Though spring has actually been upon us for the past week and a half, the 70-degree temperatures currently in my locale have finally made it official. Below you'll find tracks both about spring and evocative of spring as well. Some may be more obvious (The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun"), while others may not jump out right away (Wilco's "Hummingbird"). Still, an enjoyable, seasonal collection. Check it out.
Showing posts with label Death Cab for Cutie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death Cab for Cutie. Show all posts
4.01.2010
Weekly Top 10: Songs for Spring
Though spring has actually been upon us for the past week and a half, the 70-degree temperatures currently in my locale have finally made it official. Below you'll find tracks both about spring and evocative of spring as well. Some may be more obvious (The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun"), while others may not jump out right away (Wilco's "Hummingbird"). Still, an enjoyable, seasonal collection. Check it out.
2.04.2010
Weekly Top 10: Winter Songs
Seasons have often been a powerful inspiration for music. From the colorful foliage of autumn, to the carefree pace of summer. In the past, we've highlighted the Top 10 songs that best embodied both the summer and fall. This week, we have decided to bring you our Top 10 songs that embrace the dead cold and sweeping, snow-covered landscapes of winter. So grab a mug of hot cocoa, curl up on the couch with a blanket, and enjoy.
12.17.2009
Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #11-20
Our latest list-- the Most Prolific Artists of the Decade-- looks to chronicle the most important (for better or for worse) artists of the decade. For one reason or another, be it their positive (or negative) cultural significance, landmark moments for music, staying power or otherwise, these artists mattered a great deal this decade.In no way is this a list of our favorites of the decade. On the contrary, many of our favorites are not present, while others whom we're actually not fans of, have made the list. So without further ado, check out our the fourth part of our Most Prolific Artists list below. Next to each artist's name, you'll see a basic numeric list of all primary recordings this decade. For many of these, their impact should probably be self-explanatory. Enjoy, and if you haven't yet read our list of the Best Songs of 2009, or Best Albums of the Decade, read up on those too.
20. Danger Mouse -- 4 LPs (as artist by name; Most recent: Dark Night of the Soul), Gnarls Barkley -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2008's The Odd Couple), Danger Doom -- 2 LPs
16. Beyonce -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2008's I Am... Sasha Fierce)/3 EPs, Destiny's Child -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2004's Destiny Fulfilled)/1 EP
15. Wu-Tang Clan -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2007's 8 Diagrams), RZA (3 LPs), GZA (4 LPs), Method Man (3 LPs), Raekwon (2 LPs), Ghostface Killah (7 LPs), Inspectah Deck (4 LPs), Masta Killa (2 LPs), U-God (2 LPs)
12. Ben Gibbard -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2009's One Fast Move or I'm Gone), Death Cab for Cutie -- 5 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Narrow Stairs)/5 EPs, The Postal Service (1 LP), All-Time Quarterback (1 LP)
12.07.2009
Best Albums of the Decade: #41-50
As mentioned earlier, we're going to be running different features throughout the month, in conjunction with our day-by-day countdown to the 30 best albums of 2009. This week's list is dedicated to the decade in music, specifically the top 50 albums of the past ten years. So for those who missed our top 50 tracks of 2009, read about it all here. And for everyone that's been paying attention to music this decade, read below. All album streams courtesy of Lala.7.01.2009
New Death Cab for Cutie Video, "Little Bribes"
As the story goes with this one, Ross Ching was a struggling guy who decided he wanted to make a video for his favorite band (Death Cab For Cutie)'s song, "Little Bribes". Unlike most fan vid stories however, Ross is talented. Fans loved it. Death Cab was mesmerized by it. Atlantic Records also loved it. And then Gibbard & the gang declared it as the official video, and the once-struggling individual will now be working with the aforementioned Atlantic Records on a future project. Time-lapse cinematography and the American dream win in straight sets.
