Vampire Weekend is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records.[6][7] The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.
Vampire Weekend | |
---|---|
![]() Vampire Weekend performing at Larmer Tree Gardens in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | |
Members | |
Past members | |
Website | vampireweekend |
The band's debut album, Vampire Weekend (2008), incorporated elements of indie pop, Afropop, and chamber music. Featuring charting singles "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma", it has been hailed as one of the greatest debut albums.[8] Their sophomore album, Contra (2010), was similarly acclaimed and garnered strong commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, and featuring well-received singles including "Holiday". Their subsequent studio albums Modern Vampires of the City (2013) and Father of the Bride (2019) continued the band's success, with each album receiving widespread critical acclaim, topping US charts and winning the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in their respective years. They released their fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us, on April 5, 2024 to universal acclaim.[9]
History
editFormation and Vampire Weekend (2006–2009)
editThe band members met while enrolled at Columbia University, beginning with a rap collaboration between Koenig, Tomson, and Koenig's roommate Andrew Kalaidjian named "L'Homme Run".[10] They bonded over a shared love of punk rock and African music. Koenig toured with Dirty Projectors during a period of experimentation with African music, inspiring the band to incorporate world sounds into their earliest work.[11] The band chose the name "Vampire Weekend" from the title of a short film project Koenig worked on during the summer between freshman and sophomore years in college.[12] While home for the summer, Koenig watched the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys and was inspired to make a Northeastern version of the film in which a man named Walcott travels to Cape Cod to warn the mayor that vampires are attacking the United States.[12] Koenig abandoned the project after two days before editing the footage into a two-minute trailer during his senior year.[12] The band began playing shows around Columbia University, starting with a battle of the bands at Lerner Hall in 2006.[13][14] After graduating from college, the band self-produced their debut album while simultaneously working full-time jobs, Tomson as a music archivist and Koenig as a middle school English teacher.[15]
In 2007, Vampire Weekend's song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" was ranked 67th on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Songs of the Year".[16][17] In November 2007, they toured the UK with The Shins.[18] The then-nascent influence of blog hype and internet buzz played a role in their success and led to a large prerelease following sufficient to support them performing on three tours before their debut album was released.[19] They were declared "The Year's Best New Band" by Spin magazine in the March 2008 issue, and were the first band to be shot for the cover of the magazine before releasing their debut album.[20] The band made a television appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on February 1, 2008,[21] and on March 8, 2008, performed on Saturday Night Live.[22] Four songs from the band's first album also made the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008. The internet hype had its backlash, however, as critics reacted against a perceived image of Vampire Weekend as privileged, upper-class Ivy League graduates stealing from foreign musicians. One critic went so far as to call Vampire Weekend the "whitest band in the world", to which they took exception, given their Ukrainian, Persian, Italian, and Hungarian heritages.[23][24] Koenig responded in a November 2009 interview by saying, "Nobody in our band is a WASP."[24] Saying the backlash involving their social backgrounds was largely unfounded, Koenig claimed he paid for Columbia with a scholarship and student loans; he himself was still paying off student loans in 2009.[24]
Self-titled Vampire Weekend, the band's first album was released on January 29, 2008. It received contemporary critical acclaim, being ranked number 430 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and has been hailed as one of the greatest debut albums.[8] It featured a blend of Afropop influences, indie pop, and chamber music elements.[25] A success in the US and UK, it peaked at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200[26] and had been certified Platinum in both countries. Four singles were released from the album; while "A-Punk" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Modern rock chart and number 55 on the UK Singles Chart, "Oxford Comma" peaked at number 38 in the UK. "A-Punk" was ranked the 4th on Rolling Stone's Readers' Rock List: Best Songs of 2008.[27] "A-Punk" was also used to open the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly feature Step Brothers, and featured in the UK television show The Inbetweeners and the video games Guitar Hero 5, Just Dance 2 and Lego Rock Band.[citation needed]
Contra (2009–2010)
editThe band's second album, Contra, was released on January 11, 2010, in the UK and the following day in the US, after being pushed back from the original release date for the fall of 2009.[28] The album's first single, "Horchata", was released on October 5, 2009. The album's second single, "Cousins", was released as a single on November 17, 2009. Initial copies of the CD and LP sold at independent record stores in the US included a 3-track bonus CD containing two "melts", which featured bits of album tracks and a remix.
