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Midwesterner doing a one-year stint in the Pacific Northwest. Volunteer. Doodler. Leftie.

tuneage:

 Vampire Weekend  - Step

Yes, it’s true: Vampire Weekend; after keeping hopeful fans at bay for a full three years, has written and recorded a third album. Now, if you are like me and have kept off your waiting pains by keeping their last album in near constant rotation, then you may have approached this news with trepidation. After all, what if Vampire Weekend changed their sound to cater to changing tastes, or what if they simply lost the magic of Contra? With these concerns and more I approached the singles (so far) from Modern Vampires Of The City.

“Step” begins smoothly with Ezra Koenig’s voice softly oozing over a simple bass line, and as soon as the drums hit you can tell that Vampire Weekend’s sound isn’t changing for anyone. While “Step” does not have the raucous charm of “A-Punk” or “Cousins”, listeners will find it reminiscent of their softer tracks, such as “Taxi Cab.”

While “Stay” steers away from the synthesizer fills and African beats of previous tracks, it does maintain the heart and flow that Vampire Weekend has become known for, as well as a few mainstays for the band. Such as Koenig’s delightfully off-tempo delivery and the trills of a harpsichord in the background. Unlike “Diane Young”, the first single whose keyboardless energy steers somewhat away from previous VW efforts, “Step” proves the band’s capabilities to make excellent, quirky, vibrant music remain unchanged.

Vampire Weekend is seemingly still dedicated to producing sing song anthems for lovelorn city wanderers, and if that’s your thing, be sure to check out Modern Vampires Of The City. when it drops in mid-May.

This guest post was beautifully written by owlien. Thanks, owlien!

coelasquid:

I found out that if you give your tomato plant adequate water and fertilizer you run the risk of it never flowering because consistently comfortable conditions convince the plant that there is no environmental pressure to spread and reproduce.

You can literally be a helicopter tomato parent and grow a spoiled directionless manchild tomato plant.

When I first read this I was like, “Oh yeah, a message about giving your kids everything they need and them becoming moochers who don’t do anything” but actually…it’s great that that tomato doesn’t feel pressured to “spread and reproduce” based on others expectations. Go tomato plant!

(via northwardequinox)

tumblrbot asked: WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?

GREAT BRITAIN

The reality is that so-called pro-life movement is not about saving babies. It’s about punishing women for having sex. That’s why they oppose birth control. That’s why they want to ban abortion even though doing so will simply drive women to have dangerous back alley abortions. That’s why they want to penalize women who take public assistance and then dare to have sex, leaving an exemption for those who become pregnant from rape. It’s not about babies. If it were about babies, they would be making access to birth control widespread and free and creating a comprehensive social safety net so that no woman finds herself with a pregnancy she can’t afford. They would be raising money for research on why half of all zygotes fail to implant and working to prevent miscarriages. It’s not about babies. It’s about controlling women. It’s about making sure they have consequences for having unapproved sex.

—“How I Lost Faith in the Pro-Life Movement” by Libby Anne. This is some seriously interesting reading. (via possibilitygirl)

(via 100yearsoflolitude)

—

Samuel L. Jackson “singing” We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift on Capital FM.

(Actually the best thing I’ve ever heard on radio. Or ever.)

(Source: princekili, via aarontvaet)