3.27.2009
New Death Cab for Cutie, "Talking Bird (Demo)"
Finally, the fifth song of Death Cab for Cutie's Open Door EP has been posted up on Stereogum. This is an interesting one, because it's the only one out of the new batch of tunes that technically isn't new. Its final version made it onto Narrow Staris, and if you are familiar with it, I'm sure you will find this one to be a pleasant departure. It strips away the steady bass, systematic percussion, and guitar flourishes of the album cut, to leave us with just the voice of frontman Ben Gibbard and . . . that's right, a ukulele. When I heard a rumor a few months back that the song was originally written on uke, I couldn't picture the instrument being used in a Death Cab for Cutie song. Upon listening to it, I feel that although this mellower version of the song would not have fit in on Narrow Stairs, it doesn't seem so out-of-character for the band, and it was definitely a nice selection to close this EP. I strongly recommend that you listen to it here.Physical copies of the EP will be available on their spring tour stops, starting at their Philadelphia show on April 7th, and in retail stores on April 14th. Also, like we've been saying all week, the album will be released in digital form online on March 31st, so if you want to be one of the first to own it, you can pre-order it on iTunes from Death Cab's official site.
New Death Cab for Cutie, "I Was Once A Loyal Lover"
And we're back for another day of this. As pretty much everyone has figured out by now, Death Cab for Cutie is premiering their new Open Door EP on a track-per-day basis over at Stereogum. Since the tracks are available exclusively over there, I figured I'd say a little something about each and then provide a link to readers who'd like to go listen for themselves. Today's song, "I Was Once A Loyal Lover," is another great track, one that I'm glad has seen the light of day. Where yesterday's "My Mirror Speaks" harkened back to the old days of Death Cab, this song plays to the sound they've developed over the past few years, and refines it with their classic simplicity from the band's onset. Once again, really glad to have heard this track, and I would definitely put it up there with some of the band's best work in the past five years.If anyone hasn't been following along all week, you can give the aforementioned track, as well as the others, a listen here. The Open Door EP is out digitally on March 31st. For those who would like to pre-order said collection of recordings, go check out deathcabforcutie.com or iTunes. If anyone wants to wait around for the physical release, it'll be out eventually, via Atlantic.
3.26.2009
New Death Cab for Cutie, "My Mirror Speaks"
Now THIS is why I first started listening to Death Cab for Cutie. Continuing our coverage of the song-per-day Stereogum premiere of DCFC's Open Door EP, we've got track three, "My Mirror Speaks". Here, Ben Gibbard's voice seems to pick up some of its lost youth, the guitar in the background is bright and moving, taking the listener into a vast and open scenery. To be honest, this song may be one of the band's best in years. If you were a big fan of The Photo Album, you'll pretty much fall in love with this one. Perhaps the next record can be more like this? We can hope.If you missed the details the past two days, you can listen to the latest track, "My Mirror Speaks," as well as the first two over at Stereogum. Today's post is up here. If you'd like to pre-order the album in digital form, you can do so at deathcabforcutie.com or iTunes. The Open Door EP will be released online March 31st, with the physical album to be in stores via Atlantic sometime soon.
3.24.2009
New Death Cab for Cutie, "A Diamond and A Tether"
As promised, we're putting up the link to Stereogum's article about Death Cab for Cutie every day this week. For those who missed yesterday's events, DCFC is premiering each of the five songs off of their forthcoming Open Door EP, on a day-by-day basis, over at Stereogum. Since our relationship with the band isn't nearly as cozy, nor existent, we're simply sending people over there to check it out, as well as provide limited commentary on the track.Today's new song, "A Diamond and A Tether," sounds like Death Cab gone folk, or at least Ben Gibbard gathering friends around a campfire. The usual melancholy attitude flows through the track, with Gibbard harping on regret, amongst his other life difficulties. It's pretty good, and definitely fits in well as a companion to last year's Narrow Stairs, rather than being included on it. Check the deal at Stereogum here, and if you're interested in owning the album, remember to check out the pre-order at deathcabforcutie.com or Itunes. The Open Door EP is out digitally on March 31st, with the physical release becoming available via Atlantic sooner or later.
3.23.2009
New Death Cab for Cutie, "Little Bribes"
I'm sure most of the readership here frequents Stereogum, but in the off-chance some of you don't, they're having a special feature this week- premiering each of the five tracks from Death Cab for Cutie's forthcoming The Open Door EP, one by one. Today, they've posted up the opening track, a number called "Little Bribes". Anyone who has heard/seen Ben Gibbard's live show over the past two years will probably recognize it as "Casino Blues"; that song that didn't sound like Death Cab but was still a good listen. It's very similar to the earlier versions, just more produced, obviously, so no complaints here as of yet. We'll be updating the site here with a link each day, as well as increasing traffic to Stereogum by directing people to their site. Enjoy the track, and be sure to stop in all week for updates on the album, as well as our resuming our regularly scheduled broadcasting, now that vacations and traveling are over. For those who want to pre-order The Open Door EP, check out either deathcabforcutie.com or Itunes. The EP's out March 31st digitally, with its eventual physical release via Atlantic sometime in the near future. Here's the link to Stereogum for today's song.
