Vampire Weekend’s next record won’t hit shelves until May, but the NYC quartet pounced on SXSW this week to launch Modern Vampires of the City onstage and online. Ezra Koenig and Co. broke out “Unbelievers” (a tune we heard debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live last fall), as well as “Diane Young” and “Step” among other album tracks in Austin. But just as fan-shot clips hit the YouTubeosphere, VW beat their audience to the punch again with official studio takes on the latter two. Initial reaction: The first tune feels familiar, while the latter makes an excellent case for lyric-video premieres, fresh hooks, understated arrangements, and the off chance of an unwitting mind-meld. You can probably guess which cut we’re digging most:
“Step”
“Diane Young”
