1.
Bellingham, Washington
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Bellingham is the largest city in and the county seat of Whatcom County in the U. S. state of Washington. The boundaries of the city encompass the towns of Fairhaven, Whatcom, Sehome. Bellingham is the northernmost city in the contiguous United States with a population of more than 50,000 residents and it is acclaimed for its easy access to outdoor opportunities in the San Juan Islands and North Cascades as well as proximity to the cities of Vancouver and Seattle. It is also famous for the quantities of Canadian tourists and shoppers who visit daily to take advantage of relatively cheap gasoline, airfare. The name of Bellingham is derived from the bay on which the city is situated, George Vancouver, who visited the area in June 1792, named the bay for Sir William Bellingham, the controller of the storekeepers account of the Royal Navy. Prior to Euro-American settlement, Bellingham was in the homeland of Coast Salish peoples of the Lummi, the first Caucasian settlers reached the area in 1854. In 1858, the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush caused thousands of miners, storekeepers, Coal was mined in the Bellingham area from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. It was Henry Roeder who had discovered coal off the shore of Bellingham Bay. The mine extended to hundreds of miles of tunnels as deep as 1200 feet and it ran southwest to Bellingham Bay, on both sides of Squalicum Creek, an area of about one square mile. At its peak in the 1920s, the mine employed some 250 miners digging over 200,000 tons of coal annually, Whatcom is todays Old Town area and was founded in 1852. Sehome was an area of downtown founded in 1854, Bellingham was further south near Boulevard Park, founded in 1853, while Fairhaven was a large commercial district with its own harbor, also founded in 1853. In 1890, Fairhaven developers bought Bellingham, Whatcom and Sehome had adjacent borders and both towns wanted to merge, thus they formed New Whatcom. Later, on October 27,1903, the word New was dropped from the name, because the Washington State Legislature outlawed the use of the new in city. At first, attempts to combine Fairhaven and Whatcom failed, Whatcom citizens wouldnt support a city named Fairhaven, and Fairhaven residents would not support a city named Whatcom. They eventually settled on the name Bellingham, which remains today, voting a second time for a final merger of the four towns into a single city, the resolution passed by 2163 votes for and 596 against. In the early 1890s, three railroad lines arrived, connecting the bay cities to a market of builders. The foothills around Bellingham were clearcut after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to provide the lumber for the rebuilding of San Francisco. In time, lumber and shingle mills sprang up all over the county to accommodate the byproduct of their work, in 1889, Pierre Cornwall and an association of investors formed the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company
2.
Alternative rock
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Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s and 2000s. In this instance, the word refers to the genres distinction from mainstream rock music. The terms original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their debt to either the musical style or simply the independent. Ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for alternative music, Alternative rock is a broad umbrella term consisting of music that differs greatly in terms of its sound, its social context, and its regional roots. Most of these subgenres had achieved minor mainstream notice and a few bands representing them, such as Hüsker Dü, with the breakthrough of Nirvana and the popularity of the grunge and Britpop movements in the 1990s, alternative rock entered the musical mainstream and many alternative bands became successful. By the end of the decade, alternative rocks mainstream prominence declined due to a number of events that caused grunge and Britpop to fade, emo attracted attention in the larger alternative rock world, and the term was applied to a variety of artists, including multi-platinum acts. Post-punk revival artists such as Modest Mouse and The Killers had commercial success in the early, before the term alternative rock came into common usage around 1990, the sort of music to which it refers was known by a variety of terms. In 1979, Terry Tolkin used the term Alternative Music to describe the groups he was writing about, in 1979 Dallas radio station KZEW had a late night new wave show entitled Rock and Roll Alternative. College rock was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980s due to its links to the radio circuit. In the United Kingdom, dozens of small do it yourself record labels emerged as a result of the punk subculture, according to the founder of one of these labels, Cherry Red, NME and Sounds magazines published charts based on small record stores called Alternative Charts. The first national chart based on distribution called the Indie Chart was published in January 1980, at the time, the term indie was used literally to describe independently distributed records. By 1985, indie had come to mean a particular genre, or group of subgenres, at first the term referred to intentionally non–mainstream rock acts that were not influenced by heavy metal ballads, rarefied new wave and high-energy dance anthems. The use of alternative gained further exposure due to the success of Lollapalooza, for which festival founder, in the late 1990s, the definition again became more specific. Defining music as alternative is often difficult because of two conflicting applications of the word, the name alternative rock essentially serves as an umbrella term for underground music that has emerged in the wake of punk rock since the mid-1980s. Alternative bands during the 1980s generally played in clubs, recorded for indie labels. Sounds range from the gloomy soundscapes of gothic rock to the guitars of indie pop to the dirty guitars of grunge to the 1960s/1970s revivalism of Britpop. This approach to lyrics developed as a reflection of the social and economic strains in the United States and United Kingdom of the 1980s, by 1984, a majority of groups signed to independent record labels mined from a variety of rock and particularly 1960s rock influences. This represented a break from the futuristic, hyper-rational post-punk years
3.
Lo-fi music
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Lo-fi music are sound recordings that are of lower quality than the usual standard for modern music. The term was adopted in late 1986 by WFMU DJ William Berger, the music also refers to a movement which grew primarily from American underground music scenes in the early 1980s. Associated artists include Sebadoh, Pavement, Liz Phair, and Beck, allMusic writes, Throughout rock & rolls history, recordings were made cheaply and quickly, often on substandard equipment. In that sense, the earliest rock & roll records, most of the rock of the 60s. JW Farquhars home-recorded 1973 album The Formal Female is considered a forerunner to lo-fi artists such as R
4.
