The buzz band, or blog band phenomenon works in two ways. It tends to dramatically reduce the shelf life of bands that can’t or won’t use the hype to their utmost advantage (Claps Your Hands and Say Yeah, Tapes N Tapes); or it propels bands, who know how to carefully craft an image and manipulate the media hype machine, to stardom long before they’ve “earned” it (Vampire Weekend).

But in the end it gets people talking about music and an open exchange of ideas is never a bad thing. Rather you think Vampire Weekend is a not so clever rip off of Paul Simon’s “Graceland” or if you think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, the blog band hype gets people talking about, and ultimately discovering, new music so I’m all for it.