SPOTLIGHT Soren Solkaer Starbird VAMPIRE WEEKEND Discovering inspiration in contradictions and cleverness Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, Christopher Tomson, Ezra Koenig SURE, VAMPIRE WEEKEND SINGER Western and African pop caught the public’s made headlines during the Reagan years, and guitarist Ezra Koenig was an English fancy two years ago. While making Contra, Vampire Weekend intends the word in its major at noted Columbia University and the group—rounded out by keyboardist literalFleetwood Latin meaning: Mac, the “against”Eagles, Seals or “in & contrast Crofts, taught junior high English. And yeah, on Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Christopher to.”America—songs “I wanted every that song everyone to speak knows. to a bigger That the band’s new Contra album he rhymes Tomson and bassist Chris Baio—was well theme,music reallyand to got me into that my theme bloodstream was ‘contra,’ and “horchata” with “balaclava,” among other aware that expectations would be high for themy ideapsyche.” of an opposition, the idea of duality,” clever linguistic feats. What of it? the follow-up to 2008’s acclaimed Vampire KoenigWhile explains. the bulk of Peace and Love is “It’s a criticism people try to lodge at Weekend. “Our main goal was to make a spareThe and assurance acoustic guitar-based,with which VampireHatfi eld us,” Koenig says with a resigned chuckle. record that had its own sound and existed Weekenddoes paint weaves outside together the lines thoseon occasion. varying “In my experience, a lot of our fans like our in its own world,” notes Koenig. “We were strandsThe piano on ballad Contra “Why suggestsCan’t We Lovethat Each the lyrics—they like thinking about them and trying to fi nd the middle ground between deafeningOther” is thebuzz fi rstthat song has greetedshe’s ever the writtenband’s trying to decode them. There aren’t too doing something totally different and still everyon keyboard, move will while continue the hot-wired, well into Neilthe many people who are Vampire Weekend using some of the same ideas we had on future.Young-like “My oneelectric fear guitarwas that break somehow in “What we fans in spite of the lyrics. And if people think the fi rst record.” couldIs Wrong” mess providesstuff up so the badly disc that with we its would only my using a big word somehow means I’m The tracks on Contra offer a disparate disappearplugged-in with moment. our second “There album,” was a Koenigperiod part of some old-money network, that’s a but cohesive melding of upbeat, multifaceted admits.a few years“As we ago started when working I hunkered on it, I downknew JAN/FEBtotal 2010joke.” ISSUE musicality with poignant, literate lyrics and thatand wasn’tworked going really to hard happen. onMMUSICMAG.COM guitar, No matter learning if it Plenty of words, big and small alike, often bouncy melodies—hence the title. matchesthings like the Keithsuccess Richards of the fi rstsolos album in orweird not, have been devoted to Vampire Weekend While the word may conjure for some the intunings,” a certain Hatfi way eld it’s says already of her a success.” approach to since the band’s quirky, perky pastiche of notorious Nicaraguan freedom fi ghters who the six-string. “I spent–Katherine about a year Turman doing that, learning how to do certain scales and so forth. But other than that, I’ve been a oenig slacker—although I care very much about my guitar playing. I think one of the reasons OMARIONOMARION I never studied it very much is that I wanted to keep it pure. I didn’t want to be infl uenced Think you know this smooth by other guitarists.” R&B star? Think again It’s been more than two decades since Hatfi eld fi rst made her name as part of the JULIANAJFORGETULIANA WHAT YOU MIGHT HATFIELDHATFIEHAVE HEARD ABOUT LD cult-beloved trio Blake Babies. She eclipsed Alt-rockerR&B artist Omarion. strips down old school—and thatthat group’sgroup’s success as leaderleader of thethe JulianaJuliana “I think people misconstrue who I am a lot of the time,” he says. Hatfi eld Three with early-1990s modern-rock fi“I ndsblame itpeace on the illusion of the game. You might think Omarion is hits like “My Sister” and “Spin the Bottle” going out to the club, partying and having an orgy with 10 women. before going completely solo in 1995. She JULIANAIf a rumor came HATFIELD’S out like that, 2008 people ALBUM might believerecorder, it. I felt likeHatfi I reallyeld came up with a ballad- says she’s only now begun to consider the Howwanted to toWalk share Away more was of whoa polished I am through effort, my drivenmusic.” song cycle centered on strummed musical legacy she has built during her career. recordedThat’s in justa New what York he Citydoes studio on his over new a album, guitars, Ollusion, delicate which vocal harmonies and “Some of my old records make me longrefl ects time the with Los a large Angeles cast native’sof musicians. growing For personalintrospective and musical themes. The lack of production cringe,” she admits, “but everything about hermaturity. latest, To Peace help bring and hisLove, vision she to elected fruition to he collaboratedgloss only serves with the to emphasize her exquisite them was very innocent and very pure. My takelikes preciselyof T-Pain, theMarques opposite Houston tack. and the Song wayDynasty with productiona melody—a gift Hatfi eld attributes body of work has integrity, in the sense that I “This time I wanted to be alone,” she to the impact AM radio had on her when never tried to tailor anything to anyone else’s 1818 JAN/FEB 2010 says. “I wanted to see what would come out she was growing up. “I fell madly in love tastes or to the marketplace. I have nothing of me with no one else involved.” Writing and with ’70s pop songs at a time when I was to be ashamed of, that’s for sure.” recording at home on an analog eight-track very impressionable,” she says. “I loved –Russell Hall M mag_HB.indd 18 1/11/10 3:42:41 PM team,team, which was behind Omarion’s 2004 hith “O.” “You want the balladeer is all about the quick seduction. In fact, “What Do You chemistry to be right,”right,” Omarion (born Omari Grandberry) says of Say” fi nds the singer suggesting to his paramour that they go on his experience working on the new album. “You don’t want to be in an old-fashioned date and do “normal things.” “There are a lot of the room with someone who has the idea of the kind of music you songs on there talking about love and acceptance, and being able ought to make but it’s not what you want.” to take your time and recognize what it is,” he says. Omarion asserted more control over his musical destiny than Then again, there’s the lead single, “I Get It In,” a pulsing club ever before on Ollusion, his third solo effort following his departure banger featuring rapper Gucci Mane. The song came together in 2004 from the hitmaking vocal group B2K. “This project was the quickly in the studio as Omarion swapped lyrical ideas with most personal to me, because I was the most involved on this one,” producer Tank. says Omarion. “With the other ones, I would get assigned an A&R “He was doing this melody, and it had this 808 sampler in it, guy. He’s doing the job of fi nding records that might be hits but not and we were just going back and forth and it was so dope,” Omarion necessarily songs that pertain to your life. When you make a record says. “That was one of those records, when we were fi nished, I and it’s about you, a different emotion comes out.” called my manager, I called everyone, and said, ‘OK, we’ve got the The songs on his new album that pertain most directly to fi rst single!’” Omarion’s life might surprise fans who think the smooth-talking –Eric R. Danton 19 M mag_HB.indd 19 1/11/10 8:59:19 AM.