Tag Archives: death cab for cutie

famous cutie

17 Oct

Just coming down from my first Treasure Island weekend and I am angry at myself for not attending previous years’ festivals. I have never experienced a music festival that felt intimate, never had such a delightful backdrop as the San Francisco skyline, and never enjoyed a crowd so much. Saturday’s untz had everyone’s feet off the ground, prancing around in headdresses and fairy wings, while Sunday was a chill day of picnic spreads, cat naps in the sun and swaying to sounds.

Oh, and the music was amazing. Highlights include The Head and the Heart (surprise), Friendly Fires dancing their faces off with us, Beach House, and below.

Today’s Emo: No Way / The Naked and the Famous

No Way

‘no way / no way / no we’re never gonna talk about it’

One of my favorite sets of the weekend was my first to soak in on Saturday afternoon, Kiwi indie rock quintet the Naked and the Famous. They played their better known singles, but also had my knees buckling over stuff I was hearing for the first time, including No Way, a song with a certain finality that felt stirring live.

Everyone in the band looks young and most of the male members are in need of hair cuts, reminding me of the teen dreams of the 90’s 90201. Lead singer Alisa Xayalith was absolutely mesmerizing in a billowy bright red shirt with matching red lips and killer long bangs, swaying as she sang and played the keyboard. My festival party all tried to guess which lucky band mate she is sleeping with. #emo

Today’s Untz: Doors Unlocked and Open / Death Cab for Cutie (Cut Copy remix)

‘down in the ocean of sound  / we’ll live in slow-motion / and be free / with doors unlocked and open’

I finally saw CC (and danced my face off) for the first time on Saturday night, and the festival closed out with Death Cab Sunday night, so this remix is the perfect weekend blend. I would never have predicted mixing these two worlds would work so well, but now that I dig into the track it actually makes perfect sense… eerie, funky, tropical let’s get a little weird chill untz. #untz

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trembling justice

30 Mar

One of my favorite bands of all time, Death Cab, came out with a new single this week. Hooray… except I am not sharing it because I don’t really like it. It is an OK song, and I am excited for new material from them, but for my favorite artists of the past I have come to expect epic greatness or the music falls flat. I can’t help it. The trajectory of a band can vary so much, and my own tastes can shift so easily.  I have found that the idols I hold the dearest tend to fall the hardest (dare I say from Such Great Heights) in my eyes because I have set such high expectations. Foo Fighter’s Everlong is one of my favorite songs ever, but I am barely buzzed about their upcoming album due to lackluster recent releases. The newest Counting Crows album was purchased, listened to three times, and gathers dust, while August and Everything After remains on rotation forever after.

What do you do when your relationship with an artist has potentially reached its peak… do you linger around hoping they can somehow make things like they used to be, reignite that fire? Or do you remember the good times, smile because it happened, and move on? Today I choose the latter… but don’t worry DC I haven’t given up on you yet. May 31st.

Update: this BBC bit sums things up nicely.

Today’s Emo: Trembling Hands / Explosions in the Sky

This song lives up to its name… symphonies echoing upon symphonies, sound trembling on sound. The track is off Explosions in the Sky’s upcoming album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, and while that is a lot of taking and caring I can’t wait to have a new perfect soundtrack for both work and play. Like many, I first came across Explosions in the Sky via the television show Friday Night Lights. I have only caught a couple episodes, but the soundtrack stuck, especially after the group started following me around on Pandora like a lost puppy.

Friday Night Lights and EITS have Texas in common – although this sound sounds so far away from Texas. Explosions in the Sky could mean something terrible and destructive (bombs) or dazzling and full of light (fireworks). It wasn’t until writing this post and thinking about the group name that I realized I never thought anything but fireworks, which I’m sure is how they want it. Captivating, cinematic, electric. #emo

Today’s Untz: Civilization / Justice

‘the beating of a million drums’

Getting on the internet bandwagon that is going nuts over this track, because as with many bandwagons there is a reason so many have hopped on board for the ride. Justice emerges from a serious hiatus to drop a track in an Addidas commercial of all places, that happens to feature everyone and their mom, from Katy Perry to the Chicago Bulls to B.o.B. and some skater bros.

The song is so good I couldn’t care less, and it  instantly makes me forgive the French duo for the four year production break and less than organic reappearance onto the scene. There is something about the chorus that is so simple but still so captivating – untz at its finest. March to the D.R.U.M.S. Do the dance. #untz

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