It is the band's first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200, and the 12th independently distributed album in history to reach the number one spot on the Billboard 200 since Nielsen Soundscan began recording data in 1991, while also being the first independent artist to have done so without ever having signed with a major label, after already established rock bands Radiohead and Pearl Jam and before Arcade Fire's The Suburbs.[29][30] The album sold 124,000 copies in its first week[31] and was awarded Gold by the RIAA on November 21, 2011, which means it has sold over 500,000 units in the US alone and over one million copies Worldwide.[32] In 2010, it was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 250,000 copies throughout Europe.[33]
On January 9, 2010, the band did an acoustic show for MTV Unplugged. The following month, the band toured Europe and Canada with Canadian electro duo Fan Death as their support. The video for their next single "Giving Up the Gun" was also released on February 18, 2010, which included cameos from Joe Jonas, Lil Jon, RZA, and Jake Gyllenhaal. They also played festivals across the USA such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival, All Points West, and the Groovin' The Moo festival in Australia. Their third single, "Holiday", was released on June 7, 2010. On June 25, 2010, the band played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, in Pilton, Somerset, UK. The band were also on the main stage at T in the Park 2010 at Balado Kinross, Scotland, on June 8, and played the Oxegen Festival in Ireland on July 9. They also headlined the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, UK on July 18. On July 16, the band headlined the Main Stage at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim. In the summer of 2010 the band played at the Utopia stage on Peace and Love, Sweden's biggest Festival. On July 30, 2010, the band played at Jisan Valley Rock Festival in South Korea.[34] In 2010, Vampire Weekend embarked on a North American tour with Beach House and Dum Dum Girls. The tour started off on August 27, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Malkin Bowl. Koenig mentioned to the audience that before this concert, the band had the longest "vacation period" that they had had in a while. Contra was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost to The Black Keys's Brothers.[35]
Modern Vampires of the City (2010–2014)
editOn November 11, 2011, the band revealed it was working on a new album.[36][37] In January 2012, President Barack Obama added Vampire Weekend to a short list of musical artists that he sought support from for his re-election campaign. Vampire Weekend made it onto this list with Jay-Z, John Legend, and Alicia Keys.[38]
The band's third album, Modern Vampires of the City was released in May 2013, and written and recorded in various locations including SlowDeath Studios in New York, Echo Park "Back House" in Los Angeles, Vox Recording Studios in Hollywood, Rostam Batmanglij's New York apartment and a guest house on Martha's Vineyard. The album was co-produced by Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid. After Batmanglij produced the first two albums himself, this marked the first time the band worked with an outside producer on any of their records.[39]
In an interview for the February 2013 edition of Q (released in mid-January), Koenig described the album as "darker and more organic" and "very much the last of a trilogy." Said Koenig, "Things that we might have found boring in the past, we've started to find more fresh. This album has more piano and acoustic guitar and organ." Modern Vampires of the City also continued the use of digital voice modulation as heard in the songs "Diane Young" and "Ya Hey", a technique first used in the song "California English" on Contra [40] The album was recorded and co-produced by Ariel Rechtshaid in his Los Angeles Studio (alongside Batmanglij).[41] The band discussed the album with The FADER and appeared on the cover of the magazine's 84th issue.[42] On March 16, 2013, the band played the closing show at Stubbs on the last day of the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. In the show they played two new songs from the upcoming album: "Diane Young" and "Ya Hey". On March 18, 2013, Vampire Weekend released a double-sided single, "Diane Young"/"Step". On May 11, 2013, Vampire Weekend were featured as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live with Kristen Wiig hosting, their third time on the show.
