Vampire Weekend talks ‘alternative’ Grammy win, vindication over Black Keys

LOS ANGELES – Vampire Weekend were up for another Best Alternative Album award at the Grammys this year; just a couple years ago, they lost to the Black Keys, but this year, they’re coming home with the prize for “Modern Vampires of the City.”

With co-nominees Neko Case, Nine Inch Nails, The National and Tame Impala, that genre “alternative” seems to mean less, or at least vary wildly, from year to year.

“We part don’t think of ourselves being alternative versus not alternative,” Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig said backstage after the win. “It seems like its an interesting time in music, when those distinctions don’t mean quite as much.”

Watch the rest of the interview above, as Koenig also tackles the tough topic of Other People Being Named Ezra.

What do you think of the Grammy “alternative” category?

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