A-Punk

Album: Vampire Weekend (2008)
Charted: 55
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Songfacts®:

  • Vampire Weekend first appeared to a coast to coast American audience when they performed this song, dressed in sweaters, on the February 1, 2008 Late Show with David Letterman.
  • Garth Jennings directed the song's video and Nick Goldsmith produced it. Working under the pseudonym of Hammer and Tongs, they are best known for directing the promo for Blur's "Coffee & TV," which won the 1999 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video. The duo also directed and produced the 2005 film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
  • Frontman Ezra Koenig told the Daily Mail May 23, 2008: "We had a riff that sounded like a Punk song, but we played it on the high notes to make it sound more interesting."
  • Vampire Weekend performed the song three times in a row during their March 23, 2019 gig at the Islington Assembly Hall gig in London.

    After their first attempt, Koenig said: "Hmmmm that song is too short." After the second, he added: "These shows are essentially attended rehearsals, we've got a lot of shows to play this year. I'm sorry, but..." The band then played the song for a third time.

Comments: 6

  • Nady from Adelaide, Australia"cut his teeth on turquoise harmonica..." just wanted to know if it was a reference to something. settle down. it can make as much sense as you like..thats why it's so good:D
  • Reta from Frisco, Tx...is this song supposed to make sense?
  • Kelsey from Rustburg, VaHow can someone not know what a harmonica is for god's sake?
  • Joe from Phoenix, AzA turquoise harmonica is a free reed wind instrument that's colored an opaque, blue-to-green color.
  • Alex from Pompton Plains, Nji love this song, vampire weekend have such a unique sound it's great! and yeah what is a turquise harmonica? haha
  • Nady from Adelaide, AustraliaWhats a turquoise harmonica??bah who cares its a goooooood song
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