#98 "Holiday" by Vampire Weekend

Right now, I'm TOTALLY obsessed with Vampire Weekend. You must've heard of them. In the beginning of 2010, it's been all about Vampire Weekend. They're on magazine covers everywhere, and if they're not, they're certainly featured in some article about their newest album Contra. As a music fan, I had heard of them, but I had never actually listened their music until recently. It was my luck that in the midst of all the media attention a student bounced into my room a few weeks ago and said, "Look at what I just got, Mr. G!" She was holding a copy of Contra. I borrowed it, burned it to my laptop, and listened to it that afternoon. I've been hooked ever since.

What's funny about my interest in VW is that they really don't fit into many of the categories that I like. They're a bunch of preppy Columbia-grads whose music, an eclectic combo of Paul Simon meets JD Salinger... like the remnants of some prep school field trip to the islands or something, just didn't seem like it would appeal to me. When I popped their cd in, however, I liked it, though I couldn't tell you why. It was simply like-able. I always find that to be such an interesting part of being human. Can anyone explain why they enjoy something? I can't really tell you why I love ice cream or why I enjoy asparagus but not peas. It's weird. But with Vampire Weekend, I just kept listening. It's been one of those happy little discoveries... AND their first album is even better than their second!

"Holiday" is one of VW's new songs. Contra is a lot slicker than their debut. Whereas their first record sounds like some college kids recording stuff in their dorm rooms, the new one employs more electronics, more production, and most likely more money. It's still good, but it's a little harder to identify with the rich kids when the sound rich with their auto-tune software and keyboard symphonies. "Holiday," however, is one of the simpler more rockin' songs. It's got the great island-influenced drums and the sort of ska guitars and bass. It's good and fast too. I especially like when, in the second half of the chorus, the electric guitar really kicks in. It's some fun stuff. The drums on all of Vampire Weekend's songs are always great too. Chris Tomson did some time as a dj in college and has cited this great African music hour that he used to get to listen to as a big influence. It's not easy stuff to play, but it really helps to define VW's music. What I especially like about the drumming here is how Tomson keeps the percussion time not on the high-hat, but instead on the rim of the snare drum. That's pretty cool, and certainly not something you hear very often in conventional rock songs.

"Holiday" is from the album "Contra." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.