12.26.2008
Best of 2008: #4, Death Cab for Cutie
Rank: #4Album: Narrow Stairs
Artist: Death Cab for Cutie
Label: Atlantic
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and for those who don't celebrate, a happy holiday season. At #4 in our countdown, we've got Death Cab for Cutie, and their new album, Narrow Stairs. In my opinion, this is their best work since Transatlanticism, mixing their usual, mellow instrumentation with a brighter demeanor here. I may just be alone in that assessment of the sound however. Others have cited this as a record of despair, and darkness. I think the content reflects on aspects of life which one may wish could be redone in a different way. The sound in the background, to me at least, seems less melancholy than usual, but I suppose I'd agree that the lyrical content reflects on some more unhappy feelings that the band may be accustomed to. Regardless, people like this record. It was number one the week it was released, and has two Grammy nominations.
The album opens with the energetic disappointment of "Bixby Canyon Bridge". Here, as in many of the tracks, lead singer Ben Gibbard does reflecting about growing older and living his life, while his friends around him have families and can no longer hang out and do things as they used to. He's also expressing disappointment about an epiphany, involving Jack Kerouac, which never came. I think this is a pretty intense intro by Death Cab standards, but maybe it's just me. After this track, the album continues to roll. The eight-and-a-half minute stalker track, "I Will Possess Your Heart" provides a creepy, up-tempo and relaxing atmosphere- very good for a transition into the rest of the record. From there, each track is vintage Death Cab, slightly poppy tracks, all clocking in at times between three to four and a half minutes. The difference is that they are more polished than usual, but I don't find it to be a bad thing. The band hasn't really been that raw in a few albums, and the production quality here reflects upon their continued maturity as a band. For comparisons, check out Stars, Rogue Wave and Pedro the Lion.
Best Track: "No Sunlight"
7.20.2008
This Week's Top 10: Albums of 1998
Originally, we had planned to do a few articles looking back at albums from 1998 this week, so that was the inspiration for this. Even without them though, we can still fondly remember the best music from a decade ago. So, with that, enjoy the staff's picks for the best albums of 1998 (in alphabetical order).
1. In Casino/Out, At the Drive-In Submitted by J.R.
In J.R.'s opinion, this is the band's best album, and I'd tend to agree. One of the best bands of the 90s is oft-forgotten by mainstream music commentary, but not by us. We'd rather pay respects to the group and its hard-hitting excellence which aided in setting the stage for many bands on the scene today. If you're nostalgic for these guys, grab this record, or perhaps, if you're looking for something a bit more current, nothing wrong with listening to Sparta and The Mars Volta, the two bands which formed out of their ashes. Either way, At the Drive-In stands the test of time.
Top Track:
2. Mutations, Beck Submitted by Heath
Well, first off, it's Beck, so I think it's understood that the music will still be relevant a decade later. The appeal of this album may not be as great as the Grammy-winning Odelay, to which this album followed, but that doesn't mean it loses any of its luster. Mutations, as with most Beck material, bounces without being too loud, and provides a fun energy, coupled with the charm he seems to execute all of his songs with. You'll be happy you listened, but sad that it's over...feel free to just press play again.
Top Track:
3. The Boy With the Arab Strap, Belle & Sebastian Submitted by John
This is a great album in the sense that Belle & Sebastian hadn't taken the form of the much-goofier indie pop band they would become later on. The catchy, energetic tunes on this record take on a more-polished vibe, seeming to use the great feelings from 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister (probably one of my favorite 30 or so albums ever). If you've never heard this one, or its aforementioned predecessor, I'd highly suggest picking them up as soon as possible. Everything they made after this one is up to your own discretion whether to purchase or not.
