Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006. Their sound mixes preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms.
Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, when they were finishing up their studies at Columbia University.
Taking their name from a movie Koenig made during his freshman year, the band started out by playing gigs at the university's literary societies and at parties.
Word spread about Vampire Weekend's unique sound and lyrics buoyed by the band's self-released EPs, which they recorded in locations spanning their Columbia dorm rooms to a family barn.
The buzz around Vampire Weekend reached a peak in 2007: that summer, the band embarked on their biggest tour yet, made several appearances at that year's CMJ Music Marathon, and signed with XL Records that fall.
The Mansard Roof EP was Vampire Weekend's debut release for the label, followed by their self-titled first album early in 2008. Debuting within the Top 20 of both the American and U.K. album charts, the eponymous record proved to be one of the year's most popular indie releases.
The band's second album, Contra, was released in January 2010. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200, solidifying the band's reputation as a dominating influence in not only indie music but in mainstream music culture.
It was the 12th independently-distributed album in history to reach the number one spot on the Billboard 200 since, while also being the first independent artist to have done so without ever have signed with a major label.
The Guardian awarded the album four out of five stars, stating that "[Contra] will probably be among this year's most played and most joyful tunes."
Spin praised the album, calling "the balance of classical, rock, and world instrumentation, cagey rhythms, and stunning prettiness isn't just architecturally resplendent, it's reassuringly sweet and strangely moving."
NME gave the album an 8 out of 10, and described Vampire Weekend as "one of the most unique bands on the planet."
This album was number 6 on Rolling Stone's list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.
On December 1, 2010, it was announced that Contra was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album".
The album's first single, "Cousins", was released on November 17, 2009.
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