I remember seeing that rather inconspicuous image – well, this one, sans album title and track list, obviously – on Pitchfork a few back and just disregarding it, presuming it was an American Apparel ad. The aged, polaroid quality of the picture, the girls All-American appearance, her anodyne expression and the polo shirt all heavily hinted towards it: A slightly ambiguous viral marketing campaign for ‘Am Appy’.
Well, it obviously wasn’t and the reveal that it was infact a viral marketing campaign for Vampire Weekend on Pitchfork did produce a wry smile. If there’s one thing Vampire Weekend don’t need, it’s a closer association with preppy, middle-classed hipsterdom. I love it as a piece of album art – if it is indeed the album art. It’s striking and somewhat abstract with the band and, well, music in general, much like their debut ‘chandelier’ cover.
But still, Am Appy…
As I mentioned in my Reading 2009 roundup, they’ve been performing quite a few songs from the album, but the all too vivid experience of live performances and perhaps something in the cheeseburgers means I can’t really remember which songs were great and which were good.
What I do have is a recording of White Sky courtesy of Jimmy Fallon and PMA with is posted below along with a ‘classic’ from their first.
Anyway, January 11th: Mark it in your diaries. Contra is coming and it’s sounding great.
Also…check out their website for what may or may not be some ambient doodlings from the album.
MP3: Vampire Weekend – White Sky (Live, Jimmy Fallon)
MP3: Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
Website: http://www.vampireweekend.com/
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