Contra (album)
Encyclopedia
Contra is the second album by American indie rock
band Vampire Weekend
, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings
. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200. The album title is intended as a thematic allegory and a complex reference to the Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries, the 1980 The Clash
album Sandinista!
, and partially to the Contra video game.
. "Horchata" was released as a free download on October 5, 2009 on the band's website. The first single was "Cousins
", accompanied by a 7" single, and a music video. The album was available for streaming on the band's MySpace
starting on January 3, 2010. It is also currently available for streaming from their official website, as of January 5, 2010.
", the title of a Clash
single (notably, an influential 1980
triple album by The Clash was entitled Sandinista!
after the socialist militancy opposed by the Contras during the Nicaraguan civil war). This refers partially to the controversy surrounding their punk roots. The title "Diplomat's Son" is a reference to a story singer Ezra Koenig wrote about in boarding school, though the content lyrically talks about a homosexual relationship told by Rostam Batmanglij. The song also features a vocal sample from M.I.A.'s "Hussel". "Holiday" begins with the opening lyrics of Fairport Convention
's 1969 rendition of Matty Groves
.
Koenig has stated in multiple interviews that 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. The lyrics of Contra are also meant to express a desire to be compassionate even towards people and things you disagree with. He also states the lyrics of Contra deal with reconciling feeling of privilege and guilt, for which he uses the term "first world guilt". Contra is considered by critics to be instrumental in cementing the cultural significance of Vampire Weekend first formed with their debut record, as Contra deepens and commits to a general attitude of rejecting traditional notions that rock musicians are poor, underprivileged rebels. Whereas their first album brought to light the prejudices against affluence and wealth in rock music, Contra, even in its very title, openly argues this stigma.
The band made an effort to make their second album a natural expansion on the universe created in their debut album, as a result Contra covers a far greater gamut of musical influences than their debut album, drawing inspiration from genres such as ska
on "Holiday", synth pop on "Giving Up The Gun", speed rap on "California English" and even rave
music on "Run". The production of the album, directed by Rostam Batmanglij, was also different from their former work in that it did not use chamber echo and natural reverb 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 drumwork in which fundamental Latin beats are blended with drum machines to create a busier rhythm section.
of a girl from 1983. The photo was found by Rostam while searching through photo archives of that year. The striking quality of the image is what attracted Vampire Weekend to it, and which has made it a topic of such focus and discussion. Ezra states that when he first saw the image, he felt he read "some sort of hesitation" in her face, and that the band discussed at length what her possible age or emotional state could be in the photograph, without ever becoming certain of either. Koenig believed that "wrapped up in her expression is this question: 'How is she feeling?'" and that "maybe she wasn't even really sure at the time."
In an interview, lead singer Ezra Koenig revealed that the girl pictured on the front cover is "now living in Malibu". Koenig has confirmed that the picture was taken in 1983 (by photographer Tod Brody) and was chosen as a juxtaposition to the debut album's cover which, while taken in 2006, looks as if it "inhabits the same world". Koenig also referred to the girl as "Kirsten" in a post on Twitter
. Koenig likens the image to the Rorschach test
as multiple meanings can be extrapolated from just a few signifiers, saying, "Some people get very mad when they see a white blonde girl in a Polo shirt."
On July 15, 2010, Vampire Weekend, along with XL Recordings
and Brody, were sued by Ann Kirsten Kennis, the woman who identified herself as the mysterious woman on the cover, for $2 million for using the photo without her permission. Kennis has said that the photo was taken while she was "a high-fashion model under contract with prestigious agencies in New York City." In addition, Kennis claims that the release forms for the photo that was allegedly signed by Kennis herself, were forged. In a statement released by Kennis' lawyer Alan Neigher, Neigher explains that Kennis discovered herself on the cover when her daughter brought home a copy of Contra and showed it to Kennis. Neigher also mentioned that Brody did not take the photo and said that it was taken by Kennis' mother. Despite this claim, Brody claims that he took the photo and says that he's had the photo for 26 years until Vampire Weekend discovered it on his Flickr
page and bought it for five thousand dollars. Koenig later responded on the matter and said that "this is the first time any of us have ever been sued, so we're still learning how it works," he added, "There's nothing we can say about it. We're not trying to be mysterious. I imagine in the next few months there'll be plenty to talk about. Given it's our first time, we just want to do it properly."
