Track Listing

1. Mansard Roof
2. Oxford Comma
3. A-Punk
4. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
5. M79
6. Campus
7. Bryn
8. One (Blake's Got A New Face)
9. I Stand Corrected
10. Walcott
11. Kids Don't Stand A Chance

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #267 in Music
• Released on: 2008-01-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.co.uk Review
Who would have thought it? Nobody, that's who. The last time African music enjoyed any meaningful dalliance with the Western mainstream it was under Paul Simon's patronage with his peerless 1986 album Graceland. That's if you don't count Damon Albarn's extra curricular indulgences (which you don't). The last place we expected it to turn up again was from four New York kids who otherwise might have been found fiddling with their fringes in dorm rooms waiting for the Albert Hammond Jr. tour to hit town. Even by the obscure standards US indie has set itself over the last few years (see TV on the Radio and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) Vampire Weekend offer up a witch's brew of audacity. That alone would be sufficient to garner infamy and a rep for experimentation, but they also hang from this rebellion of form a stream of alt-tunefulness so efficient and unabashed it would make The Strokes' first album blush. Thus, the piping reggae organ and sun-kissed swagger of "Oxford Comma" is given a heartbeat by tight lo-fi garage drums and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" lilts along with cheerful tribal rhythms and crisp African guitar, bound by ascending psychedelic vocals. And that's not to mention the mad strings that make listening to "M79" like watching Ski Sunday on hallucinogens. Their advanced rhythmical awareness even makes more standard indie rampages "I Stand Corrected" and "Walcott" less standard. Which is about the length of it; Vampire Weekend, making the standard much less standard. --James Berry

CD Description
After gaining exposure through word of mouth, internet blogs and US indie radio, New York based four piece Vampire Weekend release their self-titled debut for XL Records. Recordedat various locations including barns and friends apartmentsand produced by keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij, the band describe their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto" playing a unique mix of Strokes style New York indie rock mixed with African rhythms. The debut single 'Mansard Roof' is included.

Customer Reviews

Pop just got smart again - Rock just got fun again!
OK. So I'm bored with the parade of safe singer songwriters and 60's style soulsters who are clogging up the charts, and Radiohead's latest doodlings are not making me feel any better.

But this is a breath of fresh air! Thank you Vampire Weekend!

Every so often there is a band with the breadth of vision to put a lorry load of influences into the blender and come up with something crisp and fresh.

Yes, there is Strokes style Noo-York Noo-Wave in here, African beats and Rythms, Classically influenced chamber pop, Barber Shop, and........ The sort of feast that pop groups served up between 1978 and 1984. But it is a lot more than the sum of it's influences - and Vampire Weekend show some great songwriting ability. And heck, it's just plain fun. This is going to get a lot of 40somethings putting their dancing shoes on again and getting on down to the likes of A-Pop which is pretty much 2Tone Ska revisited.

This is a college record and proud of it. It's a smart record and proud of it. It tosses words around with a gay abandon that reminds me of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.

Best of all this is a Spring and Summer record with a mixture of New York and African sunlight oozing from it's grooves.

Pop just got smart again - Rock just got fun again!

Short, punchy and fun alt pop.
The debut album from the (over) hyped NYC foursome is excellent power pop, with African Rhythms and happy jangly guitar. It's short, with lots of the songs barely cresting 3 minutes. But it makes up for it with huge fun hooks and lots of variety. It's a strong opening album from a band I hope survive the huge attention they are getting. The lyrics are at times high handed references to war and historical figures, but at their best are good stories and times socially relevant. Either way you slice it, it's the end of January and this CD will be making lots of year end "best of's". Purchase immediately, if not sooner.
Best tracks: A-Punk, Walcott, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

Best album of 2008!
Vampire Weekend have produced an excellent debut album and they deserve their chart success that they are having. Vampire Weekend have got their own sound which is always nice to hear and write very good songs such as Mansard Roof, Oxford and M79 being my favourites. This really is the best album of last year!