If you walked into a Best Buy in January 2010, the Vampire Weekend Contra CD was probably staring at you from the "New Releases" endcap. It had that face. You know the one. A girl in a yellow Polo shirt, looking slightly annoyed or maybe just bored, captured in a grainy Polaroid aesthetic that defined a very specific era of indie rock. It was a weird time for music. The blogosphere was still a thing, people actually bought physical discs, and Ezra Koenig was busy trying to prove that his band wasn't just a group of Ivy League kids playing with Afrobeat rhythms they found on a Paul Simon record.
Buying the CD back then felt like joining a club. It wasn't just about the music; it was about the physical object. The jewel case, the lyric booklet, the smell of fresh ink. Honestly, looking back at Contra now, it's clear the album was a massive pivot. Their debut was all about "Oxford Comma" and Cape Cod. Contra was something else. It was glitchier. It was louder. It was more obsessed with the idea of "the world" rather than just a college campus.
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The Mystery of the Girl on the Cover
Let’s talk about that cover. It’s iconic. It’s also the source of a massive legal headache that almost overshadowed the music itself. For years, people just assumed the girl in the yellow shirt was a friend of the band or someone they knew from Columbia University.
Nope.
Her name is Ann Kirsten Kennis. She was a former model, and she didn't even know her face was on one of the biggest albums of the year until her daughter brought the Vampire Weekend Contra CD home from the mall. That led to a $2 million lawsuit against the band, their label XL Recordings, and photographer Tod Brody. It was messy. Kennis claimed she never signed a release for the 1983 photo. The band eventually settled, but the image remains inseparable from the songs. It captures that "preppy-clash" vibe perfectly. It’s high-fashion meets thrift store find, which is basically what the album sounds like.
Why the Physical CD Matters More Than the Stream
You can find Contra on Spotify in two seconds. But the Vampire Weekend Contra CD offers a different perspective on how the band wanted to be perceived. When you open the booklet, you see the credits. You see the names. Rostam Batmanglij was the secret weapon here. While Ezra was the face, Rostam was the architect.
Contra sounds like a digital collage. On the CD, you can really hear the separation in the mix. Take a song like "Giving Up the Gun." On a low-bitrate stream, the synth swells and the frantic drumming sort of bleed together. On the disc? It’s crisp. You hear the intentionality behind the "California English" vocal processing. It was one of the first times an indie band really leaned into Auto-Tune not as a fix, but as a texture.
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It was polarizing. Some fans wanted more harpsichords. Instead, they got "Cousins," a track that sounds like a surf-punk band having a panic attack in a library. It’s fast. It’s jittery. It’s brilliant.
Tracking the Sound: From "Horchata" to "I Think Ur a Contra"
The album opens with "Horchata." It’s a bold choice. Marimbas, mentions of "balaclavas," and a rhythm that feels like it’s tripping over itself. It sets the stage for a record that refuses to sit still.
- The World Beat Influence: Critics love to bring up Graceland. It’s a lazy comparison, honestly. Contra isn't just imitating African guitar pop; it’s blending it with 80s synth-pop and early rave culture.
- The Lyrics: Koenig is a wordy guy. "In the 80s, Dom Perignon was the state drink of the Rhodesian." Who else is writing lyrics like that? It’s pretentious, sure, but it’s also incredibly evocative. He’s painting pictures of class struggle, travel, and identity.
- The Evolution: By the time you get to the final track, "I Think Ur a Contra," the energy has completely shifted. It’s sparse. It’s vulnerable. It’s a far cry from the bouncy energy of their first album.
Collectibility and the Resurgence of Physical Media
Is the Vampire Weekend Contra CD worth anything today? If you're looking to retire on it, probably not. You can find used copies for five bucks at most record stores. But as a piece of cultural history? It’s priceless.
We are seeing a massive "CD revival" right now. Gen Z is buying up 2000s and 2010s discs because they’re tired of the ephemeral nature of streaming. They want the tactile experience. They want to own the art. Contra is a prime candidate for this. The aesthetic—the colors, the typography—is peak "Indie Sleaze" before that was even a term.
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The Production Quality of XL Recordings
XL Recordings was on a tear in 2010. They had Adele, they had Radiohead, and they had Vampire Weekend. The production on the Contra CD reflects that high-budget-but-weird-sensibility. The dynamic range is surprisingly good for a 2010 release. This was the tail end of the "Loudness Wars" where everything was compressed to death, but Contra has room to breathe.
The low end on "Diplomat’s Son" is deep. It’s a six-minute epic that samples M.I.A. and features a dancehall beat. It shouldn't work. It really shouldn't. But because the band had such a firm grasp on the technology of the time, it feels cohesive.
How to Experience Contra Today
If you're going to dive back into this record, don't just put it on as background noise while you wash dishes. It’s too dense for that.
- Find a decent CD player: Not a $20 portable one from the grocery store. Get an old component player or a dedicated transport.
- Read the lyrics: Follow along in the booklet. Koenig’s internal rhymes are much easier to catch when you see them on the page.
- Listen for the "mistakes": There are tiny digital artifacts and weird vocal takes throughout the album that were left in on purpose. It gives the machine-heavy production a human heart.
Contra wasn't just a sophomore slump-avoider. It was a statement. It said that Vampire Weekend wasn't a fluke and that they weren't afraid to get weird. The Vampire Weekend Contra CD remains the best way to hear that statement in its original, uncompressed glory. It’s a snapshot of a band finding its voice by screaming it through a vocoder and layering it over a Jamaican riddim. It’s messy, it’s beautiful, and it’s still one of the best albums of the 21st century.
Actionable Steps for Collectors and Fans
- Check the Matrix Code: If you have an original 2010 pressing, look at the inner ring of the disc. Collectors often look for specific plant identifiers (like EDC or Arvato) to track the origin of the physical manufacturing.
- Verify the Booklet: Ensure your copy includes the full 12-page booklet. Many used copies lose the insert, which contains the essential photography that defines the Contra era.
- A/B Test: Compare the "Diplomat's Son" track on the CD versus a standard 128kbps or 256kbps stream. Listen specifically for the sub-bass frequencies and the clarity of the sampled "Hussel" vocals.
- Storage: Keep the jewel case out of direct sunlight. The yellow hues on the Contra cover art are notorious for fading into a dull beige if exposed to UV rays for too long.