Released on May 14, 2013, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, marking the second time Vampire Weekend achieved the feat: its second album Contra also debuted at No. 1 in 2010, making them the first independent rock band to enter the charts at No. 1 with two consecutive releases.[43] Modern Vampires of the City also shattered the previous record for first week vinyl sales, moving nearly 10,000 units on vinyl alone and debuting at No. 1 on the Soundscan Vinyl Charts. Additionally, the band charted #1 at Indie, Alternative, Digital and the top 200.[44] In 2014, Modern Vampires of the City won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.[45]
To promote the album, XL Recordings released "Diane Young" and "Step" as a double A-sided single on March 19, 2013.[46] Modern Vampires of the City was released by XL on May 14. and Vampire Weekend played several concerts and music festivals shortly after, eventually embarking on a larger supporting tour throughout late 2013, beginning with a show at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia on September 19. John Gentile of Rolling Stone reported that the band headlined "some of their largest venues to date" on the tour.[47]
In the album's first week of release, it debuted number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 134,000 copies in the United States. It was Vampire Weekend's second consecutive number-one record on the chart, as well as the nineteenth independently distributed album to top the Billboard 200 in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991–present). The record entered the British album charts at number three with first-week sales of 27,805 copies, becoming the group's third consecutive top-twenty album in the United Kingdom.[48] By December 2014, it had been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold 505,000 copies in the US.[49] In 2014, it was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,[50] which indicated sales of at least 250,000 copies throughout Europe[51] and has sold over one million copies worldwide. In September 2020, Modern Vampires of the City was put by Rolling Stone in their new list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, ranking at position 328.[52]
Departure of Batmanglij and Father of the Bride (2014–2021)
editAfter concluding their Modern Vampires tour in September 2014, Vampire Weekend went silent until January 26, 2016, when it was announced that Rostam Batmanglij had left the band. Despite his departure, he and Ezra Koenig planned to continue collaborating.[53][54] On the same day, Koenig revealed the band was in the studio working on their fourth album, at the time titled, Mitsubishi Macchiato, with Batmanglij contributing to it.[55] In late January 2016, the band supported Bernie Sanders by performing at an Iowa rally just before the primaries. Filling in for Batmanglij and Chris Baio, who was touring for his solo project, the band performed with members David Longstreth and Nat Baldwin of Dirty Projectors, Jake Longstreth, the comedy duo the Lucas Brothers, and an all-female a cappella group from the University of Iowa.[56] Koenig, a vocal Sanders supporter, also promoted the candidate on social media and his Beats 1 radio show, Time Crisis.[57] In April 2016, the band briefly performed at another Sanders rally in Washington Square Park, marking their debut as a trio, joined again by Longstreth.[58]
In late 2016, Koenig was reportedly in talks to sign the band with Columbia Records, as he reportedly "hit it off" with executive Rob Stringer.[59][60] Initially, this news was regarded a rumor, until the band's website revamp in 2018, in which a Sony Music copyright appeared on the site.[61]
In March 2017, Koenig revealed in an elaborate Instagram update that during 2016 he had spent countless hours researching and writing music in libraries with grad students. Additionally, he revealed that the album, given the working title of "Mitsubishi Macchiato", would feature a more 'spring-time' vibe and one of the songs would be entitled Flower Moon. Koenig revealed that LP4 would be partially inspired by the songwriting of country singer, Kacey Musgraves, after he attended one of her shows in September 2016. In an interview with Stereogum, he stated, "I'm the type of person who has spent hours poring over the avant-garde poetic lyrics of certain songwriters, and there was something that felt so good [about Musgraves' songs and how] from the first verse, you knew who was singing, who they were singing to, what kind of situation they were in. After the show I realized there's not a ton of Vampire Weekend songs where you could listen to the first verse and immediately answer the question of who's singing and who are they singing to."[62] Furthermore, in a September 2017 interview with Zane Lowe, Ezra briefly spoke about LP4 and stated that it was "about 80% done." He mentioned that the album would feature lead producer Ariel Rechtshaid with additional "guest appearances", one of which being Batmanglij.[63] Lowe pushed Koenig for a release date, citing Q1 2018 as a likely candidate. In a December 2017 interview, Koenig noted that Batmanglij was involved in a few songs, some of which was material that they had started working on long ago, and that their method of collaboration had not changed despite the latter's departure from the band.[64]
