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The Chicago Reader's Jessica Hopper weighs in on Vampire Weekend and cultural appropriation

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/vampire-weekend-contra-review-indie-rock-appropriation-ezra-koenig/Content?oid=1358299

Hey maybe I'm just a Mom living in NJ, but COME ON! The whole hipster Brooklyn scene is so past hip, that it's...it's...it's....UNHIP! It's run its course...crossed the finish line...reached home plate! It brings back memories of our beloved Hoboken (tear!)before "THEY" moved in. Well Brooklyn, "THEY" are with YOU now. Maybe Vampire Weekend can serve as the Afro-rhythm playin' funeral procession band that will kindly usher out this Docker wearin' Lacoste bearin' group of wannabees so you can have your city back! Fingers Crossed!

The bands name has nothing to do with the current craze about vampires. They formed in 2006 under that name and it was taken from a movie Ezra made in highschool, which he graduated in 2002. That was well before any of this current pop culture vampire craze. Stop talking about their clothing and listen to the record. I think it's kick ass compared to 99% of the garbage being released these days. More power too them when they can work people up this much by being themselves.

The whole "debate" was rather inane, as I pretty much
expected it would be. Mr. DeRogatis put forth a more
compelling and informed argument, while Ms. Meltzer
came across more as a gushing fan.
In any event, it was all quite silly and pointless. Vampire
Weekend is an adept but fairly weightless band that
will likely soon disappear into the rock band ether...

I don't recall who was responsible for belaboring this topic, but on today's interview some guy was discussing balaclavas as if they were indicative of gruesome warrior-type headgear. He attempted to suggest that VW were introducing some macabre meaning by including this word in their lyrics. Before we read too much into this, just know that in my native UK, balaclavas are merely woolen hats that cover the head, ears, face and neck, worn mostly by children, to battle the winter cold. Nothing sinister. No need to delve so deeply. And no-one is forcing you to listen. Chill. And, hey, wear a balaclava if it gets too brisk.

Unfortunately Jim is not capturing or realizing that Vampire Weekend is not as much an in your face prep band as they are reflecting the current prep revolution going in society. It is undeniable that boat shoes, cardigans, polos and all things preppy are hot right now - one quick perusal around the internet for pictures of Jim will reveal that he is not aware or beholden to current fashion trends (besides that of the, um, goatee).

I have seen Vampire Weekend live a number of times and I thoroughly enjoy their music and act. I can understand some critics negative reaction to VW, but I cannot really appreciate or sympathize with Jim's points when his critique is based on their "stolen" influences from West Africa and prep style. Especially when said critique comes from a gentleman that holds himself in such high regard - "Well I must just have higher literary standards than [Marisa]".

that was a horrible discussion. please find some more articulate people next time.

that was a horrible discussion. please find some more articulate people next time.

They represent all that is wrong with New York's music scene. They are very thin sounding and have no bass. They are somehow too boring for Williamsburg.

what about minor threat as a comparison? both bands' lyrical focus is sort of parochial. each song is a diss to someone or something within their scene, uninterested in reaching some sort of universal truth.

Vampire Weekend is an up, fun eclectic sounding group that reminds me of the Beatles and some raggae and other cultural styles all mixed in. They are just playing what they play and seem to enjoy it, and so do I. It is fun and fresh, and puts me in a good mood. Keep it coming Guys and Thank you !

What people have misjudged about Vampire Weekend (generally) is that there is no commentary to what they do. That they are preaching this anthem of 'whiteness' because it is what is in their hearts. True, I believe that they have lyrics which are ridiculous because I am not smart enough to know what half of the words they use mean, but they're catchy, they're full of hooks and their sound is fun.

If you read an interview, listen to them speak, or just take anything into consideration besides the fact that they wear white pants after Labour Day it might be easy to see the bit of satire they have on themselves. This band more than any gets people up in arms about class and what's appropriate for them to be influenced by, it's clear to see that all the inane hateration is just some other well-educated people taking a stand for social activism because their music sounds like 'Graceland' when all you can point out is that the music they're influenced by is not 'white people music.' The main song writers in the band are Ezra and Rostam, of Jewish and Persian decent, so I think all the appropriation talk is a little trite.

As far as my take, it's fun music, danceable and they're all talented guys, more power to them.