Indie rock
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Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Originally used to independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with alternative rock. In the mid-1980s, the term began to be used to describe the music produced on punk and post-punk labels. Some prominent indie rock record labels were founded during the 1980s, during the 1990s, Grunge bands broke into the mainstream, and the term alternative lost its original counter-cultural meaning. The term indie rock became associated with the bands and genres that remained dedicated to their independent status, by the end of the 1990s indie rock developed subgenres and related styles including lo-fi, noise pop, emo, slowcore, post-rock and math rock. In the 2000s, changes in the industry and in music technology enabled a new wave of indie rock bands to achieve mainstream success. In the early 2000s, a new group of bands played a stripped-down. The commercial breakthrough from these scenes was led by four bands, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Hives, emo also broke into mainstream culture in the early 2000s. By the end of the 2000s the proliferation of bands was being referred to as indie landfill. The term indie rock, which comes from independent, describes the small and relatively low-budget labels on which it is released, the influences and styles of the artists have been extremely diverse, including punk, psychedelia, post-punk and country. Allmusic identifies indie rock as including a number of varying musical approaches compatible with mainstream tastes, in fact, there is an everlasting list of genres and subgenres of indie rock. Many countries have developed a local indie scene, flourishing with bands with enough popularity to survive inside the respective country. However, there are still indie bands that start off locally, Indie rock has been identified as a reaction against the macho culture that developed in alternative rock in the aftermath of Nirvanas success. However, Cortney Harding pointed out that this sense of equality is not reflected in the number of women running indie labels. The BBC documentary Music for Misfits, The Story of Indie pinpoints the birth of indie as the 1977 self-publication of the Spiral Scratch EP by Manchester band Buzzcocks, Indie pop and indie were originally synonymous. In the mid-1980s, indie began to be used to describe the music produced on post-punk labels rather than the labels themselves. The indie rock scene in the US was prefigured by the rock that dominated college radio playlists. In the United States, the term was associated with the abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of the Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr
5.
Death Cab for Cutie
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Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band, formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band comprises Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, in 2014, founding guitarist and producer Chris Walla announced that he would be departing from the band after recording their eighth studio album, Kintsugi. The band was originally a project by Ben Gibbard, when he released the demo album You Can Play These Songs with Chords to positive reception. This led to a deal with Barsuk Records. The band released their sixth album Narrow Stairs in 2008, which served as a departure for the group. Their seventh album, 2011s Codes and Keys, featured the bands first number one single and their eighth studio album Kintsugi, the last to feature Walla, was released on March 31,2015. Death Cab for Cuties music has been labeled as indie rock, indie pop and it is noted for its use of unconventional instrumentation, as well as Gibbards distinctive voice and unique lyrical style. Since their formation, the band has released eight studio albums, four EPs. Death Cab for Cutie began as a project of Ben Gibbard in 1997, while he was the guitar player for the band Pinwheel. As Death Cab for Cutie, Gibbard released a cassette titled You Can Play These Songs with Chords the same year, many of the early songs were recorded in the basement of an Ellis Street home Gibbard lived in with several roommates in Bellingham. The four released their debut studio album, Something About Airplanes. The album was reviewed in the independent music scene. In 1998 the band met their long-term manager Jordan Kurland. Kurland had heard good things about them, and after an attempt to see them play at South By Southwest finally hooked up with them when touring with his then client. The band released their second album, We Have the Facts and Were Voting Yes. Nathan Good left the band at some point during this albums production, Gibbard played drums on the majority of the album, with Goods playing on “The Employment Pages” and “Company Calls Epilogue” being kept on the final release. Tolzdorf-Larson was later replaced by Michael Schorr, who would first appear on The Forbidden Love EP, in 2001, Death Cab for Cutie released their third album, The Photo Album. Limited editions of this album contained three tracks, which were later released separately as The Stability EP. C
6.
The Postal Service
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The Postal Service was an American indie band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2001. The band consisted of vocalist Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello, the band released their debut album, Give Up, in 2003 on Sub Pop Records, to mostly positive reviews. The album reached number 114 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, the Postal Service remained largely inactive from 2005 until 2013, when they reunited for a tour, and released a re-issue of Give Up to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Laura Burhenn joined the lineup throughout the tour to provide vocals and instruments. On August 3,2013, Gibbard announced that the band would disband permanently after the last show of their reunion tour. The group formed after Ben Gibbard contributed vocals for a song by Jimmy Tamborello called The Dream of Evan and Chan, the bands name was chosen due to the way in which it produced its songs. The bands debut album, Give Up, was released on February 18,2003, several songs on the album feature guest vocals from Lewis, as well as vocals from indie rock musician Jen Wood. Tamborello and Gibbards Death Cab for Cutie bandmate Chris Walla produced the album, with Walla also playing the guitar, Give Up received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America in March 2005, and later receiving platinum certification in October 2012. The album was Sub Pops most successful release after Nirvanas debut album, the album produced three singles, the most well-known single being Such Great Heights, which was released as Give Ups lead single. The song featured in advertisements for UPS, Kaiser Permanente, and M&Ms, a cover of the song by Iron and Wine was featured on the soundtrack for the 2004 film Garden State. It was also covered by Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds, The Scene Aesthetic, Brack Cantrell, Streetlight Manifesto, Confide. Confide would later release a video for their cover of Such Great Heights. The second single, The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 film D. E. B. S. The third and final single, We Will Become Silhouettes, was covered by The Shins, in August 2003, the United States Postal Service sent the band a cease and desist letter, citing the bands name as an infringement of its trademark on the phrase postal service. After negotiations, the USPS relented, allowing the use of the trademark in exchange for promotional efforts on behalf of the USPS. Additionally, at one point the USPS website sold the bands CDs, in 2007, Such Great Heights appeared in the background of the whiteboard advertising campaign for one of the federal establishments private competitors, the United Parcel Service. In January 2006, Josh Melnick and Xander Charity, who had produced the Such Great Heights music video, created a commercial for Apple Computer, while strikingly similar to the music video, the commercial did not contain imagery of the band or a recording of its music. We did not approve this commercialization and are disappointed with both parties that this was executed without our consultation or consent
7.
