Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend "Contra" (XL) 1/2 A lover of words in all their ambiguity, Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig makes for an unlikely sloganeer. "I see a mansard roof through the trees," he sang at the top of this New York City quartet's 2008 debut, "I see a salty message written in the eaves." Nonetheless, here's Koenig near the end of "Contra," Vampire Weekend's highly anticipated sophomore disc out Tuesday: "Never pick sides / Never choose between two."

Last week, Pop & Hiss wrote about a report in the Mexico City daily newspaper El Universal that the hit-making Mexican sibling pop duo Jesse y Joy were going their separate ways. According to El Universal, Jesse harbored dreams of a professional soccer career, while Joy was going to dedicate herself to making documentaries about animals. But it turns out that the story was a prank, according to a publicist for the brother-sister artists. According to the publicist, El Universal's satirical story was part of a Latin American tradition (a la April Fool's Day)

Two months after premiering a peppy new song, "Unbelievers," on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Vampire Weekend has announced that its upcoming third studio album is set to be released this spring on XL Recordings. The still-untitled disc will follow up 2010's "Contra," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Speaking to SPIN , frontman Ezra Koenig and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij said the band recorded portions of the album in Los Angeles with Ariel Rechtshaid, a former member of L.A.'s Foreign Born who's since become known for his production and songwriting work with the likes of Usher and Sky Ferreira.

Two months after premiering a peppy new song, "Unbelievers," on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Vampire Weekend has announced that its upcoming third studio album is set to be released this spring on XL Recordings. The still-untitled disc will follow up 2010's "Contra," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Speaking to SPIN , frontman Ezra Koenig and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij said the band recorded portions of the album in Los Angeles with Ariel Rechtshaid, a former member of L.A.'s Foreign Born who's since become known for his production and songwriting work with the likes of Usher and Sky Ferreira.

Vampire Weekend is a band of the moment. The New York indie-pop quartet appeared on the cover of Spin this month, played on "Saturday Night Live" two weeks ago and will headline a sold-out show tonight at the El Rey. Yet the group is also a throwback to the '80s, in the players' preppy sartorial style and the world-music flavor of such tracks as the modern-rock hit "A-Punk," from their debut album, "Vampire Weekend."

Holidays: KROQ-FM (106.7) unveiled the lineup for the second night of its Almost Acoustic Christmas concerts, with the Cure, the Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, Paramore, Franz Ferdinand, Scott Weiland, Snow Patrol and Vampire Weekend. Ticket details have not yet been announced for the Dec. 14 event at the Gibson Amphitheatre.

Holidays: KROQ-FM (106.7) unveiled the full lineup for its Almost Acoustic Christmas concerts, Dec. 12 and 13, at Gibson Amphitheatre. Night one will feature AFI, Rise Against, Alice in Chains, 30 Seconds to Mars, Three Days Grace, Dead by Sunrise and Anberlin. The second night's roster includes Muse, 311, Slightly Stoopid, Phoenix, the Bravery, Metric, Cage the Elephant, White Rabbits and Vampire Weekend. Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon.

The local combo So Many Wizards has a bit of Vampire Weekend's humid single-string guitar riffery to it, but the band approaches songwriting in a nonlinear fashion that makes the twee-ness of its vocals seem studied and wry instead of cloying. Here the band releases a new single, "Inner City/Best Friends. " The Smell, 247 S. Main St., L.A. 9 p.m. Fri. $5. thesmell.org .

Last week, Pop & Hiss wrote about a report in the Mexico City daily newspaper El Universal that the hit-making Mexican sibling pop duo Jesse y Joy were going their separate ways. According to El Universal, Jesse harbored dreams of a professional soccer career, while Joy was going to dedicate herself to making documentaries about animals. But it turns out that the story was a prank, according to a publicist for the brother-sister artists. According to the publicist, El Universal's satirical story was part of a Latin American tradition (a la April Fool's Day)

IMPERIAL BARBER SHOP A favorite with cops and firemen, Little Tokyo's Kelly So gives "any style haircut" for just $12. (114 Judge John Aiso St.) THE LAB AND THE CAMP The OC has no shortage of malls, but these two rustic mini-malls (www.sobeca .net) break away from the formula. They still demand your filthy lucre, but in a much nicer atmosphere: bamboo grasses, ornate wrought-iron lights, winding pathways and little nooks with fires to sit next to. Plus, there's Habana, the best Cuban restaurant you'll find in the area.

