Vampire Weekend * Beach House * The Very Best @ Hard Rock Casino

Vampire Weekend is an indie rock band which formed in February 2006 in New York City, New York, United States. The band consists of Ezra Koenig (vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Baio (bass) and Christopher Tomson (drums). The band has released two albums: Their successful 2008 self-titled album and 2010's "Contra". The band has gained positive comparisons to such artists as Paul Simon, Haircut 100 and The Walkmen

Vampire Weekend received much buzz from local blogs throughout 2007 during their rise to a record deal with indie label XL Recordings. Rolling Stone placed Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa at number 57 for the top 100 songs of 2007.

The band's debut album, "Vampire Weekend" was released on January 28. 2008. It was surprise success, peaking at #17 on the Billboard 200.

Their second album "Contra" was released on January 12, 2010. It contains the single "Cousins". The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, only the 12th independently released and distributed album to achieve such a feat.

They are self-proclaimed "specialists in the following styles: 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa', 'Upper West Side Soweto', 'Campus', and 'Oxford Comma Riddim.'"

The name Vampire Weekend comes from a movie that Ezra Koenig made in the summer of his freshman year at college. You can watch the trailer on Youtube, here.

Their official site is http://www.vampireweekend.com/

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Beach House is a dream pop group that formed in 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The group consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, organ) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboards). Legrand is the niece of french composer Michel Legrand. The group has released three albums: 2006's "Beach House", 2008's "Devotion" and "Teen Dream" in early 2010.

Within a year of formation, the group charmed indie music enthusiasts across the blogosphere with their languid songcraft, while the eerie warmth of "Apple Orchard" landed on Pitchfork's Infinite Mixtape MP3 series in August 2006. Two months later, Beach House issued their eponymous debut album for Carpark. Fall shows with labelmates Over the Atlantic were also scheduled.

Victoria can also be heard on Frenemies' Birds in High School album. She and Chris Freeland created harmonies on the song Waiting for the Ambulance. Victoria can also be heard on Grizzly Bear's 2009 release "Veckatimest" and she sings on "Slow Life", a Grizzly Bear track featured on the official soundtrack for Twilight: New Moon.

In September of 2009 Sub Pop Records announced that Beach House had signed and that a follow up album to 2008's "Devotion", "Teen Dream" would be released in early 2010.

Beach House was featured as a cover story in a January 2010 issue of the Washington Post magazine.

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Esau Mwamwaya was born in Mzuzu, Malawi in southeast Africa. He grew up in the capital, Lilongwe, where he played drums in various bands such as Masaka Band. He was a good friend of the legendary Evison Matafale and they played together for several years before Matafale was killed in Malawi police custody in 2003.

In 1999 Esau Mwamwaya moved to London, England has until recently run a second-hand furniture store in Clapton, East London, UK.

Esau's shop was on the same street as Radioclit's old studio, and after the Radioclit boys bought a bike from Esau they invited him to one of their house warming parties. They made friends and started working on music together. Two years later and the project has gotten its name: The Very Best.

Sites: Discogs.

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