Ben Gibbard
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Benjamin Ben Gibbard is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Gibbard released his solo album, Former Lives, in 2012. While performing guitar in the band Pinwheel, Gibbard recorded a cassette under the moniker Death Cab for Cutie. After receiving a response to the material, Gibbard expanded the project into a full band, with the addition of Chris Walla, Nick Harmer. The following year, the band released its album, Something About Airplanes, on Barsuk Records. Gibbard was born in Bremerton, Washington, where he spent his formative years and he graduated from Olympic High School in 1994. He also cites Jack Kerouac as a major influence and he studied engineering at Western Washington University. He was raised Roman Catholic and referred to himself as this indoctrinated Catholic even though I havent been to church of my own volition in 10 or 15 years now. In a 2003 interview Gibbard stated that while he had previously been a vegan and he had a small role in the John Krasinski film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men based on the David Foster Wallace short story collection of the same title. He completed a tour through the US in the spring of 2007 that featured David Bazan of Pedro the Lion. Gibbard became engaged to actress and musician Zooey Deschanel in 2008, the couple married in September 2009 near Seattle, Washington. They announced their separation on November 1,2011, Deschanel filed for divorce on December 27,2011, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce became final on December 12,2012, Gibbard married photographer and tour manager Rachel Demy on October 21,2016 in Seattle, Washington. He reportedly gave up alcohol in 2008 and began running marathons and he ran his first trail ultra-marathon in 2013 and since then has completed several each year. Gibbard is an agnostic, lapsed Catholic, I don’t want to believe in something solely so I can jump to the front of the line for whatever this awesome place is we go after we die. I understand that’s where faith comes into play, Gibbard is an activist for gay rights and wrote an article in The Daily Beast voicing why this issue is important to him. He stated that when his sister got married, that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In the article, he voiced his support for Referendum 74
8.
Extended play
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An extended play is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. EPs generally do not contain as many tracks as albums, and are considered less expensive, an EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play and LP, but it is now applied to mid-length CDs and downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post said, EPs—originally extended-play single releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk, in the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks. EPs were released in various sizes in different eras, the earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 by Grey Gull Records, were vertically cut 78 rpm discs known as 2-in-1 records. These had finer than usual grooves, like Edison Disc Records, by 1949, when the 45 rpm single and 33 1⁄3 rpm LP were competing formats, seven-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side. Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP introduced in 1948 by rival Columbia, RCA Victor introduced Extended Play 45s during 1952. Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the levels and sound compression optionally. These were usually 10-inch LPs split onto two seven-inch EPs or 12-inch LPs split onto three seven-inch EPs, either separately or together in gatefold covers. This practice became less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs. Some classical music albums released at the beginning of the LP era were distributed as EP albums—notably the seven operas that Arturo Toscanini conducted on radio between 1944 and 1954. These opera EPs, originally broadcast on the NBC Radio network and manufactured by RCA, in the 1990s, they began appearing on compact discs. During the 1950s, RCA published several EP albums of Walt Disney movies and these usually featured the original casts of actors and actresses. Each album contained two seven-inch records, plus an illustrated booklet containing the text of the recording, so that children could follow along by reading. Some of the titles included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and what was then a recent release, because of the popularity of 7 and other formats, SP records became less popular and the production of SPs in Japan was suspended in 1963. In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were usually compilations of singles or album samplers and were played at 45 rpm on seven-inch discs. Record Retailer printed the first EP chart in 1960, the New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Disc and Music Echo and the Record Mirror continued to list EPs on their respective singles charts. The Beatles Twist and Shout outsold most singles for some weeks in 1963, when the BBC and Record Retailer commissioned the British Market Research Bureau to compile a chart it was restricted to singles and EPs disappeared from the listings. In the Philippines, seven-inch EPs marketed as mini-LPs were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and this mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukeboxes
9.
The Envelope Sessions
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The Envelope Sessions is the second release from Ben Gibbards solo project ¡All-Time Quarterback. The tape was a release on Elsinor Records and is now out of print. Tracks from this tape were later taken and put together with the ¡All-Time Quarterback, EP and re-released by Barsuk records on the ¡All-Time Quarterback. The tracks Dont Touch the Tape, Lullaby, Lullaby, Dig It. Ben recorded these songs straight to walkman, accompanied only by a toy guitar. Went on to become a Death Cab For Cutie song, released on 7 inch as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club in March 2000, sock Hop Lullaby, Lullaby Dig It. Cleveland Stark Mobile Factory Direct Empire State Ben Gibbard, Toy guitar, the Envelope Sessions were written June 3–5, &7,1999 and recorded live onto a Sony Walkman
10.
Sub Pop
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Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt. In 1988, Sub Pop Records LLC was formed by Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle alternative rock scene. In 1995 the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group, the origins of Sub Pop can be traced back to the early 1980s when Bruce Pavitt started a fanzine called Subterranean Pop that focused exclusively on American independent record labels. Pavitt undertook the project in order to earn course credit while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, by the fourth issue, Pavitt had shortened the name to Sub Pop and began alternating issues with compilation tapes of underground rock bands. The Sub Pop #5 cassette, released in 1982, sold two thousand copies, in 1983, Pavitt moved to Seattle, Washington and released the ninth and final issue of Sub Pop. While in Seattle, he wrote a column for local newspaper The Rocket titled Sub Pop U. S. A, a column he ended in 1988. In 1986, Pavitt released the first Sub Pop LP, the compilation Sub Pop 100, which featured material by artists including Sonic Youth, Naked Raygun, Wipers, and Scratch Acid. Seattle group Green River chose to record their Dry as a Bone EP for Pavitts new label in June 1986, when finally released, Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation. Poneman soon became a partner in the label. Pavitt focused on the artists and repertoire aspects, while Poneman dealt with the business. Both men decided they wanted the label to focus on this primal rock stuff that was coming out, in early 1988 Pavitt and Poneman quit their jobs to devote their full attention to Sub Pop. Raising $43,000, they incorporated that April, of course that was spent in, like, thirty days, Pavitt recalled. We almost went bankrupt after a month and that August Sub Pop released the first single by Mudhoney, a band featuring former members of Green River. Sub Pop released the Mudhoney single Touch Me Im Sick in a limited first pressing of 800 copies to create demand. The strategy was adopted by other independent labels. Pavitt and Poneman studied earlier independent labels ranging from Motown to SST Records, the pair sought to create a cohesive brand identity for Sub Pop. The labels ads promoted the label more than any particular band. The label also sought to market a Seattle sound, which was accomplished with the help of producer Jack Endino, who produced 75 singles, albums, and EPs for Sub Pop between 1987 and 1989
11.
