Vampire Weekend Announce Sophomore Album, Prep Live Preview with Shows in Montreal and Toronto
9/15/2009 By Brock Thiessen

Get ready to fend off — or encourage — claims of a sophomore slump: Vampire Weekend have revealed they’re coming at us with album two. Via their website, the prepped-up New Yorkers broke the news today, letting us know the record will be dubbed Contra and is due out January 12 in North America and a day earlier in the UK.

Like the band’s 2008 self-titled debut, this one is out on XL, and this time around, the image above will serve as the album art. Vampire Weekend have also gave us the tracklisting, which boasts ten tracks and titles like “California English,” “Giving Up the Gun” and “I Think Ur a Contra.” Other than that, though, no more details surrounding the release have been leaked, such as if Contra is indeed a reference to Komani’s run-and-gun videogame from ’87.

There’s also no sign of any accompanying tour in support of the new record, but Vampire Weekend do have two live dates coming up: one in Montreal on October 6 and another in Toronto on October 8. According to XL, both shows "will give fans an opportunity to hear new material (as well as their 'old' favourites) in an intimate setting."

So there you go, folks — start dusting off those Polos.

Contra:



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”



Tour dates:



10/6 Montreal, QC - Le National

10/8 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern

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