Take a bite out of Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - Xl Recordings Self Titled (Vampire Weekend)

Vampire Weekend created a buzz last year when their demos wound up being passed around on the Web. Although this is their first album, there has been quite a bit of hype over its release.

With a name like Vampire Weekend, you might think that these guys might be one of those bands who dress all in black and wear makeup and are too cool to smile. But the band is about as far removed from that scene as they could be.

They are an upbeat pop group who incorporate elements of Caribbean music like steel drums from Trinidad and some Jamaican style beats into their sound. They also have the frantic guitar style that came out of West Africa that Paul Simon introduced to the pop charts more than two decades ago with his album Graceland.

The track M79 has all of the above but it starts with a harpsichord intro and has a Baroque style string arrangement. These four Columbia University graduates have pulled together many different styles but don't look for Vampire Weekend in the world music section. They are a pop group first and foremost.