Each track is an individualistic piece of music-making that fits into the theme of the album to which it quasi-belongs.

Vampire Weekend’s bonus tracks aren’t notable solely because of their novelty, however. It’s something you find to fill the void that five years of no new music has created. “California English: Part 2” isn’t something you stumble upon. If you knew any of the B-Sides or bonus tracks, you also knew the songs created by lead singer Ezra Koenig’s high school band, L’Homme Run. Within the past few months, however, they have been uploaded to streaming services by Vampire Weekend on the band-created playlist “DEEP CUTS.”Īnd they truly were “DEEP CUTS” up to this point. Historically, many of these tracks have been unavailable on streaming services, iTunes and American-sold records. Their debut, self-titled album, “Vampire Weekend,” contains two of these Japanese bonus tracks - “Ladies of Cambridge” and “Arrows.” Their second album, “Contra,” contains two iTunes bonus tracks - “Giant” and “California English: Part 2” - while also containing two Japanese bonus tracks - “Ottoman” and “Giant.” And their third studio album, “Modern Vampires of the City,” contains two remixes of the tracks “Ya Hey” and “Unbelievers” for Japanese audiences. In order to persuade their American fans to stray away from piracy and to persuade their Japanese fans to purchase records domestically, Vampire Weekend would include these Japanese B-Sides and iTunes Bonus Tracks on their albums - tracks that were significantly harder to find anywhere other than iTunes or in Japan. Pirating and streaming were around, but they were in their infancies and often weren’t worth the 99 cents that each song cost.

One more album is coming soon, and many more could come in the foreseeable future.ĭespite only releasing three studio albums, Vampire Weekend has released quite a few songs that act as a fourth, eclectic album on their own - their Japanese B-Sides and iTunes Bonus Tracks.īelieve it or not, in 2008, 20, when “Vampire Weekend,” “Contra” and “Modern Vampires of the City” were each respectively released, people still paid for their music. And a band that is still together with all of its members alive is better than a broken-up one with dead members. Sure, three albums in just over ten years isn’t anything the Beatles would be impressed with. Listening to a new, full-length Vampire Weekend album, absorbing it in its entirety, is a treat that their fans have only been able to experience three times - in 2008, 20.

Vampire weekend new album producer