Music / Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend are a buzz band out of New York who play West African jazz-styled music. As the Earfarm blog noted: ‘Vampire Weekend are a quartet of Columbia graduates who, like Islands, clearly share a certain love of the sounds that informed Paul Simon’s Graceland and half of everything Peter Gabriel has ever done’. Their song, Oxford Coma, in particular is very catchy. I’ve heard whispers that they’ve signed to XL Records for the world, but don’t hold me to that. Nonetheless they sound fun and have a very ‘now’ sound. Whatever that means.
Listen to the Vampire Weekend song, Oxford Coma.
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Also by ARI STEIN
Tokyo Flash unleash their latest time keepers
We have featured Tokyo Flash watches before but they recently launched a new generation of time keepers, which are innovative and ahead of its time [pun intended]. The first new watch is the Rogue, which has a vivid green LED light guide that presents the time through a labyrinth of connecting LCD blocks. The outer ring of small dots represents minutes, with every fifth dot being slightly smaller to distinguish five minute groups. Read more
Occasionally you hear something that puts everything musically into perspective. This time it’s come to me via an unknown, obscure Greek recording artist who lived between 1890 to 1943. Marika Papagika was the quintessential East European Bohemian, performing as a gypsy at cafes around Greece and recording for Victor Records in 1913. But none of these recordings were ever found. Her late husband set up a small music venue in New York on 34th St, between 7th and 8th Avenues. I found this one track recently, which is not only haunting and emotional but enduring, even in this day and age. Fascinating!
Andreas Gursky’s new book: Architecture
German-born Andreas Gursky is a giant in the photography world. His masterpieces have consistently dazzled and bewildered, focused as they are on making the incomprehensible believable. Gursky’s photos theorizes how architecture can shape people’s life by having a decisive influence on their social and cultural structures, in the process underlying how fleeting and fictional today’s values are. His latest book — simply titled Architecture — is accompanied with lengthy essays about his works and is an engrossing introduction to this master photographer. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (3)
Instant VW Fan... said | 5 March, 2008
If the Kinks were way better and the Beatles were way worse, Vampire Weekend would result. This may not sound like a great thing but trust me, its incredible. I was an instant fan after hearing the first song which I investigated after seeing the A-punk video. The first thing I’ve liked/loved in nearly ten years apart from Paulo Nutini. THat’s pretty damn great. Recommend to anyone who doesnt have their head up their ass.
Holly said | 10 March, 2008
I agree with Instant VW Fan (see below). I also became an instant fan after the spiffy A-punk video. I love their authetic sound. I thought that all music was starting to sound too machine-like, but VW is one of those bands that breaks that stereotype. And it doesn’t hurt that lead singer Ezra is adorable. :]
HAVE YOUR SAY
One of our favourite illustrators, the New York-based Christopher Neal, just happens to share a studio space with Sam Weber. Oh man! To be a extra large fly on that wall. It would be so tempting to attach a canvas to your back and just buzz on out of there! Read more
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Seriously, all jokes aside, we really need to tear ourselves away from our computers every once in a while. These shirts, on sale at Threadless, may be intended as a light-hearted jab at modern culture, but who will be laughing when our hands become gnarled claws from decades of ceaseless typing and our spinal columns have fused solid from lack of movement? Evil monkeys, that’s who.
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Ryann said | 28 February, 2008
They are such a good and unusual band. a breath of fresh air.