Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band known for their unique blend of genres including African styles mixed with American pop. Their 2010 album Contra reached number one on the Billboard charts and features references to 1980s band The Clash as well as African musical influences. The album cover, depicting a blonde woman in a polo shirt, was intended to represent social and cultural conflicts through a Rorschach test-style image open to various interpretations.

1. ARE VAMPIRE WEEKEND POSTMODERN?

2. Who? Vampire Weekend are an American band signed by XL Recordings Debut studio album - Vampire weekend 2008, 2nd album - Contra 2010 Their first album was much a success in the UK and US reaching 15 in the UK album chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200 Various track of theirs have been featured in films such as Step Brothers and The Inbetweeners The debut album came 42nd on NME’s top 100 greatest albums of the decade Ezra Koenig - lead singer and guitarist Rostam Batmanglij -keyboardist and backing vocals The album Contra reached no.1 on the Billboard 200

3. What? Horchata White Sky Holiday California English Taxi Cab Run Cousins Giving Up The Gun Diplomat’s Son I think Ur A Contra The name of the album is deliberate to contrast with Sandinista - 1980 album by The Clash (The word contra means opposite or against) (In Nicaraguan history, the Contras were a loose federation of right-wing militant groups established in opposition to the Marxist militancy of the Sandinista National Liberation Front during the late 1970s and 1980s.) The lead singer of The Clash Joe Strummer was cited as inspiration for the lyrics of "Taxi Cab". The lyrics of "I Think Ur a Contra" include the phrase "Complete Control", the title of a Clash single. The title "Diplomat's Son" is also a reference to Joe Strummer. The picture on the album was taken in 1983 and was chosen as a juxtaposition to the debut album's cover which, while taken in 2006, looks like it 'inhabits the same world'. The image of a blonde, white girl in a Ralph Lauren polo shirt fits the bourgeoise aesthetic of the band and is intended to represent the social and cultural conflict at the heart of the album. Koenig likens the image to the Rorschach Test as multiple meanings can be extrapolated from just a few elements, saying "some people get very mad when they see a white blond girl in a Polo shirt."

4. How? High pitched xylophone Soft drums, acoustic instruments Africa music style Layered voices similar to band aid tracks - reference to community? Vampire Weekend - Horchata The tracks featured in Contra represent cultural music such as African compositions combining the sounds of acoustic instruments made from natural materials such as drums and xylophones. This reference to African musical styles was also created by Paul Simon‘s album Graceland in 1986

5. The mixture of american and african musical styles creates a new unique sound Combines two contrasting cultures The references made from the album cover involve social and cultural contexts Why?