This is a “step away from your keyboard” track.

Vampire Weekend’s “California English” is a song from their upcoming record, Contra. “California English Pt. 2″ is from nowhere near there. The “Cousins” b-side is more keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij’s Discovery than it is VW, with a short, distorted audio clip looping continuously through-out and Ezra Koenig singing an echoed, insanely catchy “California” chant like it’s an Animal Collective EP. This is a completely different side of the band that I’d love to see more of, but, based on what’s been heard so far from Contra, this may be a one time thing.

The vinyl “Cousins” single is due out December 15 on XL. (PMA)