I've never paid much attention to them before so I guess I better listen. I missed part of where the reference to "Balaklava" came up. So, I'll just blindly add that it was also the name of a song by Tom Rapp for the late 60's band "Pearls Before Swine". It featured the recorded voice of a surviving British Seargent-Major from that battle.

What!?!?, well after all I am 62. For anyone in the demagraphic who cares, Rapp became a civil rights lawyer after his recording career ended.

Last time I checked, Lady Gaga went to NYU and grew up in the upper East Side. hmmm... not too different than the privileged background of Vampire Weekend, perhaps.

I, Marissa, beg to differ with Marisa.

I think Vampire Weekend's self awareness is limited to their filtered admiration of themselves and their lifestyles.

Some people do like music for being "fun" and that is just fine with me. But it certainly does not stop me from dissing on some pansies who sound like an unmagical Animal Collective" and sing about some trivial and yes ANNOYING! & careless superficialities.

However, I do think they have potential to improve if they were to I don't know.. learn to be streetwise and genuine. Possible, but it will take some time.

I don't care if they wear cardigans or where they went to school or find their influences (though their influences are perhaps too obvious). VW just kind of annoys me, I guess I'd agree with the poster above who referred to them as "cloying".

I'm not a VW fan, but I will admit that some of their music is very catchy, so it's not the African influence that bothers me.

Their upper-crust trappings do rub me the wrong way, but more and more I'm thinking it's satirical and tongue-in-cheek.

It's funny that VW and the Strokes come from the same economic backgrounds, but appropriated polar-opposite images (the Strokes are UESiders slumming it on the LES, whereas VW are probably just using an exaggerated version of their real selves, like comment #35 ).

absolutely vapid band. It's not a cute pop thing, it's an obnoxious gimmicky schtick. Tired upon landing. Mr. Derogatis is thoroughly "smacking down" Ms. Meltzer. He's clearly thought out his opinion much more and is able to intelligently provide a a point of view. Meltzer, is "like, you know...totally...like," not doing VW any service.

The bottom line here is weak arguments stemming from a weak topic.

Ugh. I hate Vampire Weekend also their name,but I also dislike most pop culture trendy nonsense. And,whoah! The track you just played was a complete rip off of Animal Colletive. Is Animal Collective derivitive of different cultures musical history, are they looking to many sources? YES, but they are strange , smart,weird,and do not play up the white boy, frat boy "Fun fun fun" Abracombie mall retardation. They are not interesting, they are boring and every time I hear a song of theirs I have to leave, change the channel, etc. But given how this culture of ours likes an instantaneous satisfaction and a constant corn syrup sugar high, no surprise about their popularity.

ps-

(love B-52's

no patience for Vampire)

The reverse snobbery of the male critic on your show today was KILLING ME! Are you going to mention that Suzanne Vega went to Barnard College?

What band doesn't "create" its image?!! But, agree with Jim otherwise!

anyone remember b-52's?

just fun quirky art-pop

like it or not

LADY GAGA! You are really losing me now. She is nothing more than Madonna: the next generation.

It is definitely worrying that with the US economy in the toilet due to rabid consumerism and avarice that these guys are top of the pops.

Even if they are being ironic and offer a trite easy listening distraction, surely people should be a little angrier right now. Or are the kids oblivious to the suffering of so many people in this country right now in their college cocoons.

As an Australian living in the US, I often hear that I'm taking things to seriously whenever I question something as Jim is on his side of the debate.

I think the band's preppy image must provoke the wrath of those of us who automatically have a reaction of antagonism toward people who dress like that. In which case, it's provocative, and apparently effective!
That said, their music is just plain boring.

Jim, you're insane. You're focusing too much on image and clothing. I don't listen to vampire weekend, but the tone of your voice when you refer to them makes it obvious that someone in a polo gave you a wedgie in your youth. Let it go and see a therapist.

Ms. Meltzer says "I love the spice girls"

Mr. Derogatis says "I love lady gaga"

Must be awfully hard work polishing turds....for both of you.

Case closed. RN'R is dead and intelligent musical journalism with it.....

"My Ascot or My Dickie?". That's a song by The Upper Crust - from about 20 years ago. They were funny, and a good band - if a joke band. I don't think they took themselves too seriously. Vampire Weekend perhaps lucked into a time, an ironic time, when a joke band can cross over into being considered a serious band, despite the tired schtick.

Dude. Lighten up. As I hear it, Vampire Weekend are joking, poking fun at the very people Jim seems to have such problems with. Relax.

