A VC - Latest Comments in Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Ryan — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:00:55 -0000

Yo it wasn't the sound quality, they have nothing to say. There's nothing there, man.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Ryan — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:59:22 -0000

It's really amazing to me that this band is getting famous. It's not surprising that they get positive press, since the press is beholden to the industry, which essentially picks it's next "big hits" and then makes it happen through monopoly of distribution and advertising. But it's shocking that people choose to listen to this when there's so much great music being made these days, let alone the original stuff that paved the way back when these fools' trust funds were still in diapers.

Check out Paul Simon! These brats apparently did, although all they (barely) managed to steal was the sound, they got none of the subtlety or depth. How could they? They have nothing to sing or write or play about, they went to college and now they're famous.

This band is terrible - there's nothing there, folks. They can barely play their instruments, the songs are monotonous, and the albums have no character. The vocals are whiny and the lyrics are devoid of substance. "Is your bed made? / Is your sweater on? / Do you want to / Like you know I do?" Boo.

Vampire Weekend is not an "Indie" band, they are a product of the industry, without which they would probably be in law school or at an investment bank and no one they went to school with would even remember their band. If you like their music search a little more and find the really creative stuff - it's there waiting for those who seek it!

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

resurrect — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:00:50 -0000

and what is your identity mr. dodds -- gay black working class? your essentialism - which should be codified in the muiscal idioms of its practioners - is dated authenticity. be neil young - look like neil young - sound like neil young. reminds of how upper middle class white rock icons went on and on about Public Enemy back in the day - getting little hard-ons over all the bluster. a quick look at the MTV schedule should be a clue as to what lies in store of 'indie rock heroes."

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

resurrect — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:53:44 -0000

love 'em. a 21st century Orange Juice. contrary to the other opinions early on - they need to dial up the preppy threads. a bit of trovata and a helluva lot of ll bean meets brooks bros. matching suits did the beatles no harm.

also - jaded rock critics are bo-ring.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

fredwilson — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:03:01 -0000

Jojo influences!

I'll have to listen for that

Fred

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Paul — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:34:11 -0000

The mp3 is definitely better sound than Letterman.

I hear more than a bit of Jonathan Richman - both in the vocal and the guiar/singer-songwriter sound.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Paul — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:50:14 -0000

I think I like them, but my impression is that the mix was bad. The sound was a bit weak - I was shocked to see two guitars, base, and keyboard (plus drums) - sounded like a drum and ukelele. Not meant as a criticism of them - I think it was the mixing because there's no way that instrumentation should be so weak.

My sound-a-likes (for poor quality Youtube/Letterman) - Violent Femmes. Smithereens.

I'll splurge and buy the album - enough there to invest in, and see how much they outperform their disadvantage mix issues.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

glory — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:11:52 -0000

yea, that's what i was thinking; they sound like paul simon's graceland :P admits the influence here! http://www.pitchforkmedia.c...

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

mw — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:58:52 -0000

hate it. worst band. overhyped, spoiled brats with no sense of musical history. ALTHOUGH I am way over lefsetz. he's just a badmouth with nothing intelligent to add.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

billie k — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:53:13 -0000

XTC ?
How about Buddy Holly & the Crickets ?
Really weak Lonnie Donnigan ?
(http://www.youtube.com/watc...

". . . when I first met John, he was the leader of a skiffle group. . . I had my own skiffle group, and then we got George and Ringo from their skiffle groups . . . . we were all around 12 or 13 then. . "

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Darin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:58:55 -0000

Souless? They're white, it isn't a bunch of lame white rappers. They're indie, and it's way more different than anything else out there right now.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Greg Cannon — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:48:12 -0000

My pleasure. You've turned me on to plenty of great bands through your blog, so I'll let this one slide ;-)

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

jackson — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:01:06 -0000

There aren't too many peolpe that I've never met that I dislike more than Lefsetz, but I agree with him here. Bloody 'orrible. I liked them better when they were Haircut 100, and that was bloody awful.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

fredwilson — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:58:02 -0000

That cracked me up. I don't agree with you, but you made me laugh and I appreciate that

fred

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Greg Cannon — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:51:22 -0000

Thin ain't the word. As Roggs and Murtaugh would say, "F'in anorexic."

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Steve — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:24:38 -0000

I'll add my voice to the folks talking about the Whigs. I saw the first show they did in New York at Pianos a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love. I've seen them live 5 or 6 times since, and they have on each occasion completely blown me away. They deserve to be huge.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

fredwilson — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:46:02 -0000

me too!

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Ethan Bauley — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:08:27 -0000

I think he's saying that it's evanescent because it's the same...The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, VW, et al.

It's a style, it's a style: New York-y, well crafted, up, pop rock. If they were really genius lyrically or with the music it would go into "Armed Forces" Elvis Costello territory but it's not.

Vampire Weekend is formulaic in the least pejorative sense...still good though.

"Raising Sand" is different. Obama/T Bone Burnett in '08.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Chipotle — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:24:29 -0000

Miss Simpson, my high school English teacher is going to kill me. Make that -- there are more people making great music than ever.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Chipotle — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:17:59 -0000

"this is what happens when just about everything out there sucks so bad that you find yourself completely taken by a band like Vampire Weekend"

I couldn't disagree more. It may take a little effort to find, but I think they're are more people making great music than ever.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

johndodds — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:18:22 -0000

Based solely on that, I'd agree with Bob. Middle class college boys (seeing that white boys is bizarrely deemed to be offensive). Vapid and superficial and reminiscent of Haircut 100 an old UK 80s band.

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Dfactor — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:16:13 -0000

Ah, Lefsetz is just getting old - what can ya do? Vampire Weekend is not gonna change the world, but it was pretty good Letterman performance and the CD ain't half bad either....

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

mikereilly — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:33:19 -0000

XTC is what I thought of first as well. They lend themselves to that comparison but it probably doesn't help them in that I would say XTC was better on every instrument and they were catchier as well. I'll get some of their recordings and give them a more fair shot. I envy the Gibson guitar they use. Reminds me of Lennon's in Let It Be

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

Interesante — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:19:52 -0000

Dance/rock is has taken over with Hip Hop's demise. I like the track, but I prefer to leave good music up to these brothers at www.fakedjs.com

Re: Lefsetz Didn't Like Vampire Weekend On Letterman

fredwilson — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:17:01 -0000

I sure hope not

And I don't think everything out there 'sucks so bad'

Fred