Who's Afraid Of Vampires?

So with a new year comes the latest "it" band here in New York City, and this time around it's Vampire Weekend, a quartet of Columbia alums whose otherwise straightforward indie-pop comes heavily infused with Afro-Pop guitar licks and ethnic rhythms. This unusual accoutrement has resulted in a higher-than-usual amount of praise from bloggers and mainstream critics alike, with lots of talk about their "refreshing" sound and lots of eyebrow raising over their anti-hipster appearance.

Well, I've listened to the album a dozen times or so. It certainly
separates itself from the rest of the pack, and at times it's almost
infuriatingly catchy (take the single "A-Punk" for example). It doesn't blow me away though, not by a long shot. Perhaps it's that I grew up listening to Afro-Pop Worldwide on public radio or maybe it's because I'm just one of the millions who've heard Paul Simon's Graceland. There aren't too many surprises here.

It also doesn't help that Vampire Weekend aptly provide music befitting of their namesake; their parasitic Afro-Pop riffs betray a brief stopover in Kinshasa rather than an extended stay in Nairobi. Chalk it up to accessibility or frugality of influence, but the ingredients here aren't strong enough for any one element to shine on the surface. They might be good for a listen during a workout now; how will they hold up come autumn? (See: The Arctic Monkeys.)

Of course any group heralded this much will have its fair share of detractors. A quick Google search of "Vampire Weekend sucks" beats "Vampire Weekend rules" by 400-10. But what are the critics saying? Not much. Most of the negative press given to the band seems to scold them for their preppy style and Ivy League pedigree. And that's inherently not fair.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Everyone is welcome to this party. Yuppiedom and its spoils -- weekends on the Cape, an apartment below 125th Street -- certainly breed contempt, but is it any different from the wealth in other corners of indie music? Since when is class such a pivotal element of appreciating a group? Do Black Lips or Cat Power convey a sort of humble middle-class aura that listeners find relatable or soothing? Who exactly is paying the rent on all those apartments in Williamsburg anyways?

Living in New York for the past five years, I've come to view the wealthy and well-heeled with a bit of a sneer. It's frustrating to see the character of the metropolis slowly sucked away in favor of another chain store or uber-exclusive brasserie. But living in the city has also taught me to pick my battles wisely. Maybe it's not the loafers and khakis of the Upper West Side to be worried about. Maybe the tight jeans and ironic mustaches of the Lower East Side have worn out their welcome.

After all, 25 years ago groups like Vampire Weekend made their mark on Manhattan with a burst of creative flourish and an attractive, disparate palette. One of those groups was Talking Heads. Would we have been better off without them and another Blondie instead?

Comments

[manndan]

It must be tough for the kids trying to make music today. Everything has already been done and been done to death.