Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig in Tracks that Changed My Life | Radio X

Radio X's recurring feature: Tracks That Changed My Life, looks about the music that inspires the work of our favourite artists. This week, lead singer Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend talks us through his tunes, including Kate Bush, Meatloaf, Daft Punk, Eric Prydz, and more. Yeah, it's a real mixed bag. But what else would you expect from the man who fuses worldbeat and artpop with indie rock?
Vampire Weekend's latest album, Father Of The Bride, sees the band open up their sound in a way we've never seen before; a departure from 2013's Modern Vampires Of The City, and yet a hark back to their self titled debut. From Glastonbury to Coachella, catch them live this year.
#VampireWeekend #FatherOfTheBride #TracksThatChangedMyLife
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[@RadioX]

Name a track that makes you feel fantastic, no matter what...

[@fancyfishfilms]

no

[@martinrose6357]

Teenage Icon - The Vaccines

[@ryanmoorman7799]

My Girls // Animal Collective

[@SmileyLifeLove]

cape cod kwassa kwassa

[@timothysigler2702]

Every Morning - Sugar Ray

[@dmrsk1899]

Well, his music changed my life, so...

[@janglinsoul]

Ezra Koenig's skincare routine on Harper's Bazaar pls

[@MustachioDango]

i would do anything for love - meatloaf aerodynamic - daft punk optimistic - sounds of blackness wuthering heights - kate bush call on me - eric prydz

[@untitled1464]

vampire weekend changed MY life in so many ways i don’t even know where to begin

[@hannahprose]

I was overjoyed when he said Wuthering Heights. Wasn't expecting that. It's my favorite song of all time.

[@sarameiragootblatt1819]

Oh my gosh. Eric prydz. Seriously. Ezra. The eclecticism! Love it.

[@plasticdents659]

“Optimistic” by Sounds of Blackness is an incredibly good, uplifting R&B Dance cut. Thanks Ezra and Rashida for the suggestion!

[@Awesomebaconman123]

His constant blinking is still a staple of him I see.

[@Ms.gnomer]

IdlovemesomeGyro! I wonder if it’s something like mild Tourette’s

[@emmalemma5720]

tbh his music changed my life. my mom would play vampire weekend on the way to school so it always takes me back to simpler times :)

[@ayden_james]

i know daft punk is popular but it just amazes me how their music played such a big role to 90s youths. i watched this right after the drums' amoeba video and jonny (their vocalist) also mentioned daft punk. it's coo

[@darielaalejandra378]

not only do I wanna thank God and Jesus too, but also Radio X. yes, and thank you for this majestic piece.

[@RadioX]

😘

[@Koshirozation]

well vamp weekend changed mine, sweet and dear ezra! i will always remember his line from lizzy goodman's book about the clash and how he thought that some of the things strummer and the gang did was just "straight up hip-hop" ahahah and i can't agree more! it's just that for many people vamp weekend is this nyanyanya, as my brother says overly sugar coated sponge bob rock but there is this warmth and melody to, im not afraid to say this, almost every one of their songs and just going from big instant pop hits like "m79" and "cape cod kwassa kwassa" and stuff like "cousins" and "dianne young", "ya hey" (how can one forget about that one) for example to poetic and slow and tender "i think ur a contra" or "taxi cab" or of course "hannah hunt" and "obvious bicycle" , "step", now we have "2021' and "big blue" (i just wish that song evolved a bit more and was like 3 minutes long) is just such a fantastic catalog that i will always cherish. i thought that maybe ezra would mention neil hannon's quirky elegance and divine comedy or stuart murdoch and belle and sebastian but i guess we would get that if we got jens lekman on the "tracks that changed my life" !

[@lukeberrie3942]

Sergej Lovrekovic Bruh I’m so ready for that Big Thief album, especially now they’re on 4AD 😄

[@Ben-xl4hp]

Wow glad you mentioned divine comedy! I love Neil Hannon, do you know if Ezra is into him too?

[@Koshirozation]

@@lukeberrie3942 yes!! totally, and the two songs they released so far are just so beautiful, dreamy, subtle but have that eternity that you can discover! glad to hear from a big thief fan!!!

[@Koshirozation]

@@Ben-xl4hp hello!!! neil hannon really is a inspiration! i remember that there was a video on youtube, or more videos on youtube where divine comedy covers some of early vamp weekend songs (cape cod and i think and maybe one other) and if my memory serves me right, ezra was performing with them, but that might be just my imagination! but neil really sang some of vamp weekend songs! have a nice day fellow divine comedy fan and i also will be waiting for a new album by them in june!!!

