Vampire Weekend : Diplomat's Son

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

He Was A Diplomat's Son. It Was '81.

This is my favorite track on the new Vampire Weekend album Contra for many, many reasons.

At 6:00 minutes, it's a complex song lyrically and musically, sampling both M.I.A.'s "Hussel"  and "Pressure Drop" by Toots & The Mahals which was also covered by The Clash. Which brings me to my main point- I think the entire Contra album is a tribute to The Clash, most notably their all over the musical map 36 song master-peace Sandinista!. That album brought in the rich influences of reggae, roots, funk, euro pop, gospel and of course punk.

As you listen to this song, remember that Joe Strummer was a Diplomat's son and Sandinista! was released in 1981.

On the surface the song would seem to be about a messed up, well educated, party hopping rich kid-exactly what Vampire Weekend are known for- but the double entendre is what makes it so interesting. It's really about the band struggling with their personal and musical images but not feeling the need to be overt about it-there's even a subtle reference to Paul Simon (whose Graceland the band's debut album was widely compared to):

"cuz I'm gonna take it from Simon/and then I'm gonna duck out behind them"

Do not underestimate Vampire Weekend. They are the real deal; if you just approach them as over-hyped indie prepsters you will miss their genius. They are just hitting their stride and they don't give a rat's ass what people think of them- just like Joe Strummer and The Clash  20 years before.



You can sample the full album here:

by Vampire Weekend from Contra

Legally download this song from:

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