Describing their sound as “Upper West Side Soweto,” New York City’s Vampire Weekend mix well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, when they were finishing up their studies at Columbia University. Word spread about Vampire Weekend’s unique sound and lyrics (“Oxford Comma,” one of the band’s earliest songs, referred to comma use in a list of three items), buoyed by the band’s self-released EPs. The buzz around Vampire Weekend reached a peak in 2007: that summer, the band embarked on its biggest tour yet, made several appearances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, and signed with XL Records that fall. The Mansard Roof EP was Vampire Weekend’s debut release for the label, followed by their self-titled first album early in 2008. Debuting in the Top 20 of both the American and U.K. album charts, the eponymous record proved to be one of the year’s most popular indie releases. Vampire Weekend celebrated its success by hitting the road for the better part of two years, and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij gathered additional accolades by releasing an album with Discovery, his electro side project with Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles. The band’s second album, Contra, was released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. Contra made its debut at number one on the Billboard 200. The band is currently working on an a new album and expects to release it in 2016. Vampire Weekend hits the road hard and remains one of the hottest bands in the world.