Vampire Weekend responded in turn by suing photographer Tod Brody, but by this time Brody had gone missing and courts were unable to serve him his summons. Because no one could find him, the courts allowed his subpoena to be issued via e-mail on November 24, 2010. Brody had until early 2011 to appear in court for these charges. After months without response from Brody, his lawyers petitioned the courts to quit the case, dropping Brody as a client. It has become nearly impossible to reach him by phone or e-mail, his lawyers stating "if and when he finally did respond, his responses became increasingly hostile and exhibited substantial animus toward the firm.". Brody's legal team had to hire a private investigator to locate his residence in order to complete their request to drop Brody as a client.
On August 15, 2011, it was announced that Kennis had dropped her lawsuit against XL Recordings and Vampire Weekend after they paid Kennis an undisclosed sum. Kennis, XL Recordings and Vampire Weekend have continued to pursue their separate lawsuits against Brody, who has now been located and is currently representing himself after being dropped by his lawyers for non-payment.
, which assigns a normalised
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reported an average
score of 81 based on 38 reviews, described as "universal acclaim". The Guardian
awarded the album four out of five stars, stating that "[Contra] will probably be among this year's most played and most joyful tunes." Spin
praised the album, calling "the balance of classical, rock, and world instrumentation, cagey rhythms, and stunning prettiness isn't just architecturally resplendent, it's reassuringly sweet and strangely moving." NME
gave the album an 8 out of 10, and described Vampire Weekend as "one of the most unique bands on the planet." Consequence of Sound named it the best album of 2010. On December 1, 2010, it was announced that Contra was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album". This album was number 6 on Rolling Stone
list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010. Pitchfork placed it at number 6 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".
, and the 12th independently-distributed album in history to reach the number one spot on the Billboard 200 since Nielsen Soundscan
began recording data in 1991, while also being the first independent artist to have done so without ever having signed with a major label, after already established rock bands Radiohead
and Pearl Jam
and before Arcade Fire's The Suburbs
. The album managed to move 124,000 copies in its first week and as of September 2010, has moved 400,000 units in the US alone.
Additional musicians
Production
|-
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200. The album title is intended as a thematic allegory and a complex reference to the Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries, the 1980 The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
album Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
, and partially to the Contra video game.
Release
The release of Contra was announced on September 15, 2009, and was released in the UK on January 11, 2010. It was released in the U.S. on the next day. However, the album was already available on January 8 on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. "Horchata" was released as a free download on October 5, 2009 on the band's website. The first single was "Cousins
Cousins (song)
"Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara...
", accompanied by a 7" single, and a music video. The album was available for streaming on the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
starting on January 3, 2010. It is also currently available for streaming from their official website, as of January 5, 2010.
Music and lyrics
The lyrics of "I Think UR a Contra" include the phrase "Complete ControlComplete Control
"Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album.The song is often cited as one of punk's greatest singles, and is a fiery polemic on record companies, managers and the state of punk music itself, the motivation for the song...
", the title of a Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
single (notably, an influential 1980
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
triple album by The Clash was entitled Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
after the socialist militancy opposed by the Contras during the Nicaraguan civil war). This refers partially to the controversy surrounding their punk roots. The title "Diplomat's Son" is a reference to a story singer Ezra Koenig wrote about in boarding school, though the content lyrically talks about a homosexual relationship told by Rostam Batmanglij. The song also features a vocal sample from M.I.A.'s "Hussel". "Holiday" begins with the opening lyrics of Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
's 1969 rendition of Matty Groves
Matty Groves
"Matty Groves" is an English folk ballad that describes an adulterous tryst between a man and a woman that is ended when the woman's husband discovers and kills them. It dates to at least the 17th century, and is one of the Child Ballads collected by 19th-century American scholar Francis James Child...
.
Koenig has stated in multiple interviews that 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. The lyrics of Contra are also meant to express a desire to be compassionate even towards people and things you disagree with. He also states the lyrics of Contra deal with reconciling feeling of privilege and guilt, for which he uses the term "first world guilt". Contra is considered by critics to be instrumental in cementing the cultural significance of Vampire Weekend first formed with their debut record, as Contra deepens and commits to a general attitude of rejecting traditional notions that rock musicians are poor, underprivileged rebels. Whereas their first album brought to light the prejudices against affluence and wealth in rock music, Contra, even in its very title, openly argues this stigma.
The band made an effort to make their second album a natural expansion on the universe created in their debut album, as a result Contra covers a far greater gamut of musical influences than their debut album, drawing inspiration from genres such as ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
on "Holiday", synth pop on "Giving Up The Gun", speed rap on "California English" and even rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
music on "Run". The production of the album, directed by Rostam Batmanglij, was also different from their former work in that it did not use chamber echo and natural reverb 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 drumwork in which fundamental Latin beats are blended with drum machines to create a busier rhythm section.
