I'm Not Complaining

The great Barsuk Records is streaming the new solo album Former Lives by Death Cab for Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard in its entirety via YouTube. See here or below.



Album is officially released next week.

iTunes | Amazon MP3

Soon Everybody Will Ask What Became of You

The new Death Cab for Cutie album Codes and Keys hits May 31. Reports of the death of their guitar sound are premature.

[Nick] Harmer clarifies that the album will simply stand as a departure from "Narrow Stairs," DCFC's live-tracked, guitar-heavy sixth album. So there will be guitars -- but also a lot more, including "great, weird, analog synths," Harmer says, "and we have a string section on a couple songs."

Sadly no duets between Ben and Zooey. Perhaps that will come in a second incarnation of Postal Service. Or not.

Official Site
iTunes
Amazon MP3

What Can I Say?

The Dream is over.

8)

Lucky

Happy Thanksgiving, Too Poppers.

Best news I've seen all day: Amazon.com is having a hell of a saletomorrow now on their top 50 MP3 albums. Five bucks for several on my "to-get" list: Raveonettes, Fleet Foxes, She & Him, Dr. Dog, and Ra Ra Riot, plus favorites by Mates of State, R.E.M., Nada Surf, Radiohead, Coldplay, and Mariah Carey.

Man, I just can't wait to hear that new Mariah Carey.

You Are Just a Dream

Neil Young is hitting the road with Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco this fall. Wow.

Oct. 14: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 16: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 18: Regina, Saskatchewan (Brandt Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 19: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 21: Everett, Wash. (Comcast Arena, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 22: Vancouver (GM Place, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 29: San Diego (Cox Arena, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 30: Los Angeles (Forum, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 1: Reno, Nev. (Events Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 4: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 5: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 29: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Metro Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 1: Montreal (Bell Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 2: Ottawa, Ontario (Scotia Bank Place, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 4: Toronto (Air Canada Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 7: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 9: Chicago (Allstate Center, no opener specified)
Dec. 12: Philadelphia (Wachovia Spectrum, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 15: New York (Madison Square Garden, w/ Wilco)

Alright, so it looks like my best shot will be seeing him in early November with DCFC. No complaints there, although seeing Wilco open for Young would be a legendary experience.

Speaking of Wilco, Billboard reported yesterday that a new album is expected in the spring. Interestingly, Jeff Tweedy said he "kinda hate[s]" all their previous albums.

"But as something that feels artistically in keeping with who I am today, I think that they are inevitably going to fall short of that as time goes on. I mean, they just don't continue to mean the same things to me, and a new record is kind of where it's at."

Ok, I can accept that. But from my perspective, there's not much to hate on those previous albums!

Gravitated Towards a Taste

Death Cab For Cutie Scores First No. 1 Album

Holy crap! Where do we go from here?

Starting Out With Nothing But Crippling Doubt

Death Cab for Cutie's new album is due out in May.

To follow its 2005 mainstream breakthrough, "Plans," Death Cab For Cutie opted to record live to analog tape with as few overdubs as possible. The outcome: "a sampling of the most uptempo, upbeat Death Cab songs as well as some of our saddest," bassist Nick Harmer tells Billboard.

Embarrassingly, I do not own a Death Cab album, yet I am familiar with much of their music and count myself as a potential fan. I'd like to rectify this unfortunate situation and start purchasing past releases. Any recommendations on where to start?

This Isn't Happening

Death Cab for Cutie is working on a new album. Where is Postal Service's second album?

Coldplay is working on a new album. Dear god, please don't fix me.

Radiohead took a dump wow, no, it's real news this time - Radiohead is finished with their new album!

And Feel What It's Like To Be New

Attention Barsuk fans! The cool record label has announced an extension on their awesome holiday deals. The two that are very attractive to me are the Death Cab For Cutie catalog (I have none of them so it'd be a good deal - 5 full-lengths, 3 EPs, and a bonus promo CD for $64) and the Long Winters catalog (3 full-lengths and 1 EP for $35). They have some other excellent deals including a package of all their 2006 releases. Great idea. It's a limited offer so get it now.

Or download DCFC and LW from iTunes.