London
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London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
12.
Regent Street
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Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent and was built under the direction of the architect John Nash, the street runs from Waterloo Place in St Jamess at the southern end, through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, to All Souls Church. From there Langham Place and Portland Place continue the route to Regents Park, the street was completed in 1825 and was an early example of town planning in England, replacing a number of earlier roads including Swallow Street. Nashs street layout has survived, although all the buildings except All Souls Church have been replaced following reconstruction in the late 19th century. The street is known for its retail stores, including Liberty, Hamleys, Jaeger. The Royal Polytechnic Institution, now the University of Westminster, has based on Regent Street since 1838. Regent Street is approximately 0.8 miles long and begins at a junction with Charles II Street as a continuation of Waterloo Place. It runs north to Piccadilly Circus, where it left before curving round the Quadrant to head north again. It ends at a junction with Cavendish Place and Mortimer Street near the BBC Broadcasting House, with the road ahead being Langham Place, the southern section of the road is one-way northbound and part of the A4, a major road through West London. From Piccadilly Circus northwards, it is numbered A4201, though in common with roads inside the London congestion charging zone, the number does not appear on signs. Nearby tube stations are Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, the lattermost being one of the busiest underground stations in London, numerous bus routes, such as 6,12, and 13, run along Regent Street. Regent Street was one of the first planned developments of London and it was hoped the road could link Pall Mall and the Haymarket, of which has since declined in quality. A further problem was increased congestion around Charing Cross, which would benefit from road improvements, the street was designed by John Nash, who had been appointed to the Office of Woods and Forests in 1806 and previously served as an adviser to the Prince Regent. He put forward his own plans for the street in 1810 following the death of Fordyce, envisioning broad, architecturally distinguished thoroughfares and public spaces. Nash originally wanted to construct a straight boulevard in the style seen in French cities. The northern section involved demolishing most of the existing Swallow Street, the road was designed to curve east between Oxford Street and Piccadilly so that it did not meet St Jamess Square, and the circuses allowed visual continuity down the street. The central section, known as the Quadrant, was designed for shops appropriated to articles of fashion and taste and it was built with a colonnade made out of cast-iron columns, allowing commuters to walk along the street without having to face bad weather. The road was planned to end outside Carlton House in Pall Mall, Nash insisted that businesses on the new street would be of high-quality, rivalling that of the nearby Bond Street, common trades such as butchers or greengrocers were not allowed
13.
London Underground
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The London Underground is a public rapid transit system serving London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2015–16 carried 1.34 billion passengers, the 11 lines collectively handle approximately 4.8 million passengers a day. The system has 270 stations and 250 miles of track, despite its name, only 45% of the system is actually underground in tunnels, with much of the network in the outer environs of London being on the surface. In addition, the Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London, the current operator, London Underground Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London, the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in Greater London. As of 2015, 92% of operational expenditure is covered by passenger fares, the Travelcard ticket was introduced in 1983 and Oyster, a contactless ticketing system, in 2003. Contactless card payments were introduced in 2014, the LPTB was a prominent patron of art and design, commissioning many new station buildings, posters and public artworks in a modernist style. Other famous London Underground branding includes the roundel and Johnston typeface, to prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built in 1855 in Kibblesworth, a small town with geological properties similar to London. This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground train, and was later, in 1861, the worlds first underground railway, it opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. It was hailed as a success, carrying 38,000 passengers on the opening day, the Metropolitan District Railway opened in December 1868 from South Kensington to Westminster as part of a plan for an underground inner circle connecting Londons main-line termini. The Metropolitan and District railways completed the Circle line in 1884, built using the cut and this opened in 1890 with electric locomotives that hauled carriages with small opaque windows, nicknamed padded cells. The Waterloo and City Railway opened in 1898, followed by the Central London Railway in 1900, the Metropolitan Railway protested about the change of plan, but after arbitration by the Board of Trade, the DC system was adopted. When the Bakerloo was so named in July 1906, The Railway Magazine called it an undignified gutter title, by 1907 the District and Metropolitan Railways had electrified the underground sections of their lines. In January 1913, the UERL acquired the Central London Railway, the Bakerloo line was extended north to Queens Park to join a new electric line from Euston to Watford, but World War I delayed construction and trains reached Watford Junction in 1917. During air raids in 1915 people used the stations as shelters. An extension of the Central line west to Ealing was also delayed by the war, the Metropolitan promoted housing estates near the railway with the Metro-land brand and nine housing estates were built near stations on the line. Electrification was extended north from Harrow to Rickmansworth, and branches opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925, the Piccadilly line was extended north to Cockfosters and took over District line branches to Harrow and Hounslow. In 1933, most of Londons underground railways, tramway and bus services were merged to form the London Passenger Transport Board, the Waterloo & City Railway, which was by then in the ownership of the main line Southern Railway, remained with its existing owners. In the same year that the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, in the following years, the outlying lines of the former Metropolitan Railway closed, the Brill Tramway in 1935, and the line from Quainton Road to Verney Junction in 1936
14.
Nick Harmer
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Nicholas Scott Harmer is an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. Harmer was born in Landstuhl, Germany and he has one brother named Andrew. Harmer attended Governor John R. Rogers High School in Puyallup, Washington and he played water polo and swam on the swim team. Earlier in life he attended Sunrise Elementary where he was indeed a Sunrise Superstar, in the short documentary Open Windows, Harmer said he only wears black, blue and brown for concerts, cutting long sleeve shirts down to three-quarter length. In December 2009, Harmer announced via Twitter that he had become engaged, in March 2015, Harmers wife announced via Instagram that they are expecting a child. In September 2015, while Death Cab for Cutie was on tour for their new album, his baby was born and the band was required to postpone multiple shows
15.
Jason McGerr
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Jason McGerr is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band Death Cab for Cutie. McGerr was previously in the bands Krusters Kronomid and Eureka Farm, McGerr joined the Bellingham, Washington-based indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie in early 2003, to replace drummer Michael Schorr. Two members of the band, Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer, had played in Eureka Farm. McGerr debuted on Death Cab for Cuties fourth album, Transatlanticism, released in October 2003, the release of Transatlanticism to critical acclaim and strong commercial performance brought Death Cab for Cutie mainstream success. Speaking in 2003, Benjamin Gibbard notes that he definitely believe this will be the last drummer well ever have and its kind of come full circle. It makes more sense having him than it has anyone else thats ever played with us. Mc Gerr was a guest performer on Tegan and Saras album The Con, released in July 2007 and he also played drums for their next album, Sainthood, released in October 2009. McGerr played drums on half of the tracks on Matt Nathansons 2007 album, Some Mad Hope, McGerr also performed drums on three songs for his Death Cab for Cutie bandmate Chris Wallas debut solo album, Field Manual, released in 2008. In June 2007, McGerr opened his own recording studio, Two Sticks Audio, located in Seattle. Various act have recorded there, including Smoosh, Barcelona, Only Human, Moros Eros, Grand Archives, David Bazan, Mark Kozelek, Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam, Tegan and Sara, and Death Cab for Cutie. After the opening of his studio, McGerr began working with Swedish music computer software company Propellerhead Software, the pack was The Jason McGerr Sessions, and it is available as a ReFill from the Propellerhead website, and as a stand-alone from the Drummerheads website. McGerr is an instructor at the Seattle Drum School, and has helped and mentored teen indie-pop group Smoosh. McGerr currently plays Gretsch Drums, Remo drumheads, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, mcgerr previously played Craviotto drums and Ludwig Drums
16.
Chris Walla
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Christopher Ryan Walla is an American musician, producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie. Walla is a producer in the indie rock community, having earned production credits on dozens of albums. Walla regularly performed at shows, as well as serving as MC. One performance by Chris included a song by PJ Harvey and these early Open Microphone shows proved popular and continued for over twenty years, moving from Bothell High School to Inglemoor High School when teacher Drumheller transferred there. Walla was in a band called The Wallflowers. Later, in 2001, he was an member of the Seattle band The Long Winters. Walla joined Death Cab for Cutie in 1997, while attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, eventually releasing seven albums, four EPs and two live EPs with band, he co-wrote many of their hit songs, including Title and Registration and I Will Possess Your Heart. Wallas last performance with the band occurred on September 13,2014 at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, Walla has recorded a variety of solo material and released his debut solo album, Field Manual, in 2008 on Barsuk Records. The song Sing Again became available for download from Barsuks website. Before the release of Field Manual, it was reported that two tracks recorded for Death Cab for Cuties 2005 album, Plans, would be featured, but this is unconfirmed. Some of Wallas solo work has been released using the name Martin Youth Auxiliary, for example, one cassette was recorded and released in 1999 on Elsinor Records. In the past, Walla has stated plans to release a Martin Youth Auxiliary record, much of the solo material consists of quick, low-quality recordings, which have never been intended for release. A new solo album, titled Tape Loops, was released on October 16,2015. In addition to being a musician Walla has a career as producer, earning production, engineering. His first credit was as the producer for Death Cab for Cuties debut album, Something About Airplanes, released in 1998. Walla has produced all releases by Death Cab for Cutie to date, with the exception of the 1997s You Can Play These Songs with Chords EP. However, Walla earned production credits on the 2002 re-release of You Can Play These Songs with Chords and it was announced via Kelly Porters Facebook Page Walla would be doing guitar work for her upcoming recording work. Walla founded his own recording studio, located within his home in Portland, Oregon, in 2012, Walla began rebuilding the Hall of Justice after moving back to Seattle
17.
Something About Airplanes
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Something About Airplanes is the debut studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released August 18,1998 on Barsuk Records. A remastered anniversary version of the album was released on November 25,2008, early recordings of five songs from this album can be found on the You Can Play These Songs with Chords compilation. Despite the title referring to airplanes, the image on the cover is of a rowboat. The image is seen through a hole in the cover. Like some of the bands 2000 releases, the text is set entirely in lower case, tony Lash – mastering Live at the Crocodile Cafe, February 1998 Chuck MacIan Robertson – recording Sean Nelson – performer on Sweet and Tender Hooligan
18.
We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
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We Have the Facts and Were Voting Yes is the second studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released March 21,2000, on Barsuk Records. Death Cab for Cuties first concept album, the features a story about a ruined relationship. No singles were released for the album, in 2011, guitarist Chris Walla reflected upon the album stating, That second record, especially, for years and years has been my favorite. We Have the Facts and Were Voting Yes was ranked the 14th Greatest Indie Rock album of all time by Amazon. com and it was ranked 27th on Pitchfork Medias list of The 50 Best Indie Rock Albums of the Pacific Northwest. In 2002, Barsuk Records released You Can Play These Songs with Chords +10 and this re-release contains a version of the track Song for Kelly Huckaby which Chris Walla notes was originally intended for We Have the Facts and Were Voting Yes. Another version of Song for Kelly Huckaby, a version of 405. The song 405 is often associated with Californias I-405, but it is actually referring to I-405 in Seattle. The band is from Bellingham and the lyrics describe the songwriters drive south to Seattle to visit a girlfriend
19.
The Photo Album
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The Photo Album is the third studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 9,2001 on Barsuk Records. The albums spawned three singles, A Movie Script Ending, I Was a Kaleidoscope, and We Laugh Indoors, all of the singles charted on the UK Singles Chart, with the highest charting song I Was a Kaleidoscope, peaking at number 115. C. It was the only album to feature drummer Michael Schorr. A limited edition extended play called The Stability EP was released in early 2002, containing tracks from the limited edition. The Photo Album holds a score of 75 out of 100 from the aggregate site Metacritic. John D. Luerssen of Billboard gave the album a favorable review and said, If its true that music of this nature doesnt get anymore heartfelt. Nude as the News gave it a score of eight out of ten and stated, While not every song is a gem, neumu. net gave it seven stars out of ten and called it evidence of a band thats maturing, slowing down and trying new things. Drawer B gave it a review and stated, The most noteworthy aspect of The Photo Album is the band’s upward trajectory. The music is cohesive and even, though still somewhat sluggish, in a mixed assessment, Stephen Thompson of The A. V. Club wrote that the album is marked by pleasant but static. Melanie Haupt of The Austin Chronicle said, Its a rare talent that can express such emotions so concisely, Q wrote, Full of beautiful pop songs, The Photo Album is just that--a collection of vignettes
20.