[@joelvilte1703]

Ezra talking about Kate Bush, I stan two legends.

[@DDD033]

EZRA!! I LOVE YOU!

[@haustreviance]

He's adorable.

[@KuehneZoneify]

Dat last song! Totally agree with Ezra 😂

[@samstuckey9886]

Please do more of these videos

[@kf3158]

Wow almost had a heart attack when he mentioned withering heights

[@All6usto]

That's definitely the music equivalent to genealogy. What a joy.

[@jgenard]

THAT LAST ONE EZRA WOW

[@puscifer10000]

Ann PERKINS!!

[@louvivian520]

tbh i really hope he calls her that sometimes

[@ayden_james]

ann perkins 👈🏼👀👈🏼

[@Aliondoesstuff]

Well vampire weekend made my life change

[@aninhamft]

Yes Ezra that wuthering heights solo is the shit

[@ellouisebrogan3615]

Kate bush legend

[@GoGoGirl22100]

Call on me!! This man has taste

[@xThePinkApple]

that meatloaf song's definitely been dissected on time crisis, i just can't remember which episode

[@marchtenth7869]

If you figure it out please lmk

[@woodbutcher]

God damn this dude has almost the exact same tracks I would've picked, only liberate by Eric prydz is the track I would've picked!

[@FikiFirmansyah]

toto-africa

[@juanis173]

Ezra why do I keep seeing you in dream land maybe it’s Bc I’ve been listening to old tc eps

[@richies6420]

Yessssssss.... Kate Bush....

[@GotWub]

Daft Punk good choice

[@charliebadger]

Purposefully didn't mention anything from Paul Simon's Graceland, me thinks :)

[@orenshaolian232]

why?

[@oest2029]

@@orenshaolian232 because a lot of VW's work is so obviously inspired by it, that he probably doesn't want to draw attention to that and look unoriginal

[@UksiHattu12]

@@oest2029 Is Graceland as good as Vampire Weekend? I have never heard of Paul Simon but Vampire Weekend is my favorite band.

[@polymathematics_]

@@UksiHattu12 you'll probably love that album by Paul if you liked VW

[@oest2029]

@@UksiHattu12 Graceland is one of my favourite albums of all time so naturally I'm biased, but you should definitely check it out. Paul Simon and Talking Heads were probably the first Western artists to fuse African rhythms with Western pop sensibilities back in the early 80s. You should listen to Remain in Light by THs also if you're not already familiar

[@trombonemain]

He says he’s not much of a dancer...would he say he used to freeze on the dance floor, and watch the icebergs from the shore?

[@HBrown-cc6wv]

What coat is he wearing here? If someone lets me know ill buy them one too.

[@lilyl201]

his shower robe

[@lukethreatt6187]

I don’t know what it really is, but the closest thing I can think of is a coat by Rowing Blazers

[@HQBacon]

Fun fact: Eric Prydz ripped off Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter for "Call On Me." Bangalter and DJ Falcon played "Call on Me" as a live performance and Eric ripped it off and made a radio single for it because Bangalter and Falcon had no plans of releasing it.

[@valerilohrman]

I’ve been telling everyone at work that that song is Valerie and it turns out it’s just the same melody as Valerie. Whoops.

[@originalshamus]

Eric Prydz sampled Valerie for Call on Me

[@maxnobel2044]

Why does the guy saying 'Radio X' sound like CHristian Bale's batman voice

[@ejspowerblock]

ezra mentioned call on me by eric pyrdz but the reality is that song was stolen from thomas bangalter from daft punk and dj falcon. so in reality there are 2 daft punk songs on this list.

[@christiankellerman9206]

Is that actually true?

[@AaronAnaya]

The girlfriend he’s talking about here is Rashida Jones the Parks and Rec star and Quincy Jones’ daughter.

[@giogerber27]

My strange addiction Billie eilish

[@seldomsoapbox]

Oxford Comma

[@melissahernandez4329]

Salvatore DeMare yo same. I still remember sitting in the living room couch in the dark, listening to this on blast. The guitar part gave me goosebumps.

[@seldomsoapbox]

Melissa Hernandez we are friends

[@melissahernandez4329]

I don’t know any of these....lol #sad

[@risdianaizzaty7604]

he looks like ramsay bolton what

[@Colly84]

Favourite artist....Reekloaf

[@esyndicate]

If only his face was in focus instead of his hand.

[@robthomas7232]

Sorry Radio X when I say I don't want notifications I mean I don't want notifications. Unsubscribing.

[@AbsoluteAbsurd]

Now you can subscribe without notifications

[@mattkolmer]

Imagine if he answered honestly

[@rrCHRISxx]

Meh.