When Paul Simon's seminal album "Graceland" landed in 1986 with its intoxicating African rhythms and critical acclaim, it also came tainted by the apartheid controversy already swirling around it. The excellent new documentary "Under African Skies" comes along like a bridge over those troubled waters, following Simon back to South Africa last summer for a 25-year reunion concert with the musicians who made the album and a sit-down with one of his...

ART Tim Burton If there's anyone who knows how to tell a spooky story, it's the "Nightmare Before Christmas" spielmeister. He and the exhibit of his artwork are the inspiration for this series of nighttime storytelling throughout July. The first one will feature "Creation Myths and Other Mysteries of Nature" with storyteller Karen Golden. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. (323) 857-6000. 7 p.m. Every Friday in July. http://www.lacma.org. MUSIC Blonde Redhead The seminal adventurous indie rock band is on a summer tour and headed to Los Angeles, partly in support of its latest release, "Penny Sparkle.

The local combo So Many Wizards has a bit of Vampire Weekend's humid single-string guitar riffery to it, but the band approaches songwriting in a nonlinear fashion that makes the twee-ness of its vocals seem studied and wry instead of cloying. Here the band releases a new single, "Inner City/Best Friends. " The Smell, 247 S. Main St., L.A. 9 p.m. Fri. $5. thesmell.org .

POP MUSIC KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas One of Los Angeles' louder holiday traditions, KROQ's 21st annual Almost Acoustic Christmas concert offers two nights of alternative rock courtesy of the Smashing Pumpkins, Social Distortion, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and a slew of other bands. Proceeds benefit Para Los Niños and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. Gibson Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. $96.30. (818) 622-4440. http://www.kroq.com . Aimee Mann For years, local singer-songwriter Aimee Mann has hosted her Christmas Spectacular, a droll send-up of holiday variety shows featuring scads of her A-list songwriter and comedian friends.

The Early Show Julianna Margulies. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Marlo Thomas; Tony Danza; Phil Collins; Robert Carlyle. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News Debbie Reynolds; Chloe Moretz. (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Bob Woodward; Michael Chiklis; Kenny Chesney. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Regis and Kelly Michael Chiklis ("No Ordinary Family"); Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"). (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View David Hyde Pierce; JoAnna Garcia and Jennifer Finnigan; John Legend performs.

Concerts Sept. 18: Phoenix, Grizzly Bear and Girls at the Hollywood Bowl The Bowl is where the hip kids will be living this fall, with this show headlined by France's No. 1 helium-pop band releasing a flood that includes later visits from Vampire Weekend, Sonic Youth, Pavement, No Age, LCD Soundsystem and more. Sept. 25-26: Epicenter Festival at the Auto Club Speedway, Fontana This fest from the folks who brought us the Midwest's Rock on the Range is built around Eminem's only West Coast date this season.

You will talk about: Two hours of "Lost." We gave up on ABC's "Lost" a few years ago when we began to doubt that the show would ever end, but now that an end date has been picked (2009), we're willing to give it a go again. This week's two-hour premiere should be a good place to start -- the "Lost" ones get found, except their finders are apparently trying to kill them. Twists and turns upon curves and labyrinths -- that's the "Lost" way. (Thursday) -- You could talk about: "Over Her Dead Body."

Pop & Jazz Previews by August Brown Vampire Weekend Whether you love it for its airtight Anglicized Afro-pop or hate it for its taste in deck shoes, this New York quartet somehow manages to be hugely popular commercially and one of the most divisive bands in recent indie rock. New album "Contra" should cement prior opinions -- it has all the summery guitars and chin-scratcher lyrics of its debut but blown out to an even wider screen. Music Box @ Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd.

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Rob Schneider; Lisa Ling. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Julia Roberts; Jason Bateman; Melissa Rycroft. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Anderson Cooper; Julia Roberts. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Vice President Joe Biden. 10 a.m. KABC The Bonnie Hunt Show "The Real Housewives of Atlanta"; former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.

Pop & Jazz Previews by August Brown Vampire Weekend Whether you love it for its airtight Anglicized Afro-pop or hate it for its taste in deck shoes, this New York quartet somehow manages to be hugely popular commercially and one of the most divisive bands in recent indie rock. New album "Contra" should cement prior opinions -- it has all the summery guitars and chin-scratcher lyrics of its debut but blown out to an even wider screen. Music Box @ Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd.