Vampire Weekend Debuts Horchata, Announces West Coast Tour Dates

Vampire Weekend created a buzz all on their own through their website today when they had a clock count down to 2:30 pm EST. Although they didn’t say what they were counting down to, we had a pretty good hunch that it would be the unveiling of the debut single from their upcoming album, Contra, and… we were right!

“Horchata” is officially the lead single (and first track) off of their sophomore album. The track about a popular Mexican, milky, and sweet rice drink has a familiar light feeling accented by addictive percussion choruses, but also includes a nice string orchestra arrangement. When we revealed the cover art for Contra, the band told us that although some songs would have their signature sound, others would have new sounds. Strings are always a nice touch, so we’re curious to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.

Take a listen to “Horchata” below! Also, check out the West Coast tour dates.

Vampire Weekend – “Horchata” off of upcoming album, Contra

Vampire Weekend West Coast tour dates:

10/06  Montreal, QC @ Le National
10/08  Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
10/15  London, UK @ King’s College
10/22  Paris, FR @ Nouveau Casino
11/02  Long Beach, CA @ The Art Theater
11/05  Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s
11/07  Lafayette, CA @ Town Hall Theatre
11/08  Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst
11/09  Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
11/10  San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brew
11/12  Bakersfield, CA @ Chencho’s
11/14  Lomita, CA @ VFW Hall
11/17  Tokyo, JP @ Tokyo Unit
11/21  Sydney, AU @ Oxford Art Factory

What do you think of Vampire Weekend’s new single?