Posts Tagged: Vampire Weekend

Listen / MP3 / Music — No Comments
18
Aug 09

The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa 7″

The Very Best Warm Heart of Africa 7 listen

The Very Best have released their ridiculously fantastic “Warm Heart of Africa” on a very limited 7″ run, spanning only 500 copies. Make sure to order yours as soon as possible over @ Green Owl. The song is backed by the previously unreleased track, “Yalira.”

“Warm Heart of Africa” is a tremendous single and I’m glad it has been released properly. Without a doubt, this song has been my number-one summer jam and a vicious contender for my favorite song of 2009. It’s been a while since a song this special had risen from the dust and mold of oppression and hardship.

Also, it has spawned some mouthwatering remixes. And best news for last, The Very Best’s label is also letting you download the single and b-side for free. Download them below Continue reading →

Album Reviews / MP3 / Music / Reviews — 53 Comments
9
Jul 09

Discovery – LP, Album Review & Vinyl + CD Giveaway

Discovery LP, Album Review & Vinyl + CD Giveaway album reviews reviews 2 Discovery
LP

XL
out July 7th

86/100
[Rating Scale]
Buy it at Insound!

[rating:86/100]
With the recent passing of Michael Jackson, every blog I read had some kind of eulogy to the king of pop – by the same writers who, a post earlier, had extolled the music of Dirty Projectors or Grizzly Bear or Animal Collective, or by musicians whose work seems worlds apart from Jackson’s. We might see indie music and pop music as worlds apart, but the trick is not to think of indie music as a reactionary measure, but as a division of pop music that is just less well-known. I feel like sometimes in our day and age people have a genre allegiance that thoroughly blinds them – a weird pretentious image, “too good for pop music.” “Too hip for pop music.” When you think about this, I’m sure you can realize how useless it is. Where would any of us be without pop music? There would be nothing without pop music. None of us is too good for the music we grew up with, and the music that inspired every musician we know.

In short, pop music is not a crime, and what I’ve been getting at this whole time is that Discovery’s LP is not a crime and it is perfect summer pop music. What’s wrong with that?

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Covers / Listen / MP3 / Music — 3 Comments
23
Jun 09

Discovery – So Insane/I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover)

Discovery So Insane/I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover) covers
“So Insane” is another track off Discovery’s metronomic album, LP that has a so-insane hook, “oh baby you got me going so insane and I just don’t know what’s going down” that, along with “Orange Shirt,” this song will go down as one of LP’s highlights. Discovery, one big part Vampire Weekend and an even bigger part Ra Ra Riot, stick to their formula of breaking down the walls the indie and pop communities built between them.

Throughout the song’s 3 short minutes, you can hear finger snaps from the house of T-Pain (not to mention the Auto-Tune!), Crystal Castles glitch-breaks, and synth reminiscent of Hot Chip. However, like all of the Discovery tune’s I’ve heard, “So Insane” sounds unmistakeably fresh. Listen to “So Insane” here. Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music / Remixes — 5 Comments
22
Jun 09

While I Was Gone

While I Was Gone listen
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been slacking around here for almost a week now. Let’s just say I was gone — but I’m back now and I’m going to make it all up to you. Here I will post some of the more interesting new tracks that have surfaced while I was gone. Read on if you’re interested in any of these tracks:

Mickey Factz – Flying Balloon
3OH!3 – Don’t Trust Me (ft. Kid Cudi) (Benny Blanco Remix)
The Fiery Furnaces – Charmaine Champagne
The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend)
Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 19 Comments
14
Jun 09

Discovery – Carby (ft. Ezra Koeing of Vampire Weekend)

Discovery Carby (ft. Ezra Koeing of Vampire Weekend) listen

I didn’t ever think I’d hear Vampire Weekend auto-tuned out. Especially since auto-tune died and everything… Alas, auto-tune is very much alive, no, it’s actually thriving in Discovery’s debut LP, called, well LP.

The exciting project features a member of Vampire Weekend (Rostam Batmanglij) and a Ra Ra Riot frontman (Wes Miles) making some nice electro music. In one song, “Carby,” 50% of Vampire Weekend are present when VW vocalist Ezra Koeing joins Miles and Batmanglij in the making of the most danceable Vampire Weekend song you’ll ever hear.

Give “Carby” a listen here. Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 12 Comments
30
Apr 09

Vampire Weekend plus Ra Ra Riot equals Discovery

Vampire Weekend plus Ra Ra Riot equals Discovery listenI have three confessions: I love Vampire Weekend, and I love Ra Ra Riot, and I love Discovery.