Artwork and lawsuit
The cover of "Contra" features a candid polaroidPolaroid
Polaroid is the trademark for a type of synthetic plastic sheet which is used to polarize light, made by Polaroid Corporation.-Patent:The original material, patented in 1929 and further developed in 1932 by Edwin H. Land, consists of many microscopic crystals of iodoquinine sulfate embedded in a...
of a girl from 1983. The photo was found by Rostam while searching through photo archives of that year. The striking quality of the image is what attracted Vampire Weekend to it, and which has made it a topic of such focus and discussion. Ezra states that when he first saw the image, he felt he read "some sort of hesitation" in her face, and that the band discussed at length what her possible age or emotional state could be in the photograph, without ever becoming certain of either. Koenig believed that "wrapped up in her expression is this question: 'How is she feeling?'" and that "maybe she wasn't even really sure at the time."
In an interview, lead singer Ezra Koenig revealed that the girl pictured on the front cover is "now living in Malibu". Koenig has confirmed that the picture was taken in 1983 (by photographer Tod Brody) and was chosen as a juxtaposition to the debut album's cover which, while taken in 2006, looks as if it "inhabits the same world". Koenig also referred to the girl as "Kirsten" in a post on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. Koenig likens the image to the Rorschach test
Rorschach test
The Rorschach test is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning...
as multiple meanings can be extrapolated from just a few signifiers, saying, "Some people get very mad when they see a white blonde girl in a Polo shirt."
On July 15, 2010, Vampire Weekend, along with XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
and Brody, were sued by Ann Kirsten Kennis, the woman who identified herself as the mysterious woman on the cover, for $2 million for using the photo without her permission. Kennis has said that the photo was taken while she was "a high-fashion model under contract with prestigious agencies in New York City." In addition, Kennis claims that the release forms for the photo that was allegedly signed by Kennis herself, were forged. In a statement released by Kennis' lawyer Alan Neigher, Neigher explains that Kennis discovered herself on the cover when her daughter brought home a copy of Contra and showed it to Kennis. Neigher also mentioned that Brody did not take the photo and said that it was taken by Kennis' mother. Despite this claim, Brody claims that he took the photo and says that he's had the photo for 26 years until Vampire Weekend discovered it on his Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
page and bought it for five thousand dollars. Koenig later responded on the matter and said that "this is the first time any of us have ever been sued, so we're still learning how it works," he added, "There's nothing we can say about it. We're not trying to be mysterious. I imagine in the next few months there'll be plenty to talk about. Given it's our first time, we just want to do it properly."
Vampire Weekend responded in turn by suing photographer Tod Brody, but by this time Brody had gone missing and courts were unable to serve him his summons. Because no one could find him, the courts allowed his subpoena to be issued via e-mail on November 24, 2010. Brody had until early 2011 to appear in court for these charges. After months without response from Brody, his lawyers petitioned the courts to quit the case, dropping Brody as a client. It has become nearly impossible to reach him by phone or e-mail, his lawyers stating "if and when he finally did respond, his responses became increasingly hostile and exhibited substantial animus toward the firm.". Brody's legal team had to hire a private investigator to locate his residence in order to complete their request to drop Brody as a client.
On August 15, 2011, it was announced that Kennis had dropped her lawsuit against XL Recordings and Vampire Weekend after they paid Kennis an undisclosed sum. Kennis, XL Recordings and Vampire Weekend have continued to pursue their separate lawsuits against Brody, who has now been located and is currently representing himself after being dropped by his lawyers for non-payment.
Critical reception
MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reported an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 81 based on 38 reviews, described as "universal acclaim". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
awarded the album four out of five stars, stating that "[Contra] will probably be among this year's most played and most joyful tunes." Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
praised the album, calling "the balance of classical, rock, and world instrumentation, cagey rhythms, and stunning prettiness isn't just architecturally resplendent, it's reassuringly sweet and strangely moving." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave the album an 8 out of 10, and described Vampire Weekend as "one of the most unique bands on the planet." Consequence of Sound named it the best album of 2010. On December 1, 2010, it was announced that Contra was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album". This album was number 6 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010. Pitchfork placed it at number 6 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".
Commercial performance
It is the band's first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and the 12th independently-distributed album in history to reach the number one spot on the Billboard 200 since Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
began recording data in 1991, while also being the first independent artist to have done so without ever having signed with a major label, after already established rock bands Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
and before Arcade Fire's The Suburbs
The Suburbs (Arcade Fire album)
The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released in August 2010. Coinciding with the announcement the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing two tracks from the album, “The Suburbs” and “Month of May”. The album debuted at #1 on the Irish...
