Vampire Weekend is one of the must see bands at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Their sophomore album, Contra was released in January 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard. The band has made an effort to make their second disc a natural expansion on the universe created in their debut, as a result Contra covers a far greater range of musical influences than their debut album, drawing inspiration from many different genres. The album title is intended as a thematic allegory and a complex reference to the Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries, the 1980 album by The Clash. Koenig has stated in multiple interviews, “the album contains lyrical themes of opposition consistent with its title, and feels it is important to understand that the word “Contra” is a fundamental concept of conflict, without any implication that one side is right or wrong.”

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[photogallerylink id=36102 align=left] The production of the album, directed by Rostam Batmanglij, was also different from their former work in that it did not use chamber echos but instead used digital effects to give the album an eighties aesthetic. Other distinguishing features of Contra are the use of backing vocals as textural elements, the debut of Rostam as a lead guitarist, and more layered drum work in which fundamental Latin beats are blended with drum machines to create a busier rhythm section. Below is a list of tracks from Contra and by clicking here you can download the lead-off track, “Horchata” via stereogum.

Vampire Weekend, Horchata [DOWNLOAD]

‘Contra’ Track List
1. Horchata
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. Giving Up the Gun
9. Diplomat’s Son
10. I Think Ur a Contra

The Pitchfork Music Festival Schedule Is Here – Plan Your Weekend In Chicago’s Union Park

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Free MP3 Download: Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig Covers Paul Simon’s “Papa Hobo”

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Free MP3 Download: Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, “Wood”
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