Vampire Weekend's first gigs since the hiatus took place in Ojai, California on June 16 & 17.[65] On January 31, 2018, it was announced that the band would be headlining the UK music festival End of the Road.[66] The festival ran from August 31 to September 3 and marked Vampire Weekend's first return to a festival stage in 4 years.[67] On July 21, they performed in Byron Bay for the Australian festival, Splendour in the Grass.[68] Additionally, it was announced that they would headline the 2018 Fuji Rock Festival, scheduled for July 27 to 29.[69] For their live shows, the core trio of Koenig, Baio, and Tomson has been augmented by Greta Morgan on keyboards, guitar, and vocals, Brian Robert Jones on guitar,[70] Garrett Ray on percussion, drums, and vocals, and Will Canzoneri on keyboards and vocals.[71] During their August 4, 2018 performance at Lollapalooza, where the band played fan favorite "A-Punk" three times in a row,[72] Koenig announced that Vampire Weekend's 4th album was done.[73]
On January 17, 2019, Koenig announced the abbreviation of the band's fourth album title as FOTB, and revealed that the album would consist of 18 songs, running at approximately 59 minutes. Additionally, he announced that the album would be promoted by three monthly two-song releases, beginning the following week.[74] On January 24, the songs "Harmony Hall" and "2021" were released, and Koenig confirmed the title of the album as Father of the Bride. He also said that the record would feature an array of collaborators, including Batmanglij,[75] marking the first time the band has included guest vocalists in an album. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Koenig said, "We've had three albums of the same voice over and over again. I like the idea of opening up our world a little bit."[76] He also confirmed that "2021" features a Haruomi Hosono sample, and said that he planned to start work on Vampire Weekend's fifth album. The band's current touring approach is influenced by Phish, the Grateful Dead and other jam bands.[77] Contemporary fans mirror these influences in their Deadhead inspired creation of unofficial merchandise including shirts, shorts, tie-dyes, and bucket hats.[78][79][80] Father of the Bride became the band's third consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.[81]
At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, the band received three nominations: Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album for Father of the Bride and Best Rock Song for "Harmony Hall". They won for Best Alternative Music Album (their second win in the category). In 2020, the Live in Florida EP featuring songs from the Father of the Bride Tour was released.[82] On February 4, 2021, Vampire Weekend released the 40:42 EP featuring reinterpretations of their song '2021' from Father of the Bride. American saxophonist, Sam Gendel, and Connecticut-based jam band, Goose, were commissioned to expand the song into twenty-minute and twenty-one-second versions.[83]
Only God Was Above Us (2021–present)
editIn late 2021, during an interview with Mark Hoppus, Ezra Koenig gave an update on the follow-up to Father of the Bride, stating that the band had been recording in England and Los Angeles. “Sometimes I oversell how close we are with the record because who really knows?” Koenig said, “But we almost have an album’s worth of songs."[84] On June 7, 2023, Vampire Weekend released Frog on the Bass Drum Vol. 1, a live album recorded in Indianapolis during the band's Father of the Bride Tour in 2019. The record was announced to be the first installment in a vinyl-exclusive series of live albums.[85] The release was accompanied by a newsletter written by Chris Tomson which revealed that the band's new studio album is partly inspired by the Indian classical music tradition, raga, after Koenig had taken a singing lesson in the style with Terry Riley in rural Japan. He then added that the album is "close to done" and more news will follow at the end of the year.[86] On December 14, Frog on the Bass Drum Vol. 2 was released, a live show recorded in Milan in July 2019 which features the band playing their song, 'Bambina', twice in a row. Another newsletter was released alongside it, this time written by Chris Baio. He teased that the band had big plans for 2024 and concluded the newsletter: "LP5 IS DONE."[87]
On February 8, 2024, the band announced their fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us, released on April 5, 2024.[88] The album was preceded by double A-side single, "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops" on February 16,[89] with the third, follow-up single, "Classical" released on March 14, 2024 respectively.[90] On March 28, 2024, "Mary Boone" was released as the fourth and last single before the album being public. To further promote the album, the group officially launched a podcast titled Vampire Campfire on March 7, 2024 via Swedish hosting company, Acast.[91] The podcast, visually consisting of Koenig, Baio and Tomson gathered around an ignited fire pit in an empty lot detailing various topics and subjects relevant to the band, the making of the new album and forthcoming world tour. [92] The band appeared on the May 11, 2024 episode of Saturday Night Live where they performed "Gen-X Cops" and "Capricorn".
