing the attention of those with the secret, well guarded knowledge, of unknown bands (and the attending culture) that were loved, loved, loved unitil either they signed to a major label, appeared on the soundtrack to a major motion picture or in general became to well known for our own good or the smug satisfaction of having better taste than the guy next to us at the DMV. Oh yes, I hated the Promise Ring and I’d no interest in Sunny Day either.
What does any of this have to do with Vampire Weekend or their eponymous debut? Nothing. So let me return to that right now. Its a great album. A whole lot of fun really and I highly recommend it.
Joe
January 24, 2010 @ 8:28 pm
I must admit that I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I guess I’m just old.
Sarah Lee
January 24, 2010 @ 10:01 pm
I’ve never heard of this band. I think they are made up just like all of your stories. Why can’t you write about a good artist with a lot of talent like Justin Bebier. You guys are fools!
Red Spot on Jupiter
January 25, 2010 @ 1:47 am
Whatever happened to whacker cracker? I miss pwning him on this forum!
Royal Title Loans
January 25, 2010 @ 5:12 am
The Vitamin Press is the greatest web site. I read you guys everyday and learn all the good stuff. Please borrow money from me. Royal Title Loans!!!
Pharmacy Teckie
January 25, 2010 @ 7:55 pm
Thank you The Vitamin Press. Your website is useful to my knowledge and really helps me with my business.
Erich von Freemason
January 26, 2010 @ 9:47 pm
That’s not music. It’s just noise. Repetitive, three-chord crap. Can’t you play something nice, like Lawrence Welk?
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
To Joe yes you are Old and I am sure Red Spot is wearing some of you’re underwear from the thrift store. And for Royal Title Loans- Get out while you can this website is way over you’re head, it took you 2 hours just to look up 12 words in the first Paragraph alone. And Sara Lee come over and I’ll slap you around for alittle while ( in the nice way ) of the small but cute little comments you leave. This week we drink blood, next week I’ll be spanking Sara Lee. And that’s mah post. And for those of use who can afford Gap just let us be, keep shaking you’re head it’s okay. While I spend $200-$400 on nice shirts and pants I TRY ON AT THE STORE!!!! I never have to go back twice. Now this was the nasty Cracker talking, but on a nicer note I really would like to see more unknown bands stay unknow.
Whacka on Muh Cracka
[Don't edit I like the Sara Lee thing =)]
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:12 pm
fudge correct: more unknown bands stay unknow to the correct spelling please. I am going to have to get you the damn spell check module for this and I need a RSS feed so I can run you thru several of my systems. But leave Sara I like her =P
Fudging Big Daddy “T” Team Ramrod
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:16 pm
Teckie please please please tell me you do not run you’re business model off of here, are you an idiot. This site is great for kicks but Your are NOW in FORECLOSURE you’re done. But smile at the camera as you do something stupid where ever you live at, pssssstttttt always wear a paperbag over you’re head.
Nasty Whacka muh Cracka
I’ll be nicer in the next few days.
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:18 pm
Whatever happened to whacker cracker? I miss pwning him on this forum!
??????
Are we talking about Gay Sex =P
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:19 pm
I’m going to flood you’re comments tonight better let some thru.
Whacker Cracker
January 26, 2010 @ 10:21 pm
Getting an oil change IS THE BEST WHEN ERIC VON FREEMASON IS WATCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And by the way he said you stole one of his names!!!!!! bad boy
Ninja
January 27, 2010 @ 7:22 pm
Ah, you did not see me . . . for I am Ninja!