What do you get when you combine Transylvanian organs with haunting sounds, catchy verses, and a pummeling drum beat? You get Wampire. Urban Dictionary described a wampire as a Transylvanian gypsy with a speech impediment. However, we are concerned with a different kind of wampire, more specifically five Portland musicians who make good music.
“The Hearse,” a macabre new track from Wampire, opens with an eerie organ solo that belongs more in Nosferatu than an indie experimental pop song. When the first verse kicks off, the listener is immediately sucked into an aggressive soundscape; the song, itself, is an adventure with a strong beginning, gloomy interlude, and dramatic end.
The spacey organ adds grainy texture to the song, pushing it both sonically and conceptually. The energy from the rushing drums and the gritty vocals are fairly reminiscent of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, who (judging from their sound curated by UMO's Jake Portrait) most likely has a large influence on Wampire. “The Hearse” is currently available as a 7” and will be featured on Wampire's new album Curiosity coming in May. They are kicking off a National tour February 13 with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Foxygen, so get ready for blood sucking.
February
13 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
15 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex
16 Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
18 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
19 San Antonio, TX @ The Korova
20 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
21 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
22 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
23 Atlanta, GA @ 529
28 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
March
01 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
02 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
03 Montreal, Canada @ il Motore
04 Toronto, Canada @ WRONGBAR
06 Holland, MI @ Hope College
07 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
08 Bloomington, IN @ The Bluebird
09 St Louis, MO @ Firebird
11 Norman, OK @ Opolis
12 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
18 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
22 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
23 Vancouver, Canada @ The Media Club
April
05 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
