stereogum – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Today’s Music Festival Round Up Report, Part One:

– Bamboozle Left is on this weekend in Irvine, Califronia. Get a report, see the lineup and sample some of the fest performers’ MP3s. Read more…

– The V Festival in Australia is losing money, according to billionaire tycoon Richard Branson, but he says in the long-run it will be worth it. Nevertheless, tens of thousands have turned out for the second years of the Down Under’s traveling festival, which continues this weekend. Read more…

– The official line-up for Lollapalooza 2008 will be announced only hours from now and there will be a full guide to Lollapalooza posted here when it does, including the full line up of artists, videos and MP3s of the best Lolla performances and artists of last year’s event. In the meantime, here’s all the news for Lollapalooza 2008, including rumored headliners, ticket sales and the wait game. Read more...

– South by Southwest 2008 was another resounding success, proving once again that it is the king of all festivals for just about everything currently hot, and up and coming, in the world we call indie rock music, film and art.

Here are a series of articles about SxSW, and just in case you didn’t get enough of the popular music festival, the following links provide more from SxSW:

– – An argument for why South by Southwest is the best music festival of all the others around the world to attend.

– – Gallery of SXSW 2008 photos

– http://stereogum.com/tag/sxsw – Stereogum’s full coverage of SouthBy is worth checking out for South by Southwest fans and those curious about what SxSW is all about.

Check back or get the feed; more festival news coming throughout the next week to keep you completely briefed on everything that’s going on (with focus on the major music festivals for practical reasons) for 2008 music festivals around the world.

Even before their ‘big time’ appearance on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, Vampire Weekend was one of the biggest new bands of 2008, if not the biggest new band of the year, at least as far as the ‘buzz factor’ goes.

Weeks leading up to the February release of their debut self-titled album on Beggar’s Banquet, VW had captured the attention of bloggers, music critics and ‘indie’ fans, mostly due to their performances last year in concert, at music festivals and their Feb. 1st U.S. network debut on the David Letterman Show.

Vampire Weekend – Boston
Vampire Weekend – Walcott
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk

(Watch and listen to Vampire Weekend play a 40-minute session clicking the video further down the page)

Many fans were disappointed by VW’s performance on SNL (the string section wasn’t synced with the band). Even the full-length clips of Vampire Weekend performing on SNL have been removed from YouTube; however, they have reappeared on Stereogum.

But, really, you can forget about the SNL show. Without question, it is the band’s 40-minute studio session on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic this past Valentine’s Day that shows Vampire Weekend at their best. Not only that, but everyone watch it. This is one of the best things about the Internet.

Die-hard fans all around the world who have been unable to see Vampire Weekend in concert should really enjoy this session. It may be the closest many come to see the band in concert, and in some cases, even better.

During the 40-minute studio performance, Vampire Weekend’s band members play almost every song from their debut album. The video and audio quality, and camera work, are superb (unlike most videos on YouTube) – no screaming, background noise or shakiness. See the set list below and some lyrics.

The first set of VW’s KCRW February 14, 2008 studio session features, in order played, Mansun Roof, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Cape Cod Kawassa Kawassa and Boston. Following the first set, there is a brief and wonderfully conducted interview with the band.

During the second set the guys play Bryn, Campus, I Stand Corrected, The Kids Don’t Stand and M79.

View more Vampire Weekend lyrics at their official website.

Tag: stereogum

2008 Music Festival Round-Up Report: Bamboozle Left, V Fest Australia, Lollapalooza and More SxSW

Vampire Weekend’s Free 40 Minute Studio Session on KCRW