"Harmony Hall" | ||||
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Single by Vampire Weekend | ||||
from the album Father of the Bride | ||||
A-side | "2021" (double A-side) | |||
Released | January 24, 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:08 | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) | Ezra Koenig | |||
Producer(s) |
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Vampire Weekend singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Harmony Hall" on YouTube |
"Harmony Hall" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. It is the lead single from their fourth studio album Father of the Bride ,and was released on January 24,2019,by Columbia Records as a double A-side with "2021". [1] It is the band's highest-charting single on the U.S. Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts,peaking at No. 8 and No. 5,respectively. It also received a nomination for Best Rock Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
The "rolling country-soul" [2] and indie pop [3] of "Harmony Hall" has been compared to the Grateful Dead,specifically their song "Touch of Grey". [4] [5] [6] [7] The song's release saw the band once again receive comparisons to the music of Paul Simon. [8] [9] [10] [2] The track's piano groove,percussion,and breakbeats are influenced by British baggy,rave,and Madchester music from the 1990s,such as "Unbelievable" by EMF,while the piano and strings in the bridge exhibit a Baroque style. [11] [12] [13]
The song's lyrics present a feeling of dread,contrasted against its upbeat sound. [14] [5] The song's chorus features the lyric "Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight/Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified." The single's artwork features a snake. The chorus also features the lyric "I don’t wanna live like this,but I don't wanna die," an interpolation of the same lyric from Vampire Weekend's song "Finger Back" from their third album Modern Vampires of the City . [14]
The song shares the name of an undergraduate dormitory at Columbia University,where Vampire Weekend formed. [6] Frontman Ezra Koenig has,however,said that the title is not a reference to the dormitory. The title has also been interpreted as a synonym for "echo chamber". [7]
Jeremy D. Larson of Pitchfork described the song as "buoyant,filled with the kind of sunlit energy created when throwing open the shutters," but described its similarity to "Touch of Grey" as "a bit out of step". [5] Will Richards of DIY praised the new upbeat sound,saying,"Of all the experimentation five and a half years could've brought for Vampire Weekend,'Harmony Hall' simply sees them refining,expanding their palate subtly and gorgeously." [10] Raisa Bruner of Time called the song "sweet and nimble" and said its "rich guitar and piano riffing" would please longtime fans. [15]
A music video for the song was released on February 20,2019. It features Koenig preparing pancake art using a spirograph,and cutaways featuring a green tree python,the band performing in front of pyrotechnics,as well as cameo appearances from Jonah Hill,Ariel Rechtshaid,Dev Hynes,and Danielle Haim. [16] [17] [18] [19] It was directed by Emmett Malloy,who previously directed videos for the band's singles "Giving Up the Gun" and "Holiday". [19] [20]
Credits adapted from Qobuz and Tidal. [21] [22]
Musicians
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Weekly charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [40] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is from the album In the Dark. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive." It combines dark lyrics in the verses with upbeat pop instrumentation. A simple pronoun change in the final chorus transformed the song into an anthem, especially for the band's most ardent followers.
"Maps" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell (2003). The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O. Released in September 2003, the song reached number nine on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 26 in the United Kingdom. The band performed the song at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, and the music video received extensive play on MTV.
Vampire Weekend is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.
Ezra Michael Koenig is an American musician, record producer, and radio personality. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the Netflix animated comedy series Neo Yokio and also hosts the Apple Music radio talk show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. Time Crisis is airing its ninth season, as of 2023.
"A-Punk" is a song by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008, as the second single from their 2008 self-titled debut album. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Contra is the second studio album by the American rock band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It was preceded by the 2009 singles "Horchata" and "Cousins."
"Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara. The single was released November 17, 2009 and a 7" was released December 15, 2009.
Modern Vampires of the City is the third studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on May 14, 2013, by XL Recordings. The group began to write songs for the album during soundchecks on the supporting concert tour for their previous album, 2010's Contra. After a period in which each member explored individual musical projects, they regrouped and continued working on Modern Vampires of the City in 2011. With no deadline in mind, the band brought in an outside record producer for the first time, Ariel Rechtshaid, to record the album.
The discography of American indie rock band Vampire Weekend consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, one live album, eighteen singles, and ten music videos.
"Diane Young" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 19, 2013. A promotional video of the single, which features two Saab 900s burning throughout the duration of the song, was uploaded to Vevo and YouTube on March 18, 2013. The official video to the single was uploaded on June 3, 2013.
"Ya Hey" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. It was released as the second single from the album on May 3, 2013 through XL Recordings. An official music video of the single, featuring the lyrics, was uploaded on May 3, 2013.
"Unbelievers" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. Written by the band's lead singer Ezra Koenig and multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Batmanglij, the song was released as the third single from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City in August 2013. The band initially premiered "Unbelievers" in a live performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on October 31, 2012. They also performed the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live prior to it being released as a single.
"Horchata" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Written by the members of the band and produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij, the song was released as the lead single from their second album Contra on October 5, 2009 via XL Recordings. The single was initially released as a free download on the band's web site. The term "horchata" refers to a traditional beverage often made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, or rice.
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Father of the Bride is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. It was released on May 3, 2019, by Columbia Records, as their first album on a major label.
"2021" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. Alongside "Harmony Hall", it served as the double A-side lead single for their fourth studio album Father of the Bride, and was released on January 24, 2019, by Columbia Records. "2021" was later re-released on December 22, 2021 as a collaboration 12" single alongside "Talking" by Haruomi Hosono.
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