Top Track:
4. Mermaid Avenue, Billy Bragg & Wilco Submitted by Heath
I never have enough to say about this album, and the great story behind it. For those who don't know, Woody Guthrie, country-folk legend died in 1967. Years later, his daughter was looking for an outlet for the nearly-1,000 songs which he had written, but never recorded, and reached out to Billy Bragg and Wilco front man, Jeff Tweedy. Bragg and Wilco collaborated to form a collaborative tribute to Guthrie, which in my eyes is one of the coolest album concepts of recent memory. The songs, all done in the spirt of Woody himself, make for a great listen, for long-time fans, and newcomers alike.
Top Track:
5. Something About Airplanes, Death Cab for Cutie Submitted by Matt
Before Death Cab was the band we all know them as know, they were a small-time Seattle solo project of Ben Gibbard. For those who have never heard, this version of the band is much more stripped-down, has a much different approach to energetic songs, and overall, bares a solid resemblance to The Get Up Kids. For more evidence of this, feel free to check out You Can Play These Songs With Chords, featuring one of my favorite DCFC songs, "New Candles", as well as demos of many of the songs on this superb record.
Top Track:
6. Midwestern Songs of the Americas, Dillinger Four Submitted by J.R.
"One of the most influential punk/hardcore bands today, " says J.R. How can I argue with that? Every song on this record just screams out its affects on the music of the current scene. If you felt like it, you could probably pick through each song and list a bunch of bands that used it as their main influence. Regardless, I'll stop there, so as not to depreciate the praise I'm heaping on these guys. If you enjoy energy, and some good, old-fashioned meaningful hardcore, looks like you've found it.
Top Track:
7. XO, Elliott Smith Submitted by John
I suppose I understand why people criticize this album (major label, etc.), but I can't help but appreciate it, because it's one of my favorites by the late Mr. Smith. I wouldn't try to pass this album off as happy, or anything like that, because, well, it's Elliott Smith, so it's not. I will say though, that there isn't a bad song on this album, from start to finish, you get a great, dare I say, chill, experience. No song is too short, no song is too long. It's just good, reflective art.
Top Track:
8. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel Submitted by Matt
I would've submitted this one, if Matt hadn't called it already. My favorite album of 1998, and one of my top five albums of all-time, I could just go on and on about it, but I'll spare everyone that day-long rant. Jeff Mangum, of the now-defunct NMH, had dreams about Anne Frank, saw ghosts in his closet, and had tons of other weird, really trippy experiences, leading up to the creation of this fantastic sonic experience, which plays upon so many emotions, it becomes difficult to explain. The success of this drove Mangum crazy, as did life in general, so there has never been a follow-up. In fact, very few people have even seen the man behind this music for the past decade, besides close friends. I wish they'd come back.
Top Track:
9. The Shape of Punk to Come, Refused Submitted by Tom
I'll let Tom take the wheel here. "It should go without saying that Refused and their ideologies were so pungent and widespread amongst a generation of listeners, that they came from a small brooding aggressive Swedish band to counterculture and hardcore fans. It's due to this release, blending elements of hardcore, post-hardcore, electronica, and even jazz to create a sound spectrum so vivid that, even with the advances in post-production of today, most artists can't even dream to recreate. The record is a 55-minute expose into a deeply sophisticated group of talented individuals who may have ben so consecrated that it eventually led to their demise in 1998. This record will change the way you listen to music, and I don't just mean hardcore. I mean all of it."
Top Track:
10. Can't Slow Down, Saves the Day Submitted by Tom
Once again, I'm going to let Tom take this one. "I'll start by telling you that Saves the Day is my favorite my favorite band of all-time. Understanding that, please take with a grain of salt the bias you're about to encounter. The band's first release under the Saves the Day moniker was put out on Equal Vision records, at the time, a decidedly hardcore label. The band broke this mold, releasing Can't Slow Down. The record was melodic, catchy, fast, and rambunctious, and since this release, Saves the Day's songwriting has matured in content and texture substantially, which is to be expected after ten years. While the lineup on this album is far from today's, they had a crucial punk rock sound, not far from their heroes in Lifetime. With this record, Saves the Day boarded the rocket, and with their next releases, they would subsequently take off and land on another planet. I love this record with all my heart, and you should too."