Jim mentions KISS and their costumes like it's a bad thing, then he talks about the Clash as if he's forgetting they were in costumes of a sort too. Jim can't be naive enough to think ANY band goes onstage without giving consideration to the clothes they're putting on their backs, even if it's dirty jeans and a ragged t-shirt.

And for the record, I was raised in a blue-collar family, I have no university education, and I've never worn IZOD or Bennetton.

This conversation is ridiculous. People who dont like V.W. are like people who dont like vacation? The youth in brooklyn wear Izod and Polo? V.W. = Kiss?? One of you needs to wake up and put down the polo shirt and the other to stop being such a hater. Is their music contrived? Sure. Are their songs well crafted? yeah. Vampire Weekend are preppy fluff merchants with a few gems. Act accordingly

repeatably calling something "obnoxious" is music criticism?

Let's go back to when the dinosaurs walked the Earth. Also basically from Columbia, remember Sha-Na-Nah?

Were they Brooklyn or Philly streetcorner a cappella dudes? Nope!

And no one cared. By the way, the only w2 members I actually know anything about today have returned to their roots: George Leonard is a writer in Tinseltown; Rob Leonard's a professor at Hofstra University.

In the long run, it don't make no diff, I say.

I agree with Jim.

Their music is supremely uninteresting.

Talk about calculated, even their name is timed to fly along with the Twilight/True Blood vampire craze. How many people bought this album just to be trendy with the word "Vampire" on their cd pile.

Lame.

Listen to the new Spoon, or Mew, or Paper Route. Try something powerful and new, instead of so empty.

Jim D. Regatas' comments smack of pretentiousness. I can't believe he's not picking up on the satire in VW's music. Just take a look at one of their video's: they poke fun at everything from preppyness to goth (Oxford Comma video). You just need to pop over to Williamsburg and see that their "package" isn't even all that ridiculous in comparison to the rest of hipster culture. Anyone who thinks that "Lady Ga Ga" is in any way more creative or talented than VW is clearly out of touch with reality.

This sounds like an argument about who is the better poseur. There is no real authenticity.

Marisa seems to get way too defensive and takes the argument personally. B.E. Ellis is a dis-service as a comparision. Sophomoric...

I think in our age of mash up culture, "authenticity" isn't even worth arguing. Vampire Weekend represent the cultural mash up that has white kids in Brooklyn wearing Hecho en Mexico shirts. That's a trend that is exciting in its adaptation of items across cultures and nauseating in its ability to reduce them all to fashion statements. I like their music, get a kick out of the way the lyrics acknowledge the linguistic silliness of it all, and simply ignore their look because preppy reminds me of Reagan.

What about the Kinks? Schoolboys in disgrace? Or angus young?

VP Weakend is a good band, post post post modern appropriate emotion when that's all that's left is a dirty run down world that can be done and have fun while doing it. too bad marisa is such dork in defending them, talk about vapid!

I don't know VW's music, so it's interesting to hear two people argue about them. If the basis of the arguments for/against them indicate anything about the band itself (which I would say the arguments can be very meaningful, as a distillation of what the band evokes), Marisa sounds defensive and as an apologist, whereas Jim sounds as though he's criticizing from a position of letting the music speak itself, and the image needing to support and be secondary to the quality of the music. Based on the clips, VW do sound like poachers. When the show first came on, I thought I was listening to a Paul Simon outtake.

regarding vampire weekend

2 words:

volkswagon commercial

I have a feeling that Mr. DeRogatis is not a Wes Anderson fan.

Great guests and debate! One of the smarter smackdowns. Lots of juicy topics within.

derogatis--your argument is tired and irrelevant. the fact that we know where VW went to school is beside the point, but you wouldn't be referring to them as "preppy" or "benetton wearing" if you didn't know they went to columbia. besides, referring to anyone as "benetton wearing" indicates your aging status--no one's worn benetton since the 80s. did anyone declare jagger illegitimate because he came from a good middle class family and went to the london school of economics. bad arguments. i'm not a big VW fan, but your arguments make you sound like the uber-straight guy who doth protest homosexuality a bit too much. it's suspect.

mr. schaefer--stop relying upon derogatis to weigh in on everything contemporary. he's a bit out of it.