Plans (album)
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Plans is the fifth studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released August 30,2005 on Atlantic Records. The album spawned three singles, Soul Meets Body, Crooked Teeth, and I Will Follow You into the Dark, Soul Meets Body and Crooked Teeth reached number five and number ten, respectively, on the U. S. Plans peaked at four on the Billboard 200, and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 28,2008. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 48th Grammy Awards, the album was recorded across the period of a month at a rural farmhouse studio located in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Plans was the first full-length album by the band not largely recorded in their native Pacific Northwest, drummer Jason McGerr noted the continuity between Plans and the Death Cab for Cuties previous album, Transatlanticism. McGerr stated if Transatlanticism was an inhale, Plans is the exhale, in explaining the theme of the album, Ben Gibbard stated I dont think theres necessarily a story, but theres definitely a theme here. One of my kind of dark jokes is, How do you make God laugh. Nobody ever makes a plan that theyre gonna go out and get hit by a car, a plan almost always has a happy ending. Essentially, every plan is a prayer to Father Time. I really like the idea of a plan not being seen as having definite outcomes, Plans received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics. Jonah Bayer of Alternative Press stated that Plans seamlessly picks up right where 2003’s Transatlanticism left off, david Turnbull of musicOMH deemed Plans to be an album of progression that is likely to win the band plenty of new fans, but it shouldnt alienate their fanbase either. Rhyannon Rodriguez, writing for Kludge, regarded the album as a masterpiece which expresses the absolute epitome of this generations pop. While stating that at times, the writing feels almost too weightless, Ann Powers, writing in Blender, nonetheless contended that repeat listening makes these songs reliably addictive. In a mixed assessment, Betty Clarke of The Guardian felt that Plans was at times unconvincing, while contending that Plans doesnt differ radically from the previous four Death Cab for Cutie albums, Q felt that Transatlanticism was a more cohesive effort. Nick Sylvester of The Village Voice wrote that Death Cab succeed by refusing to offend, which can be a trait in a person. Different Names for the Same Thing was written after an encounter on a train traveling rural Maryland. Ben Gibbard overheard a conversation between a red haired woman he knew as Ashley Renee and a man
21.
Narrow Stairs
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Four singles were released for the album, I Will Possess Your Heart, Cath. I Will Possess Your Heart reached number six on the U. S, Alternative Songs chart, was named iTunes UK song of the year 2008, and was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. Cath. and Grapevine Fires, also reached ten and number twenty-one on the U. S. Narrow Stairs reached number one on the Billboard 200, making it Death Cab for Cuties highest charting album to-date, in October 2007, producer and guitarist Chris Walla said that Death Cab for Cuties new album is in full swing, were six songs in. He went on to say, thus far its pretty weird and pretty spectacular, weve got a ten minute long Can jam, and had you suggested that possibility to me in 1998, Id have eaten your puppys brain with a spoon. In a Billboard piece, Walla described the album, Its really weird and its really, really good, I think, but its totally a curve ball, and I think its gonna be a really polarizing record. But Im really excited about it, the landscape of the thing is way, way more lunar than the urban meadow sort of thing that has been happening for the last couple of records. Walla went on to say, louder and more dissonant and I think abrasive would be a word to use. Heavy, sludgy, slow metal synth-punk band Brainiac, ben Gibbard, lead singer and writer, commented, I just dont feel like we really have anything to prove of it other than to ourselves and to making a record we really enjoy. In 2011 Walla stated, the plan for Narrow Stairs was to be as invisible. I was really interested in seeing what would happen, when we started that record, we had been on tour for the better part of two years. All we could remember was being on stage and playing, so the whole idea was, what happens if we’re just on stage and we play, except we’re in the studio and we’re recording. Walla added Narrow Stairs was very much a commitment to just crashing through the songs as we recorded them, like four people in a room. While promoting the bands subsequent album, Codes and Keys, Benjamin Gibbard reflected upon Narrow Stairs lyrical content, stating, so much of the negativity in my life got funneled into it. I realized after that I didnt want to go any darker, I wanted it to be the bottom for this band and my own emotional spectrum in terms of writing. I had no plans to turn my life around. Several of the songs have literary or cultural themes, for example Grapevine Fires appears to be centered on the wildfires that raged in California during the summer, pity and Fear features an abrupt ending where the song finishes without warning during an instrumental. In an interview, the stated that the tape machine they were using broke toward the end
22.
Codes and Keys
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Codes and Keys is the seventh studio album by Death Cab for Cutie, released on May 31,2011. Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer have both quoted as saying that the album will be a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before. The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No,3, with 102,000 copies sold in its first week. It has sold 283,000 copies in the US as of March 2015, on November 30,2011, the album received a Nomination in the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album. Influenced by the album, Another Green World, by Brian Eno, Codes and Keys was recorded in eight different studios, using Logic Pro software. The band would record in each studio for no longer than two weeks, with vocalist and guitarist Benjamin Gibbard noting, Were all moving into a period in our lives where family is very important. So living off in the woods for an away from family isnt something we want to do. During its recording, Gibbard stated, Its not a guitar-based record, weve been into vintage keyboards and playing with that palette. Were not adding guitars because people will be expecting them, Im so proud of this album that at this point I dont care if people dont like it. Walla later stated, guitar is great, it’s a really immediate, none of us really wanted to do that, but it took us a little while to figure out how to do it differently, how to find something that would work. I wanted less photograph, more impressionism, Walla elaborated, was an exercise in using an entirely different tool set. The whole record ended up being this big experiment, which was really exciting and we were really happy with Narrow Stairs, but we could make a record like that in our sleep. It’s just so second-nature and so simple, I still think there’s a lot more to explore the way we made this record. And I think we’ll probably continue on a trajectory and see where we end up on the next album. The album was mixed by Alan Moulder, with Walla noting, i’d been toying with it for a couple of records now. It was really just a matter of trying to find the person for this, to mix a Death Cab record. I was thrilled that he was able to do it, id been a huge fan of his for years and years so it was super exciting to get to work with him. He’s kind of one of my heroes, he’s made a bunch of my favorite records, I didnt want to make that record again
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Kintsugi (album)
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Kintsugi is the eighth studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on March 31,2015, on Atlantic Records. Recorded at Eldorado Recording Studios, in Burbank, California, Kintsugi is produced by Rich Costey, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. The band first hinted that they were working on a follow-up to 2011s Codes and Keys by posting photos of their studio. In October 2014, the spoke to Stereogum about their then-untitled eighth album, their experience working with an outside producer. The albums title, track listing, and artwork were revealed via social media on January 12,2015, Black Sun was officially released on January 26,2015, following several weeks of snippets of lyrics being posted on various social media sites and the official website. Kintsugi has received positive reviews from music critics. Lanre Bakare of The Guardian gave the three stars out of five and writes, Sometimes it’s too overwrought and wanders into cliched territory. All songs written by Benjamin Gibbard, except where noted,8 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week. Its the fourth Death Cab for Cutie album to enter the Billboard 200s top 10, in Canada, the album debuted at No.5 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 4,800 copies
24.
