New York, NY · alternative · indie rock · indie pop · afrobeat

Vampire Weekend

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Ezra Koenig's New York band, threading Afropop guitar figures, harpsichord and baroque arrangements through tightly written pop songs.

Vampire Weekend formed at Columbia University in the mid 2000s, with Ezra Koenig singing and playing guitar alongside bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson. Keyboardist and producer Rostam Batmanglij shaped much of the early sound before leaving the band as a full member in 2016, though he has worked with them since.

Their self-titled debut arrived in 2008 and made them one of the most discussed indie bands of the period, partly for the preppy imagery and partly for songs like "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma." Later records widened the palette: "Contra" leaned on synths and sampling, "Modern Vampires of the City" turned darker and more hymn-like, and "Father of the Bride" ran to eighteen tracks with guest vocals from Danielle Haim. Koenig writes in long sentences and odd rhymes, and the band plays them at pop length.

alternativeindie rockindie popafrobeat