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Music, Part II

When this here blog started, way back in the day, before we had what we call a "staff", and it was just me and Chris in this lonely world of bloggin', I made my first official blogulator post. Titled "Music, Part I", I went on to rant about how the band Death Cab for Cutie released its newest album (at the time) Plans and how it was not like the music I liked and how actually I didn't like it because DCFC was now signed to a major label and, ostensibly, more popular and thus less "my" band.

Well, wouldn't ya know, Death Cab released their latest LP Narrow Stairs last Tuesday. Naturally this has gotten me to reflect back even further on their background. On our way back from a weekend away from Mpls / Shots Paul today, I gave Something About Airplanes and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes a spin or two. Musically, the records are still great, inventive, catchy pop music with beautiful guitar work, but lyrically, I have a harder time relating to the themes that the band used to be about. I assume Ben Gibbard and gang feel the same way because the lyrical themes lately have been less about needing one "so much closer" (a la "Transatlanticism") and more about getting old and dying (i.e. "Brothers on a Hotel Bed"). The new album is deece to deece-plus -- "Long Division" is a catchy, driving, non-whiny-sounding song, and "The Ice is Getting Thinner" sounds like a reprise of Facts highlight "No Joy in Mudville" but with more rational emotional responses. Okay, so Death Cab won't ever give me the same joy they gave me my freshman year of college when I first heard The Photo Album, but should they? I would be more offended now if Death Cab really didn't change their sound at all as they evolved. And as Paal aptly stated in a comment a while ago, music is evolution.

So, new Death Cab record -- not bad. And with the advances of the interweb and how we consume music, I offer up my current Top 12 songs via Muxtape.

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This entry was posted by Unknown, on Sunday, May 18, 2008. You can leave your response.

  1. Blogger paal | 11:51 PM |  

    Is it just me, or does "Long Division" sound like DCFC trying to channel Dismemberment Plan?

    Also, is that rattling break at the end of "Pity and Fear" really necessary? It seems like they're trying too hard on that one.

    I agree though, this record is definitely deece across the board.

    On a side note, whats with Gibbard singing about drinking alcohol out of paper cups all the time?

  2. Blogger Sean | 12:18 AM |  

    i think something is wrong with the link to your mixtape? possibly? i use firefox, though.

  3. Blogger chris | 9:37 AM |  

    Yeah, the link is qualler.muxtape.com - it should work now. Great stuff. I can't wait to give this album a proper listen.

  4. Blogger Unknown | 9:46 AM |  

    Oops -- I fixed it, Sean-a-rino.

  5. Blogger Lady Amy | 10:56 AM |  

    I have not heard the record, but I did see that the new DCFC album is available at all Starbucks locations...

    Now you can buy your Death Cab along side your Josh Groban and your favorite Frappachino drink.

  6. Blogger chris | 3:12 PM |  

    MY MY "The Ice is Getting Thinner" is quite breathtaking. Especially at the end of a back-breaking work day. Am I back in heart with Gibby and Wall-Wall?

  7. Blogger Unknown | 4:34 PM |  

    Paal, I didn't catch a DP vibe from that one but I'll listen to it a few more times and see if I hear it too. Did he reference more champagne from paper cups on this album?? What a jerk.

    Chris, I totes agree. I think this is my fave track, if only because it seems like an update to my other favorite songs by them from the old days that were deliberately slow. It sounds, musically and lyrically, more like somebody who used to feel like they had the whole world at their fingertips but now feels resigned to live in reality, you know, like us, after turning 25.

  8. Blogger Sean | 1:55 AM |  

    SPAM!

    http://ryanvssean.blogspot.com/

    week 2

  9. Blogger paal | 11:15 AM |  

    it's mostly the bass, it reminds me of what eric axleson did with some d-plan songs, it's still very much a death cab song, it just seems like an overdue influence ...that or the influence has been there for a while and i just never noticed it!


    [if you'll permit me to take my genetic language a step further... perhaps genotypes obtained from previously touring with the band were recessive and only now are the phenotypes being expressed due to other genetic influences] ;)

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