The Forbidden Love EP
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The Forbidden Love EP is an EP by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 24,2000 on Barsuk Records. Regarding the EPs cover, Benjamin Gibbard noted that he wanted to have a release and have that photo be the cover. When we pulled them out they didnt look like what we thought they were going to look, so we had to kind of change the contrast and make it look really shitty. To be perfectly honest it didnt turn out as good as we wanted it to and it serves a purpose, and I think the label wishes they could have done more. Its not aesthetically our best release, but its okay, all songs written by Ben Gibbard
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The Stability EP
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The Stability EP is a limited edition EP by Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released February 19,2002. The release marks the appearance of drummer Michael Schorr. The tracks on The Stability EP were originally featured as tracks on the limited edition. Stability reappears as the track to the bands 2005 major label debut. The new recording is shorter than the original twelve-minute, mostly instrumental version found on this EP. The version included on Plans is titled Stable Song, a live rehearsal version of Stability can be found on the DVD Drive Well, Sleep Carefully, which clocks in at 10,03. The track All Is Full of Love is a Björk cover. E, – mixing on All Is Full of Love
26.
The John Byrd EP
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The John Byrd EP by the band Death Cab for Cutie was recorded live during their spring 2004 North American tour. It is named after the sound engineer, John Byrd. The album was the bands last release on the indie label Barsuk Records and it is only available in a limited number of record stores and through the record labels website. All songs written by Ben Gibbard except where noted
27.
The Open Door EP
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The Open Door EP is an extended play by Washington band Death Cab for Cutie, comprising songs recorded during the Narrow Stairs sessions and a demo version of the track Talking Bird from the album. Regarding the release, Ben Gibbard states, Were all written with the songs from Narrow Stairs during, I guess, what would be the end of 2006 into 2007, all these songs, with the exception of Little Bribes, were recorded during the sessions for Narrow Stairs. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards, all songs written by Ben Gibbard except where noted. The EP was initially released digitally on March 31,2009, followed by a physical CD release on April 7,2009 at live performances and it has peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200. The Open Door EP at Metacritic
28.
The Sound of Settling
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The Sound of Settling is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the second single from their fourth studio album, Transatlanticism, released on 26 December 2003. The song reached number 84 on the UK Singles Chart, was featured on movie soundtracks. An acoustic demo for The Sound of Settling was featured on the Transatlanticism Demos LP released by Barsuk Records in 2013, written by Ben Gibbard, the song is notable for its upbeat style and the Bopba sung during the chorus. Gibbard originally did not like the song, due to his distaste of uptempo songs. Despite Gibbard being reluctant to include it on Transatlanticism, guitarist, the video begins with a picture frame containing an image of velvet curtains. The video bears a resemblance to the video for The New Pornographers song Letter from an Occupant. The Sound of Settling Lightness Thats Incentive The song was featured as a download in the popular video game Tap Tap Revenge 2 from the App Store for the iPhone OS. It was featured in Season 2 of The O. C. in the twentieth episode The O. C, the song was also featured on the soundtracks for two movies, Wedding Crashers, and Mean Creek. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
29.
Title and Registration
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Title and Registration is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the third single from their fourth studio album, Transatlanticism. It was officially released in 2004, as a single that could be streamed through the bands website. The single also included a cover of the Julian Cope song World Shut Your Mouth, due to the songs layered instrumentation, Title and Registration has been difficult to play during live performances and thus has been performed a variety of ways. All of these involved guitarist Chris Walla switching halfway through the song from lead guitar to keyboards, whilst singer/guitarist Ben Gibbard took over the guitar part. For the first half of the song, initially, both Gibbard and drummer Jason McGerr used electronic drums in order to replicate the distinctive drum machine used at the beginning of the song. In the bands 2008 tour, Gibbard performed the entire first two verses as lead vocalist, without a guitar or drums, before picking up his guitar as Walla switched to the keyboard. More recently, Gibbard kept his guitar strapped on for the entirety of the song. Since the band has expanded to a live, without Walla. The video, directed by Patrick Daughters, consists of frontman Ben Gibbard lying on a table while undergoing a surgery to receive a new heart. Although Ben seems to act calm and has the ability to sing throughout the procedure, during the surgery, it is revealed that Gibbards chest is simply paper, model organs, and a model rib cage. Title and Registration Title and Registration World Shut Your Mouth
30.
Soul Meets Body
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Soul Meets Body is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the first single from their fifth album, Plans, released on October 10,2005. It was their single released on Atlantic Records, and it has become the bands second highest charting single in the United States. The song peaked at number 5 on the U. S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, the song is certified as gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping over 500,000 copies. Before it had officially released the song was leaked onto the internet by an unknown source, to which guitarist Chris Walla stated positively in response. The more anarchy we can give to the industry, the better. Soul Meets Body charted for 14 weeks in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number 5, and 18 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, Soul Meets Body was received to mostly positive reviews from critics. Virgin Media, however, said the song was slightly academic indie with a hint of Idlewild, in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Soul Meets Body plays during season 1 episode The Wedding. Its used in the beginning of episode 2 season 3, Soul Meets Body Jealousy Rides with Me Catie Curtis covered the song on her 2008 album Sweet Life and operatic soprano Renée Fleming on her 2010 album Dark Hope. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
31.