Top Track:
7.13.2008
This Week's Top 10: Covers
This week's Top 10 will focus on the staff's favorite cover songs. What constitutes a great cover song? Well, in my opinion, it has to keep the spirit of the original song, while still making itself part of the cover band's library. It's a tough task, but one that the following songs seem to accomplish. They are in alphabetical order by artist, rather than rank, since each staff member has two submissions in the list, and I didn't feel I could judge them fairly. Enjoy listening to them all, courtesy of Imeem, which will now be a mainstay at the site.
1. Pieces of Me (Ashlee Simpson), Almost Better Submitted by J.R.
No lie, this is hilarious. But still great. It's probably better because of the controversy that flew around Ashlee Simpson at the time the song came out. For those who don't remember, the now- Mrs. Wentz decided to lip-sync her performance on SNL, making for some amazing spoofs, and pop culture fodder for weeks to come. Anyway- this one's suggested simply for the nostalgia factor, and the fact that you can smile to yourself and remember that you're not married to a guy who once called himself "half-gay". Win.
2. Bitches Ain't Shit (Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg), Ben Folds Submitted by Heath
One of the most-talked about covers of the past 15 years or so, there are very few people who haven't heard this one. Ben Folds, world's biggest white boy, sings about guns, prison and "hoes", and somehow gets away with it. The song was actually recently retired by Ben, who apparently has some new material coming out soon. Not sure if I'll be buying, but interesting just the same.
3. Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds), The Bouncing Souls Submitted by J.R.
Made for the film, The Breakfast Club, the original seems to take you back to high school, even when you were still there. Maybe The Bouncing Souls enjoyed high school a lot. Maybe they enjoyed The Breakfast Club a lot. Either way, they pay a solid tribute to the song, and a solid tribute to Simple Minds, who apparently released an album in 2006 (news to me).
4. King of Pain (The Police), Brandston Submitted by Tom
Everyone enjoys a good Police cover now and again, and why shouldn't they? The band's catchy pop melodies are fun, interesting, and appeal to a broad range of listeners. Whether you enjoy The Police's actual work or not, Brandston hits the nail on the head with this one, and captured the essence of the original while still making it their own.
5. This Charming Man (The Smiths), Death Cab for Cutie Submitted by Matt
The original version of this one is a good time, but a bit more mellow. Death Cab fires through the song, keeping it in line with their own recordings of the time, and if I didn't know otherwise, I'd say it was theirs. Still, I've always liked this one myself, because of its flawless entry into the Death Cab repertoire of tracks.
6. Float On (Modest Mouse), Goldspot Submitted by John
The first time I heard this one, I was actually at work, and I was shocked to hear anything that resembled Modest Mouse blaring over the sound system at Old Navy. Of course, this sounds nothing like the Modest Mouse version of the song, and I suppose that's what I can appreciate about it. It's bright, cheery and fun, sounding more like indie pop than its predecessor, and it may be the most-different song on this list.
7. Simple Twist of Fate (Bob Dylan), The Honorary Title Submitted by John
Alright, this is probably my favorite cover of all-time, and one of my five favorite THT songs as well. I'm also not a Bob Dylan fan, which further adds to how great this song is. When an artist can take a song by an artist I'm not particularly fond of, and turn it into one of my favorites, a miracle has been performed. So for that, The Honorary Title find themselves on the list.
8. Young Folks (Peter Bjorn & John), The Kooks Submitted by Matt
Matt feels that these guys are the masters of covering songs. This might be true, considering their other cover-related work includes some awesome renditions of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, and more recently, Violet Hill by Coldplay. Sadly, we could only pick one of them though, so this high-energy jam seemed to beat out the others.
9. We Will Become Silhouettes (The Postal Service), The Shins Submitted by Heath
How can one band cover a song by another band that sounds so much like them? Somehow The Shins pull this one off, putting together an even poppier version than the original, and throwing their own spin onto it. My favorite version of this song is actually Ben Gibbard's, but since that's not a cover, it doesn't have a place here.
10. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (Modest Mouse), Sun Kill Moon Submitted by Tom
In the future, we'll try to avoid doing this (doubling up on an artist), but here's another great Modest Mouse cover, courtesy of Sun Kill Moon. The band does a nice job of capturing the mood of the original, which is off of The Moon & Antarctica (recently named as one of the 100 best albums of the past 25 years by Entertainment Weekly). Thank you to Tom for making me aware of this one, which I had not heard until preparing for this post.
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