Vampire Weekend's hype wave crests: new album, tour, etc.

Reasons why you, as an independent music fan, must love Vampire Weekend:

* The blogs won't shut the hell up about the band.
* Its members are snazzy dressers (see above).
* They are also pale white men from New York (see above).
* Paste is featuring the band as a "4 To Watch" artist in our next issue (spread the word).
* The guys play guitar, keyboard, bass and drums in a manner that is pleasing to the ears.

Perhaps you've never heard the pro-Vampire Weekend argument laid out so convincingly before. But regardless of whether you think the group is awesome or just the greatest band of the 21st Century, know this: it is releasing an album, touring and otherwise taking over this fair nation of ours one pierced neck at a time.

The group's self-titled debut rises from its casket (har har) on Jan. 29 courtesy of XL Recordings. It features 11 songs, entitled as follows:

1. Mansard Roof
2. Oxford Comma
3. A-Punk
4. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
5. M79
6. Campus
7. Bryn
8. One (Blake’s Got A New Face)
9. I Stand Corrected
10. Walcott
11. The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance

With the new release comes a cross-country trek. Dates below:

November
16 - Haverford, Pa. @ Haverford College - Lunt Baement
23 - Cleveland, Ohio @ Beachland Tavern
24 - Bloomington, Ind. @ Waldorn Arts Center
25 - Lexington, Ky. @ Old Tarr Distillery Warehouse
27 - Norman, Okla. @ The Opolis
28 - Denton, Texas @ Rubber Gloves
29 - Austin, Texas @ The Mohawk

December
1 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ Casa Blanca Lounge
2 - San Diego, Calif. @ Casbah
3 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Echo
5 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent
7 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Kilby Court
8 - Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theater
9 - Omaha, Neb. @ Slowdown Jr.
11 - Chicago, Ill. @ Schubas
12 - Pontiac, Mich. @ The Pike Room at the Crofoot
13 - Toronto, Ontario @ El Mocambo
14 - Montreal, Quebec @ Club Lambi
15 - Cambridge, Mass. @ Middle East Underground