Vampire Weekend's Contra
Vampire Weekend’s Contra really isn’t new news, since it was released last month on Jan. 11. However, the album has recently spiked in popularity due to their celebrity-filled video for “Giving Up the Gun” being released last week. Featuring Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil’ John and RZA, the video is a perfect blend of band members vs. actors. “Giving Up the Gun” isn’t as tropical sounding as their songs tend to be, but other tracks such as “Diplomat’s Son”, “Run” and the bonus track “Giant” make up for that.
Thankfully, their second album raised my lowered-expectations. They managed to pull off almost a completely different feel without leaving their old sound behind. They’ve also included a free download of “Horchata”, the first track on the album, on their website. But if that’s not enough for you, the album is available for purchase at $9.99 on iTunes.
Sit back, listen to Contra and go on, go on, go on.