Wampire

Stereogum premiere, 7/31/14:

When we named Wampire a Band To Watch last year, they were a jokey Portland two-piece that evolved from middle-school tomfoolery to twentysomething house-show hijinks. That development has continued: Wampire are a quintet now — a “real band,” if you will — and “Wizard Staff,” the lead single from sophomore full-length Bazaar, sounds a little more like serious business. Co-founder Eric Phipps even described his state of being during the album’s creation as “a Kafka-esque insomniac musical novelist,” which is some real artiste shit. The playful throwback kitsch that the band made its name on remains a primary factor, though. In fact, by virtue of its sax flourishes, “Wizard Staff” might be the most fun you’ve ever had with Wampire.