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I haven’t heard this or even read anything about it yet. And I liked the last record quite a bit. But if I hear or read anyone referring to anything about this music as “African” I’m going to start breaking things. Unless this shit sounds like Balla Kouyate or Ami Koita people need to stop referring to it as “African” or even having “African Beats” because it didn’t and it doesn’t.
I’m not even saying a western group of young white guys can’t ape that sound (Antibalas comes to mind). Just that these guys do not.
They (Vampire Weekend) sound like Crazy Rythms era Feelies which is a good thing. But that sure as hell ain’t African.
This album contains west african drums and drummers. From west africa. So shut it.
Be that as it may (and I’m still skeptical), that doesn’t mean that anyone who used those descriptions for the first album wasn’t a tool. Although nowhere near the magnitude of tool of the guy who wrote at that link:
“string flourishes out of 18th-century Vienna, guitar riffs flavored with a bright something from the African diaspora”Holy crap.
a bright something? Who even uses the word diaspora anymore!?
I’ve determined through this and the several other tangentially related discussions we’ve been having on here that my issue is that bad music crticism is to me, what pseudoscience/homeopathy/etc. are to you. It’s very existence and prevalence and the number of people who buy into and repeat these ridiculous narratives enrages me.
“What? What??!?!?!?! No…that artist does NOT sound like that!! At ALL!!!! Stop writing that and you other people stop repeating that!!! No, this band is not original. They may be good…you may like them….I probably like them. Maybe even love them. But they sound just like this other band and not to reference that makes you an idiot!!!!! Please stop using these ridiculous terms and expression and subgenres!!! Or if you insist on doing so at least be funny and clever and amusing or witty and sarcastic and biting to go along with it.” (note this above rant was not specific to an artist or person in particular, merely a recreation of what I yell at my computer or magazines or newspapers when reading most music criticism).
Hahahahahhaa, I suppose that’s fair.
But you should know… the west african percussion on Vampire Weekend? It’s west african. Although, apparently it’s played by south africans. I don’t know if that’s enough to get up your ire. They played with the dudes from The Very Best, who are from Malawi, and apparently they helped record some songs.
So the question becomes… the The Very Best dudes only recorded some of the drums, but the Vampire Weekend dudes recorded the rest, are all the drums “african?” Is “African” a legitimate adjective to describe percussion? Ima say “yes” on both of those.
Also, I referenced them sounding like Paul Simon, although I wasn’t biting or sarcastic. I hope I still win.
Wait, referenced where? I didn’t see anything other than this post.
I’m all for comparative descriptions when they are accurate. In fact I’m highly in favor of “They sound like this.” It’s the non-accurate ones that make me angry.
As I ranted about before I think people nowadays try and avoid the “They sound like” thing too much as though its an insult and if the band isn’t 100% original sounding that it’s a dig at them. I want to know about bands that sound like other bands I like. Interpol is one of my favorite bands of the past decade and I think we know where they exist on that sphere.
In my review on Mixtape.
Oh. I haven’t been over there in a while.
I figured your comments were referencing that since you touched on a few things I said. I’m sure you’ll have kind words for me after you read it!
Nope, I have not read it. Now I look forward to it.
If you reference Paul Simon then I can see that. And if that’s the prism through which “African Music” is referenced then that softens the impact somewhat.