. The album managed to move 124,000 copies in its first week and as of September 2010, has moved 400,000 units in the US alone.
Track listing
Personnel
Vampire Weekend- Ezra KoenigEzra KoenigEzra Koenig is the lead singer and one of the guitarists of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:...
- lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
; guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
on "Holiday", "California English", "Run", and "Cousins"; keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on "Horchata"; pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "I Think Ur a Contra" - Rostam BatmanglijRostam BatmanglijRostam Batmanglij is a producer and multi-instrumentalist of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend and co-founder of electro-soul group Discovery.-Background:...
- piano; background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
; vocal harmoniesVocal harmonyVocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
; keyboards; harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
; VSS-30Yamaha vss-30The Yamaha PortaSound VSS-30 is a voice sampling keyboard in the VSS line of samplers. It was released in 1987.11 Internal Sounds: Piano, Harpsichord, Banjo, Vibes, Marimba, Crystal, Strings, Jazz Organ, Brass, Clarinet and Galaxy....
; drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
; synthSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
; sampler programmingSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
; lead vocals on bridge of "Diplomat's Son"; guitar on "White Sky", "Holiday", "California English", "Taxi Cab", "Cousins", "Giving Up the Gun", "Diplomat's Son" and "I Think Ur a Contra"; shakers; hand drumHand drumA hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. The simplest type of hand drum is the frame drum, which consists of a shallow, cylindrical shell with a drumhead attached to one of the open ends.-Types:The...
; snaresSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
on "Diplomat's Son" - Christopher TomsonChris TomsonChris Tomson is the drummer of New York based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.-Background:Tomson grew up on a farm in Imlaystown . His father is an engineer and his family is of Irish and Ukrainian heritage . His full name is Christopher William Tomson...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Chris Baio - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
; background vocals on "White Sky" and "California English"; additional synth on "California English"
Additional musicians
- Mauro RefoscoForro in the DarkForro in the Dark is a New York-based collective of Brazilian expatriates that formed in 2002. The group combines the musical style of forró , “the percussion-heavy, rhythmic dance music” of their native Brazil, with elements of rock, folk, jazz, and country....
- marimbaMarimbaThe marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
s, rebolo, zabumbaZabumbaA zabumba is a type of bass drum used in Brazilian music. The player wears the drum while standing up and uses both hands while playing.The zabumba generally ranges in diameter from 16 to 22 inches, and is 5 to 8 inches tall. The shell is made of wood and may utilize either skin or plastic drum...
, shekereShekereThis article is about the musical instrument. for the musical genre, see Sekere.The shekere is an instrument from West Africa consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Throughout the continent there are similar gourd/bead or gourd/seed percussion instruments. Some...
, shakers, auxiliary percussion on "Horchata" - Marcus Farrar - shekere, auxiliary percussion on "Horchata"
- Libby Gery - background vocals on "Giving Up the Gun"
- Anne Donlon - background vocals on "Horchata" and "Giving Up the Gun"
- Nat BaldwinDirty ProjectorsThe Dirty Projectors aka David Longstreth includes Amber Coffman , Angel Deradoorian , Brian McOmber , Nat Baldwin , and Haley Dekle during live performances...
- double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
on "Horchata", "Taxi Cab" and "Giving Up the Gun" - Jonathan Chu - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
on "Horchata", "California English", "Taxi Cab" and "Diplomat's Son" - Hamilton Berry - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
on "Horchata", "California English", "Taxi Cab", "Giving Up the Gun", "Diplomat's Son" and "I Think Ur a Contra" - Seth Rosenfeld - cello on "Giving Up the Gun"
- Jesse Novak - additional instrumentation on "Giving Up the Gun"
- Jeff Curtin - hand drums on "Giving Up the Gun" and "I Think Ur a Contra", shakers on "I Think Ur a Contra"
- Shane Stoneback - shaker on "I Think Ur a Contra"
Production
- Rostam Batmanglij - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mixerMixing engineerA mix engineer is the person responsible for incorporating all the different recorded elements of music to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing...
, audio engineer - Justin Gerrish - mixer, except on "White Sky"; audio engineer
- Shane Stoneback - mixing assistant, audio engineer
- Fernando Lodeiro - engineering assistant
- Tito Fuentes - audio engineer on "Cousins"
Chart performance
| Charts (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
15 |
| French Digital Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
4 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
98 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
12 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
90 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
3 |
| UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 64 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
72 |
Chart procession and succession
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