Even if the privileged life thing is a joke,jokes can last more than one album. Turbonegro plays the gay sailor joke pretty amazingly on stage but backstage they are anything but gay or sailors or into NAMBLA. Good music is good music and nothing comes from nothing. Jim, give them a break! Stop hating on KiSS too.

When I heard an indie band form Brooklyn was dominating the charts I was looking forward to hearing them. Upon hearing the record I couldn't have been more dispointed. Musically cloying and irritating. Knowing a bit more about the band I like them even less.

In a lot of ways, hipsters acting the part of prepies is more authentic, than hipsters pretending to be blue collar. Hipsters are invariably the children of privilege. However, given their real selves is annoying, they'd do better faking it.

I think the fact they're parasites is evident by word Vampire in their title. They are using the energy of others to survive... But they are adapting it as well.
I'm not sure they're being satirical as one of your guests suggest.
They're much better live than their recordings. I enjoyed the concert but found most their fans obnoxious.

Ellen, you are saying you can't judge a band's music unless you know what brand polo they wear. I surely hope that's a joke.

The upper crust schtick is not too original at all, but what do you expect from pop culture success. A band called Upper Crust mined this territory beautifully and hysterically - about 20 years ago. 'My Ascot or my Dickie' is an example of a song of theirs. More or less the same as singing about yachting. I'd say Vampire Weekend would work better without the not very original dress schtick.

Wow Hipsters being ironic about their image, style, music, knowledge, preferences -- that's basically what defines hipsters no? The band lets that subculture have an anthems they think they get and hold at arms length. Of course they don't do anything meaningful with their self-awareness so I say bash them all you like.

I'm guessing the majority of people arguing this are white. Black folks are used to getting ripped-off culturally and by and large understand the concept of "an act". It seems to me the artists who buy into their own "act" end up dead or at least damaged. These guys are not my thing, but it doesn't seem they're doing anything new and if turns someone else on - cool.

I don;t know much about this band or how they use the term Benetton, but I think that while the work that Tibor Kalman did with Benetton and their Colors magazine may have appeared superficially global, it actually adressed pressing issues of the day in a provocative way. I'm not sure that Benetton as slur really means what Mr. DeRogatis thinks it does. J.Crew might be a better fit.

Folks.........this ain't even worthy of calling Rock N' Roll. Unless you want to use it as an example of dismally low the genre has sunk as of late.........

Ms. Meltzers arguments only epitomize how vacant their fan base is........

Jim's beef with the band seems very superficial and (if I may say so) silly. Who knew some preppy young ivy leaguers could raise one man's ire so much.

I agree completely with Marisa -- hating Vampire Weekend is like hating vacationing (or dessert -- who doesn't like sweets?!??).

Read about VW influence from Bollywood, MIA and Indian Brazilian drums...

http://www.indiecision.com/2010/01/07/interview-vampire-weekend/

Every band has influences. Does it matter from where?

Jim needs to stop focusing on their "style" and listen to the music. It's fun! I agree with Marisa that not liking VW is like not liking a vacation.

These guests are catty and are relying on stereotypes and the conversation of the masses to critique Vamp Week. Talking about what people wear in Brooklyn and going on and on about what clothes the band wears is really, really pandering to the lowest common denominator of discussion on this band, which is extremely culturally important right now.

I don't hae a problem with them appropriating anything. I have a problem with how affectedly twee they are. If the commentator compares them to going on vacation, I compare them to going to some surreal resort in the Bahamas or Las Vegas that immerses you in some sort of self-consciously manufactured experience. It is just fake in conception and execution and way too self-conscious to be sincere.

vampire is right - sucking the blood out of music and culture-- they live in brooklyn like Bloomberg lives in BRooklyn..the label created that myth.
been here since '85 -- go back to the yupper west boys

Marisa knows her shit. Thank you for having her on air.

Jimmy Buffett isn't so hard on the ears.

Jim, Dude, it is Lacoste not Izod. If you don't know that then you can't judge.

I can't stand this album and band, and no they don't sound like the Talking Heads.
They sound like wimps; I want beat them up with a baseball bat.
I can't believe this group is from NYC, what happen to all the cool bands from the city?

It sounds like your guest has some serious class anxiety. Who cares if they dress like preppies?

Who compared these posers to Talking Heads?

Vampire Weekend isn't nearly half as obnoxious as the people who listen to Vampire Weekend.

:)

The right comparison for Vampire Weekend is not Kiss, it's Jimmy Buffet. Jimmy Buffet's self-awareness of his privileged image does not forgive his lameness--same with Vampire Weekend.