On April 8th, 2024, the band began their album tour in Austin, Texas. During the tour, Vampire Weekend performed live partial covers of songs like "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Hold Up" by Beyonce, per audience request.
Band members
editCurrent members
edit- Ezra Koenig – lead vocals, guitars, piano, occasional saxophone (2006–present)
- Chris Baio – bass, backing vocals, occasional piano (2006–present)
- Chris Tomson – drums, percussion, occasional guitars, backing vocals (2006–present)
Current touring musicians
edit- Will Canzoneri – keyboards, harmonica, backing vocals (2018–present)
- Garrett Ray – percussion, drums, backing vocals (2018–present)
- Ray Suen – guitar, keyboards, violin, pedal steel, backing vocals (2024–present)[93]
- Colin Killalea – guitar, keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals (2024–present)
Former members
edit- Rostam Batmanglij – keyboards, programming, guitars, percussion, backing and occasional lead vocals (2006–2016)
Former touring musicians
edit- Brian Robert Jones – guitar, backing vocals (2018–2022; guest appearance in 2024)
- Greta Morgan – keyboards, guitar, percussion, backing vocals (2018–2022)[94]
Contra lawsuit
editIn 2010, the band, along with their record company XL Recordings and photographer Tod Scott Brody, were sued by Kirsten Kennis, the model on the cover of Contra, over the use of her image.[95] Kennis's accusations were that the band used her image without her permission.[96] Vampire Weekend settled with Kennis in 2011.[97]
Other contributions
editVampire Weekend contributed a cover of "Exit Music (For a Film)" for Stereogum Presents... OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer (2007), a free tribute album celebrating 10 years of Radiohead's album OK Computer. In 2014, the band contributed a cover of "Con te Partiro" by Andrea Bocelli on the Valentine's Day compilation, Sweetheart 2014,[98] as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Goin' Down" for the Girls Vol. 2 Soundtrack.[99] They have also covered "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac, "Ça Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand, "Have I the Right?" by The Honeycombs, "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, "Fight For This Love" by Cheryl Cole, and "Ruby Soho" by Rancid.
The band also contributed the song "Ottoman" to the soundtrack to the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. That song was then sampled by alternative hip-hop artist Kid Cudi. Two tracks from their debut record also appeared in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man. A new song, "Jonathan Low", was released on June 8, 2010, appearing on the soundtrack to the third installment of the Twilight Saga films, Eclipse. Their song "Worship You" appeared as a soundtrack in EA Sports football video game, FIFA 14.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Vampire Weekend (2008)
- Contra (2010)
- Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
- Father of the Bride (2019)
- Only God Was Above Us (2024)
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ Clark, Tyler (May 8, 2019). "Did Vampire Weekend Win the Indie Rock Age?". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ Edelstone, Steven (January 25, 2019). "The 10 Best Vampire Weekend Songs". Paste. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ Haider, Arwa (January 3, 2018). "The most exciting music of 2018". BBC. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ Swhear, Alex (May 6, 2019). "Vampire Weekend's Freewheeling Pop Rock and 11 More Albums for Heavy Rotation". Noisey. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ "New music review: Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend (XL)". May 12, 2013. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Revamp Website | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. February 2018. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Reportedly Sign To Columbia For LP4". Stereogum. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Rollingstone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (2024-04-05). "Vampire Weekend: Only God Was Above Us review – their most adventurous set yet". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "Video Hits Interview Vampire Weekend". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend interview (PSL)". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-04-09.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ a b c "Interview: Vampire Weekend". Artist Direct. 2008-01-23. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
- ^ Josh Eells (2010-02-04). "The Semi-Charmed Life of Vampire Weekend". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
- ^ "A few more facts about Vampire Weekend | al.com". Blog.al.com. 7 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend with Beach House opening". Facebook. 2010-09-01. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ "The 100 best Songs of 2007". Rolling Stone. 2007-12-27. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Magazine The 100 Best Songs Of 2007". Rolling Stone. 2007-12-27. Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend To Tour With The Shins". Angryape. 2007-10-11. Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Interview @ Rock Werchter 2008". YouTube. 2012-01-13. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ Greenwald, Andy. "Vampire Weekend: The Graduates Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine". Spin. February 25, 2008. Retrieved on June 28, 2009.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend's Eponymous Debut Turns 10". Salute. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend's 'SNL' Appearance Prompts Major Sweater Backlash". Vulture. 10 March 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ Rock and Pop Features (March 31, 2010). "Vampire Weekend interview". Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ a b c "Vampire Weekend Interview – An Interview with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend". Altmusic.about.com. 2009-11-23. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ Harding, Cortney. "Once Bitten, Twice Shy?: Vampire Weekend." Billboard – The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment Jan 16 2010: 21–2. ProQuest. Web. 15 Feb. 2016
