Artist of the Day: Death Cab for Cutie

At this point it sounds ridiculous to even call Death Cab for Cutie an indie band. Sure they have all the hallmarks of an indie group- obscure pop-culture reference for a name, lovelorn frontman, guitarist doubling as a producer- but it's as if they've transcended their own genre. They're simply too big to be looked at as part of a group. For a better part of a decade, Death Cab have been THE indie band, the one that will show up on every teen girl's mixtapes and the background of your favorite TV show just to remind you that even though they're often not on the radio, everybody spins their records.

Live Review: Death Cab For Cutie, Meadowbrook Music Theater (7/4/12)

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard
(Photo courtesty of Tumblr)

July 4 is generally a day for barbecues, fireworks and reunions with old acquaintances to celebrate the greatest country on Earth- America. I chose to forgo most of the celebration, however, and have a decidedly less explosion-filled evening by attending the Death Cab for Cutie concert at the local college pavillion. Personally, I hate pavillion venues, especially when I get stuck with lawn seats as I did for this concert; luckily, the lawn made a minimal difference in the overall quality of my evening.

The Daily Blair: The "Get Laid" Playlist Theory

I know you. All you want out of your day is to get your school work done, you want to watch your favorite sports team or TV show, you want to have a brew with a few of your bros, you want to read Eli Kleman's thoughts on some awesome new album, and you want the company of a handsome lady. You feel like you should be able to accomplish all of this in one day but you always seem to strike out when it comes to scoring that mermaid. Let me help you.

The problem you are having is that you like music by artist that are not Gaga, artist who are neither slim nor shady, artist who refuse to kiss you through the phone, and artist who actually have some sort of musical talent. Once the female hears that you like music that is not on "Shit Songs 107.1" she immediately considers you to be a weird person who she could not carry on a romantic relationship with. She needs a man who makes 250K a year not a man who has 250,000 different versions of "Reckoner." Once you admit that you are not a radio robot, all hope seems to be lost.

New Death Cab For Cutie Song

Death Cab For Cutie took off a good amount of time preparing their follow-up to Narrow Stairs, and the new single released today definitely shows how much work they put into it. The song, called "You Are a Tourist", is more reminiscent of their older work. It's recently become one of my favorite Death Cab songs to date, and it looks like the fan response is pretty darn good. The new album, Codes and Keys, is set for a May 31st release date, and is shaping up to be a worthwhile listen. You can take a listen to the new track here.