What exactly is wrong with the fact that these guys went to Columbia? Is a great education bad? Are they supposed to be uninterested in the wider world or dishonest about their origins? (When they sing about "yachting," they're in fact ironically referring to privilege they've been exposed to, but don't come from.) Still, it doesn't surprise me that Mr. DeRogatis, a Chicagoan, would want them to be less global and more proletariat (and uninterested in fashion). Somehow I doubt he would complain about a band walking around SxSW in black leather.

Plain and simple, Vampire Weekend are not half as clever as they think they are. It's post-global bubblegum pop for people who are proud that they can walk at the same time.

This band sounds too boring to debate.

What exactly is wrong with the fact that these guys went to Columbia? Is a great education bad? Are they supposed to be dishonest about their origins or uninterested in the wider world? It doesn't surprise me that Mr. DeRogatis, a Chicagoan, would want them to be less global and more proletariat. Somehow I doubt he would complain about a band walking around SxSW in black leather.

I can't stand this album and band, and no they don't sound like the Talking Heads.
They sound like wimps; I want beat them up with a baseball bat.
I can't believe this group is from NYC, what happen to all the cool bands from the city?

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...and music is universal, so borrowing cross boundary is the norm. From Ellington to Tom Ze, influences are global. As a professor who has taught globalization, I say, "more power to you;" this is the best part of globalization. Also, the band's nod to Paul Simon is as strong as that to Afropop.

As Jim Jarmusch says, "nothing is original." People appropriate musical styles all the time. This argument is getting old.

I don't care if they were high school dropouts. There music is nerve-racking & silly. I've heard them being compared to Talking Heads, but with that band, you always had the sense that Byrne was about to blow up. These guys just annoy.

I'm not a huge fan of V.W., but all that matters is good songs. Who cares if their influences don't correlate with their upbringing. They write good stuff and people enjoy them. End of story.

Rock 'n' Roll has been appropriated music from the beginning, with some of the most interesting being those that failed. The Beatles wanted to be Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry. Thank God they couldn't quite pull it off. Rock Steady and Reggae mixed African sources with R&B coming in on the skip from American AM stations. There are those that credit the Reggae pulse in part to the in- and out-of-phase pulse of those long distance signals.

So the debate is whether or not its ok to be influenced by other music? You might as well stop doing anything because all music is influenced by something. Whats next a smackdown over the use of musical notes?

Ripping off "third world" [sic] music? Nonsense. But lets face it, when white Americans hear other people's music for a few years, after a while, a natural Narcissism gets them to a point where they think they are experts, ready and able to play it. This affects the white audience too. That's why I hear white consumers tell me that Bela Fleck and Ry Cooder play Africn music well. We're in an era of globalisation, usually imperialistic Americanisation but, in music at least, Africans are appropriating too. Will you do a show about how Aficans "rip off" reggae from Jamaicans, or soul and rap from African-Americans? Vampire Weekend can play what ever they want. I don't have to listen to it and I won't ever play it on my show as our mission is to expose African artists, generate a little royalties for them and to stimulate sales to augment the piracy that reduces many to pitiful indigence and indignities back home. Nevertheless,I won't ever knock this group or others like it. That's a waste of time.

Going back to your anti-desert island show, I said I would leave Vampire Weekend back home. I still stand by that. I listened to this entire album, painfully, to get a clear angle from my perspective. While I realize that research into the name/band by new listeners may lead them to older music of ANABELs (Artists Not of American, British, or [Western] European Lineage), which would be wonderful to see, but these MABELs do not impress. It's sort of like an NSYNC for our next ten years, like they were at the turn of the millennium. I understand that it's pop, but Bowie was pop and he had a groove, a vibe, a soul, if you will. Selling 120,000 CDs these days, puts you closer to Jay-Z, American Idol winners, the High School Music Soundtrack, trends of a disengaged, miseducated audience unfamiliar with terms like "Modal Jazz, Country Blues, and Rock n' Roll at its essence." Jimmy Heath is playing all next week at the Blue Note. I'd love to see these drooling fans of Vampire Weekend take a risk and listen to something that may not make them feel so bubbly and safe at first, but that will open them up to a world of music largely untapped and concerts mainly attended by listeners above the age of 40. SHOW SOME SUPPORT AND RESPECT, LISTENERS!