- ^ "Readers' Rock List: Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone. 2008-12-22. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ^ Levine, Mike (February 1, 2010). "Back for a Second Bite". eMusician. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (2010-01-20). "Vampire Weekend Lands First No. 1 Album". billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ Phillips, Amy (2010-02-20). "Vampire Weekend Hit Number One". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ Thesing, Aaron (2010-01-27). "A Sophomore Album That Doesn't Suck". RUSE the.magazine. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum database". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
- ^ "color". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-14.
- ^ Rothfeld, Michael (2010-07-20). "The Vampire Weekend Suit: Much Ado About an Old Photo – Law Blog – WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ^ "Grammys 2011 Winners List". Billboard. February 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Hyman, Dan. "Vampire Weekend Hatching 'A Ton' of Material for New LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Bassist Goes Solo - WSJ.com". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "President Obama seeks support from Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, Jay-Z on re-election campaign | News". Nme.com. 2012-01-18. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ "Nothing As It Seems". Electronic Musician. June 2013.
- ^ Eliscu, J. (2013, Jan 31). “Vampire Weekend Find New Direction.” Rolling Stone, 28.
- ^ "VAMPIRE WEEKEND : contra costa | contra mundum, Vampire Weekend in Q Magazine's 2013 Forecast". Teamvampireweekend.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend: Upper Classmen". Thefader.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ ""Billboard" Charts: Over the Counter – Vampire Weekend Scores First No. 1 for ADA". Billboard.
- ^ "Modern Vampires of the City Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ "2013 Alternative Music Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ "Listen to Vampire Weekend's new singles, "Diane Young" and "Step"". Consequence of Sound. March 18, 2013. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
- ^ Gentile, John (September 20, 2013). "Vampire Weekend Go Hard and Fast at Tour Opener". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
- ^ Jones, Alan (May 20, 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: Rod Stewart breaks oldies record at the hits No.1". Music Week. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Payne, Chris (December 3, 2014). "Will Arcade Fire Repeat as Grammy Darlings?". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ "Awards" (PNG). Archived from the original on 2016-05-22. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "IMPALA Awards for European Independent Acts Hit Record Levels – Impala". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". www.rollingstone.com. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ Phillips, Amy (26 January 2016). "Rostam Batmanglij Quits Vampire Weekend". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 26 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Grebey, James (26 January 2016). "Rostam Batmanglij Quits Vampire Weekend". Spin.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (January 26, 2016). "Ezra Koenig Talks New Vampire Weekend LP, Rostam Batmanglij's Exit". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ "Watch Bernie Sanders Sing With Vampire Weekend at Iowa Rally". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ Puglise, Nicole (2016-06-20). "Vampire Weekend frontman on the 'end of the road' for Bernie Sanders". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend and Dirty Projectors Play Bernie Sanders Rally in New York: Watch | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Brennan, Collin (18 November 2016). "Vampire Weekend rumored to have signed with Columbia for new album in 2017". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend rumored to have signed with Columbia for new album in 2017". Consequence of Sound. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Revamp Website | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ^ "New Vampire Weekend Album Is Inspired By Kacey Musgraves, Features Ariel Rechtshaid And Rostam". Stereogum. 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Ezra Koenig Shares Update On New Vampire Weekend Album". Stereogum. 19 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Brown, Eric Renner (11 December 2017). "Ezra Koenig previews Vampire Weekend's fourth LP: 'You want to age gracefully and not boringly'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend on Instagram: "Good news for anyone who missed out on Ojai tickets; we're playing the Observatory in Santa Ana on June 25 & 26. For everyone in other…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Home – End of the Road". End of the Road. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (January 31, 2018). "Vampire Weekend Announce First Show in 4 Years". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ "Splendour in the Grass – #SITG2019. Presented by Secret Sounds & triple j". Splendourinthegrass.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Fuji Rock Festival announces first wave of acts for 2018 – Kendrick Lamar, N.E.R.D., Skrillex, Vampire Weekend, CHVRCHES, and more". Bandwagon Asia. February 9, 2018.
