Vampire Weekend has been showing up a lot more often in the first few days of 2010, probably in preparation of their new album, titled Contra. The album will be officially released next week on January 12 and will include this tracklist.

1. “Horchata” 3:26
2. “White Sky” 2:58
3. “Holiday” 2:18
4. “California English” 2:30
5. “Taxi Cab” 3:55
6. “Run” 3:52
7. “Cousins” 2:25
8. “Giving Up the Gun” 4:46
9. “Diplomat’s Son” 6:01
10. “I Think Ur a Contra” 4:29

There will also be two bonus iTunes tracks called Giant and California English Pt II. Look for a post next week on this album. I’m listening to it right now and let me just say that the song California English sounds like they used some auto tune effects on the vocals. A curious choice indeed. Until then here are a few new takes on an older song, The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance, the first by Montreal’s very own Chromeo and the second by the “animals” from Miike Snow.

Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance [Chromeo Remix]

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Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance [Miike Snow Remix]

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I didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s Osheaga festival in Montreal, but if I had I would have seen Miike Snow perform and probably wrote this post much earlier. Better late then never though, so I gave the album a listen.

The group consists of three Swedes, starting with vocalist/songwriter Andrew Wyatt along with production team Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg also known as Bloodshy & Avant. Bloodshy & Avant have a historically pop driven pedigree, having produced many songs for Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Jennifer Lopez. Most notably they won a 2005 Grammy award for the Britney Spears track Toxic under the category “Best Dance Recording”.

It’s obvious they had a lot of fun making the songs and the use of falsetto is ubiquitous throughout. Sometimes it can be over the top but the production is great and these two songs are my favourites.

Miike Snow – Animal

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Miike Snow – Silvia

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