What Discovery is, besides the spaceship and a TV channel, is Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, and instead of churning out lovely orchestral pop as they do with their respective bands, they churn out… jams. Z100-style club-banger jams, with autotune and fuzzy synth and lyrics like “google yourself when you get home.” Jams I, a white girl, feel comfortable awkwardly gesticulating to whilst driving in my car or whilst alone in a room (sometimes, I must admit, in a room with other people). Jams of the caliber of “Single Ladies” or “Yeah!” era Usher.

Discovery have two songs as of now, so maybe I’m taking things a step too far when I laud them so passionately.

But listen to this: Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 3 Comments
25
Mar 09

Vampire Weekend – Cousins (Live in Guadalajara!)

Vampire Weekend Cousins (Live in Guadalajara!) listenAs our good friend Will at WAWSTSF said the other day, maybe THIS song is where all of the energy from “White Sky” went

Shortly after Vampire Weekend gave their new song a national debut on Jimmy Fallon, lacking most of the bounciness and joy it once had, they premiered a new song in Guadalajara, Mexico, and it’s filled to the brim with fun and flair. While all we have is a crummy YouTube video and MP3, you can clearly tell that “Cousins” is good stuff from our favorite Ivy League-rockers, as they seem to be playing around more and more with wacky instrumentals, guitar lines, and Ezra Koenig’s vocals. Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 12 Comments
19
Mar 09

Vampire Weekend – “White Sky” (Live on Jimmy Fallon)

YouTube Preview Image

[rating:67/100]

While “White Sky” has been floating through YouTube for months now, last night marked the song’s big national debut. And while Ezra Koenig’s vocals were perfect and the whole band seemed to be clicking, the song came nowhere near the original live performance that I saw. Originally, “White Sky” was a wild, rollicking party song, with wild-but-controlled vocals, “heys” from Rostam Batmanglij in the backround, and a clap-heavy, keyboard-driven beat that sounded like Kanye having some fun with his 808 drum machine.

But last night was different. The boys turned the song into a slow, rather dull ditty. It was still sugary-sweet, sure, it used the string section to great effect, and it will sound great on the record as an easy listen on the ears. But it certainly wasn’t the wild, upbeat Vampire Weekend song I was expecting. Actually, while it’s still a very good song, it may just be one of VW’s weakest to date.

This doesn’t mean I don’t have confidence in their next album- as a matter of fact, I have a feeling it will be even better. I just wish Koenig and company had kept this song the way it was to start.

Click on for the song in its ORIGINAL form, as well as a live mp3 from last night Continue reading →

Music / News — 8 Comments
18
Mar 09

New Vampire Weekend Song To Debut On Tonight’s Late Night

New Vampire Weekend? OMG!!! Continue reading →

MP3 / Music / Podcasts — 16 Comments
1
Mar 09

pmaCAST #8 The “Gimme That Hot, Hot Love” Episode

pmaCAST #8 The Gimme That Hot, Hot Love Episode mp3

Radiohead opens up this week’s podcast with a double introduction. Three Leaves and a Head’s remix of “Reckoner” is a marvelous set of lulling, dramatic pianos and snaps. It leads in stealthily to In Rainbows‘ crackling and GRAMMY-famous “15 Step.” Regina Spektor follows Radiohead with an early demo of the beautiful “Samson.” This song is easily my favorite song off her album, Begin To Hope. From an established pop elite to a poppy act that has plenty of potential, I proudly play Asteroid Galaxy Tour’s “Around The Bend.”

If you listen closely, you’ll notice that this episode’s title is derived from “Around The Bend.” It’s just a great song. From here on, things get a bit heavier, you’ll notice I continue/close the pmaCAST with a handful of remixes. This podcast couldn’t be possible without RCRD LBL and Notes From A Different Kitchen who so graciously provided us with tracks that were vital to this podcast.

pmaCAST #8 Tracklisting
Radiohead – Reckoner (Three Leaves and a Head Remix)
Radiohead – 15 Steps
Regina Spektor – Samson (2002 Version)
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – Around The Bend
Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance (Miike Snow Remix)
Peaches – Search and Destroy (Iggy Pop Cover)
The Bird and The Bee – Fucking Boyfriend (Peaches Remix)
Phoenix – 1901
Jay-Z & Santogold – Brooklyn Go Hard ft. Beastie Boys (DJ Rob Dinero Remix)
Don Diablo – Get On The Floor (Don Diablo’s Just Begun Edit)

Download pmaCAST #8 – 37MB | Subscribe via iTunes or RSS

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