- ^ Gray, Julia (June 14, 2018). "Greta Morgan, Brian Robert Jones Join Vampire Weekend Touring Lineup". Stereogum. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Baio, Chris (June 18, 2018). "Thanks so much to everyone for making the Ojai shows so special this weekend..." Twitter. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Gallucci, Nicole (August 5, 2018). "Vampire Weekend opened Lollapalooza set with 'A-Punk,' 'A-Punk,' and 'A-Punk'". Mashable.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Say Their New Album Is Done". Pitchfork Pitchfork. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
- ^ Koenig, Ezra (January 17, 2019). "To the fans". Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved January 18, 2019 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Return After Six Years With 'Harmony Hall,' '2021'". Rolling Stone. January 24, 2019. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (2019-01-30). "Vampire Weekend Plot North American 'Father of the Bride' Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- ^ Eisen, Benjy (10 June 2019). "Vampire Weekend: The Music Never Stopped". relix.com. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Ezra Koenig Promotes @blackbirdspyplane on Instagram". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Kemp, Sophie (2021-01-08). "Getting In the Mach 3 Mindset with Blackbird Spyplane's Jonah Weiner". Garage. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Spyplane, Blackbird. "Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig tells us about one of his rarest, vibiest tees". www.blackbirdspyplane.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (May 12, 2019). "Vampire Weekend's 'Father of the Bride' Album Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- ^ Young, Alex (July 9, 2020). "Vampire Weekend Release Live in Florida EP". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Marcus (2021-02-04). "Vampire Weekend start '2021' with new '40:42' EP featuring two new reinterpretations of their song". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
- ^ "Ezra Koenig Shares An Update On The Next Vampire Weekend Album". Stereogum. 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ Struass, Matthew (2023-07-07). "Vampire Weekend Releasing New Live Album on Vinyl". News. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend's New Raga-Inspired Album "Close To Done"". Stereogum. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend's New Album Is Done". Pitchfork. 2023-12-14. Archived from the original on 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Announce New Album Only God Was Above Us". Pitchfork. 2024-02-08. Archived from the original on 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ "All Aboard the Vampire Weekend Comeback Train". 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend share orchestral adventure of a new single, 'Classical'". NME. 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Vampire Campfire".
- ^ "Vampire Weekend launch podcast, "Vampire Campfire" - SONiC".
- ^ "Vampire Weekend Share Green-Screened Music Video for New Single 'Classical': Watch". 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Spotify". Spotify.
- ^ Flint, Jessica (24 August 2010). "Vampire Weekend's Mutinous Muse". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Legal Matters". Billboard.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (16 August 2011). "Vampire Weekend settle lawsuit with Contra cover star". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ John Gentile (January 7, 2014). "Vampire Weekend Make Timeless Love on 'Con te Partiro' – Premiere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ Cain Rodriguez (January 14, 2014). "'Girls' Vol. 2 Soundtrack Features Vampire Weekend, Jenny Lewis, Cat Power & More". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.