I Will Follow You into the Dark
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I Will Follow You into the Dark is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the third single from their fifth album Plans, released on August 30,2005. Written and performed by Ben Gibbard, it is an acoustic ballad. Despite charting lower than other singles, the single is one of the bands most played songs on commercial radio stations. The songs popularity has led it to be featured in a television shows and movies. The song was entirely by Death Cab for Cuties lead singer. Nearing age 29, Gibbard had never lost anyone really special in his life, growing older during an ideal and comfortable time of his life led him to begin obsessing over death, the afterlife, and the weight of his relationships. Originally planned to be recorded later in the sessions for Plans, producer and guitarist Chris Walla told Gibbard to take a break while the issues were being addressed. Gibbard picked up his Stella guitar and began playing I Will Follow You into the Dark, Walla was impressed by the sound, leading him to suggest they do a quick tracking of the performance. It was this mono recording, with the editing being mild compression and de-essing. Due to the nature of the recording, the vocals are noticeably much louder than the guitar. Gibbard goes about daily activities while avoiding the constantly expanding hole, eventually rolling out of bed into it and he finally lets go, only to land unharmed on solid ground within the void about as deep as his height. The song ends with Gibbard walking into the darkness, then pans to show the room again with the floor restored to its original. An alternative video, directed by Monkmus, appears on the Death Cab for Cuties DVD Directions, in this video, a picture-book takes up the center of the video frame, and the pages turn as the song progresses. Within the book, two rabbits meet and fall in love, time passes until one of the rabbits apparently dies. There are other references to throughout the video, such as a rotten bowl of fruit. The video ends with a picture of the two together, presumably in eternal happiness together. I Will Follow You into the Dark has two separate United Kingdom-exclusive, colored vinyl 7 releases with B-sides recorded as part of the bands Rolling Stone originals session, the CD single was also only released in the UK and contains the same Brothers on a Hotel Bed B-side. Critical response to I Will Follow You into the Dark was generally positive, Rolling Stone however, said that the song demonstrates how wise Gibbard is to let the band mess with his pristine melodies, which would sound wispy and ignorable on their own
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I Will Possess Your Heart
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I Will Possess Your Heart is an alternative rock song recorded by the American band Death Cab for Cutie. The song depicts a one-sided obsessive relationship, which led Paste to name it one of the 25 creepiest songs about love and it is notable for its five-minute instrumental introduction as well as its music video which required location shooting across four continents. The song was the single from their sixth studio album. The music is dominated by a bass guitar riff interspersed with piano chords. It was released on March 18,2008 in two versions, a full album version, and a four-minute radio edit that omitted most of the instrumental introduction. The song was acclaimed and nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The music video, released on April 11,2008, features scenes of a woman traveling alone to various places around the world. The video won the 2008 MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing and was nominated for the Best Cinematography award, songwriter and lead vocalist Ben Gibbard noted that, although fictional, the song was inspired by the experiences of some of his friends. He added, The song is basically about a stalker, it’s about this nice guy who wants this girl he can’t have, and he believes they’ll be together once she realizes how great he is—he just has to wait it out. That’s the part that makes the song really creepy, the delusion of thinking that they were meant to be together, a lot of the material is about the inevitable disappointment people feel as they move through life, and things don’t feel the way they expect. No experience will ever match up to the version in your mind. The song is written in the key of F major with a tempo of 134 beats per minute. The music is dominated by a distinctive 4-bar bass guitar riff that is repeated through nearly all of the song and this is interspersed with piano chords that generally follow a D–D/C–F–G progression. The lead vocals have a range of D3–G4, the instrumentation also includes multiple guitar parts, drums, and backup vocals. Gibbard characterized the song as five minutes of build and then a song, referring to the lengthy instrumental introduction that takes up more than half the song. Like the other songs on Narrow Stairs, it was recorded with all members playing together in the studio. Gibbard credited Nick Harmers bass line with being integral to the song, noting inspiration from bassists Eric Avery, harmer said of the bass line, I immediately gravitated to the creepy, stalker-ish theme that Ben created with the lyrics and the piano chords. I liked the idea that once a stalker gets obsessed with an idea, it just keeps repeating in his head, so I wanted the line to have a repetitive
33.
Grapevine Fires
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Grapevine Fires is a song by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Narrow Stairs, released February 3,2009 on Atlantic Records. The single peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, grapevine Fires was featured in the NBC drama Heroes in the episode Ink, and also appeared on the 2009 compilation album, Change Is Now, Renewing Americas Promise. The drumbeat of the song is modeled after the Purdie Shuffle, although drummer Jason McGerr says it is more of an emulation, as opposed to a replication, the video of the song is animated and created by Walter Robot. It features an interpretation of the lyrics by showing a wildfire. The band members make a cameo appearance loading a van, the visual interpretation of the song in the video leaves out the imagery of the second verse of the song. The video was accepted into the Los Angeles Film Festival where it won the Audience Choice Award for Best Music Video, lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
34.
Meet Me on the Equinox
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Meet Me on the Equinox is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, and was released as the first single from the soundtrack to the 2009 film The Twilight Saga, New Moon. The song debuted on September 13 during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video, directed by the Walter Robot team, premiered in October. Alexandra Patsavas, music supervisor on New Moon, provided scenes from the film to some of the featured on the soundtrack as a guide. Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla said he had two of the books in the Twilight series at the time of the songs recording. Singer Ben Gibbard admitted that he hadnt read all of the books in the Twilight series, evan C. Jones of Billboard praised the songs guitars and melodies, and said its lyrics convey an eerie sensuality appropriate for a teen-vampire love story. Peter Gason of Spin described the song as Death Cab for Cuties most unabashed stab at pop crossover yet, in September 2009, the song entered the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart, where it has peaked at number eight. The song has peaked at number 30 in Australia, number 34 in New Zealand, and number 86 on the UK Singles Chart
