Death Cab For Cutie - Bixby Canyon Bridge

Normally I would try and follow my format of “Why I like it, and why I don’t” when reviewing any album. Problem is, Death Cab For Cutie haven’t put out just any old album. After thinking they couldn’t get any better after ‘Transatlanticism’ they followed with ‘Plans” and within the first 30 seconds of Narrow Stairs, I am wrong. Completely wrong.

This record is good. Seriously good. Even though I’m only 4 songs into it as I write this, I would venture to say that it’s the best record DCFC has put out, ever. And I wasn’t a ‘Cutie’ fan always. I still can’t understand ‘The Photo Album’ or ‘You can learn to play these songs with chords.’ The vibe isn’t there for me in past records, even though Ben Gibbards most distinctive voice is.

The production is super simple, and the songs are well written. Where as previously within a Death Cab record, you might be searching for poetic meaning, and trying to figure out what Ben was getting at, now he seems a little more up front, and honest with his lyrics. If you are a Death Cab fan, you probably have this record, and if you don’t, go get it. You can also catch them on tour all over the country this summer with Rogue Wave, or Tegan and Sara. Can’t wait til they come to Berkley, CA in June. Yay!

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Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

It’s extremely hard to categorize the 28 year old Andrew Heine (pronounced ‘high-nuh’). As a San Diego resident who served in the first days of this Iraq war, you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. A Jack Daniels baseball cap, Dickie shorts, and worn out Chuck Taylors, he barely dresses the part of a soldier. And don’t ask him about it - rather, you can read an article the San Diego Union Tribune wrote a few weeks ago.

What Heine will tell you, is that he loves art. Whether it be making his own music, playing in one of 3 bands, drawing, painting, or writing, Andrew lives art. When he’s not doing these things, he actually teaches the youth of tomorrow. Maybe he just can’t stop himself from being creative - all the time.

Recently, Andrew teamed up with a few other guys to form Dogcatcher, a new jazz/acoustic/folk act, that is slowly but surely gaining some attention amongst the San Diego indies. I was given their first release ‘Feudalism’ about 6 months ago, and fell in love with it. Here are a two tracks from that album.

Dogcatcher - A Good Idea
Dogcatcher - Wish You Well

And if that isn’t enough, Heine also took some time out to record some electronica/break beat sort of tunes under the pen name ‘Fortune Cat.’ Here’s SRM - break out your dance moves.
Fortunecat - SRM

To reach Heine, you can find him on Myspace, where you can download all these tracks for free. Don’t say I never gave ya nothin.
(photo courtesy of Jim Hughes)

Dear Werewolph, Ryan Adams, Foggy, Whatever,

Just when I thought we were over (like 2 seconds ago), my Google Reader pings. And this picture comes up in my feed, and well, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how much longer I can do this on again / off again thing.

I feel like I knew the old you. I’m not sure who you are anymore. The blonde you is gone, and now we have ‘Black Death Metal Arts Ryan.’ Or Werewolph, or whatever. Something must have happened in France, and well, I just miss that old guy. Cause now, you kinda scare me.

Seriously.

Dear Ryan Adams,

What was once a good, healthy, electronic relationship has gone terribly wrong. You were once an exceptional blogger, that put your heart and soul online daily. With your numerous postings of pictures, poems, and videos, you provided my every hour with complete sanity. It was you that taught me that I am not crazy, but you might be, and I will never be half the talent that you are.

I need to thank you for that. For all the hard work and long hours you spent letting me into your life, I am grateful. And for the last few weeks, I felt that we really connected, even if the conversation was only one-way.

But now, I must say goodbye. It’s only cause you left one night, with no note, no phone call to let me know where you and your precious blog were going. I’m sorry you had to leave, but realize now that your 20+ daily posts was infringing on my personal time. I guess it’s for the best. You work on you, and I’ll work on me, and maybe one day this will all come back around.

In the mean time, could you give me just a little hint as to why you stopped blogging? You were so passionate. You seemed to give the world wide web (or at least my RSS feed) meaning. I don’t really need an explanation I guess. I think it’s for the best if we just went our separate ways, at least for now. Thank you for having the courage to walk away, as I know I never could have.

With an empty RSS now,

dustin
Ryan Adams - Two

If you are one of the few music lovers out there to not know Vampire Weekend, consider this your crash course. These fun, indie fashionistas are making waves out on the scene, and with good reason. For starters, they were on the cover of SPIN - March 2008, weeks before their debut album was released. Their blog presence is huge, being noticed first by African blog - “Benn loxo du taccu.” I’ve never heard of it, but Stereogum has, and they picked up the Weekend only 6 months later. And despite the numerous things I could name that makes these Columbia University boys the latest sensation, we really need to get down to the music.

Indie music for the past few years has been a little bit - depressing. For the better part of the 2000’s, the ‘indie’ tag has been so closely associated with ‘emo’ that has given a lot of great music a bad label. In the last few years, many indie bands have broken away from the flat-ironed hair and adopted true individuality. All that to say, Vampire Weekend might be leading the charge.

They make music fun again. As I watched them at Coachella, I looked back in the crowd and noticed people participating in a lost festival ritual. Dancing. This wasn’t the electronica tent, or hip hop tent, this was the side stage. The same stage that later held Dwight Yoakam and Mark Ronson (okay, people love to dance to Mark). Maybe it’s the ska like guitar riffs that lead singer Ezra Koening lays down. Maybe it’s his simple melodies in an under 4 minute song. Maybe it’s the ability to take a listen to a song once, and know the chorus. Either way, they’re a brilliant shining light for indie music, at it’s simplest. Check out their debut disc ‘Vampire Weekend’ and see if you agree.

Vampire Weekend - Walcott