I’m aware that this is extremely late coming – it got stuck in my drafts folder unnoticed – but here it is anyways. My thoughts on the newest effort from Vampire Weekend. After reading the feature article the New Yorker ran about Vampire Weekend a few weeks ago titled School of Rock, I was left with a lot of questions. Apparently Vampire Weekend is and has always been influenced by African music, IE Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Kwassa Kwassa being a dance rhythm from the republic of Congo – and the article followed this theme while detailing the band’s career. My honest and admittedly uninformed impression before reading this was…really??

From Contra, the song Diplomat’s Son marks the very first track that actually made me sit up and take notice of some Pan-African influence in their music. It’s a very relaxed song with a undeniably reggae beat. But I take some issue with those who would define the band by praising their novel mix of African beats in an indie rock context. The New Yorker article also talks about the tension that arises from the incongruity between their extreme “preppy” image and their choice in world beats. I think is probably where my – and the rest of the critics – skepticism about the band’s authenticity is rooted. I don’t doubt that their degrees from Columbia University taught them a thing or two about world cultures, but I don’t hear a strong commitment to this aesthetic in their music.

Update: I’d like to thank everyone for their insightful emails and comments and gently remind people that I hardly ever write about music on this blog that I don’t like. This review wasn’t meant to come off as negative, just to put the criticism I read about in the New Yorker out there in the context of the new album.

Vampire Weekend – Diplomat’s Son removed by request

Dangermouse and the Grey Album now has a British counterpart. Tom Caruana, a music teacher, has produced an entire album of Beatles songs mashed up with Wutang instrumentals. Even Raekwan approves. You can download the entire album at Tea Sea Records.

Wutang Vs The Beatles – Uh Huh

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Wutang Vs The Beatles – City High

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These two prolific Brazilians are putting out remixes faster than I can post them, so in an attempt to keep up with The Twelves, here is a roundup of some that are new to me.

The two are is a remixes of rock songs – the Radiohead song Reckoner and White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. The third is a remix of Sudden Rush by Erlend Oye. Hopefully Kings of Convenience will hear this plea and deliver us that Canadian tour we were promised a few months ago. The latest mixtape by The twelves can be downloaded from their myspace link.

Radiohead – Reckoner [The Twelves Remix]

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Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal [The Twelves Remix]

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Erlend Oye – Sudden Rush [The Twelves Remix]

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illustration cred: thelittlefriendsofprintmaking

It’s not often I come across a minimal electronic album that takes me beyond good background music. The last one I remember was The Field album From Here We Go Sublime. Look for a review of the newer album, Yesterday and Today in the next week. I stumbled across Robot Science on their bandcamp site where you can download both of their albums (pay what you can) including the latest Doodads. The Constant and Cut & Paste were hard to pick out – the entire album is consistent and spectacular. The sounds jet from video game tones to fuzzy synths and keys in a purely organic way. I can safely say it’s the best electronic album I’ve heard in the first seven days of 2010.

Robot Science – The Constant

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Robot Science – Copy Paste

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Vampire Weekend has been showing up a lot more often in the first few days of 2010, probably in preparation of their new album, titled Contra. The album will be officially released next week on January 12 and will include this tracklist.

1. “Horchata” 3:26
2. “White Sky” 2:58
3. “Holiday” 2:18
4. “California English” 2:30
5. “Taxi Cab” 3:55
6. “Run” 3:52
7. “Cousins” 2:25
8. “Giving Up the Gun” 4:46
9. “Diplomat’s Son” 6:01
10. “I Think Ur a Contra” 4:29

There will also be two bonus iTunes tracks called Giant and California English Pt II. Look for a post next week on this album. I’m listening to it right now and let me just say that the song California English sounds like they used some auto tune effects on the vocals. A curious choice indeed. Until then here are a few new takes on an older song, The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance, the first by Montreal’s very own Chromeo and the second by the “animals” from Miike Snow.

Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance [Chromeo Remix]

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Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance [Miike Snow Remix]

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