Vampire Weekend Credit: Photo by Mary Sledd

NPR’s Music for the Right Brain

Parish, Thursday, March 13

Leave it to National Public Radio to put on a show this eclectic. With three beauties on bongos, violin, and cello, Swedish crooner Jens Lekman whipped through a short set focused on his latest, Night Falls Over Kortedala, closing with a dramatic solo rendition of “Shirin.” The VH1 Storytellers vibe continued with New York-via-Louisiana singer-songwriter, ex-Verbena frontman, and Fat Possum A.A. Bondy, whose rasp told tales of its own. “And now for something completely different,” World Cafe host David Dye prompted, introducing Brooklyn fourpiece Yeasayer. They brewed a fever dream, seamlessly blending 500 cultures together in a melting pot. Wisconsin’s Justin Vernon, aka the visceral Bon Iver, followed, with two friends helping him round out tracks from his sterling debut, For Emma, Forever Ago. Vernon began haunting and ended possessed in a fury “For Emma.” SXSW 08 great hope Vampire Weekend closed the show with its indie Afro-pop, simple and lovely but lacking after the previous two acts. Decked out in cardigans and button-ups, the NYC fourpiece eased through its self-titled debut, and the crowd was keen to bounce along. There’s a time for dance, and there’s a time for introspection. Fortunately, NPR has time for both.

This article appears in March 14 • 2008.

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