¡All-Time Quarterback!

Last Monday I saw Death Cab for Cutie live for the first time and despite being in the obnoxiously large Bank of America Pavilion it was one of the better shows I've been to in a while. Death Cab ran through the "hits" and to my surprise even a few songs that preceded 2003's landmark Transatlanticism (The playing of the LA-eviscerating "Why You'd Want to Live Here" was quite a surprise.) Watching Ben Gibbard alone on the piano in front of five thousand people playing the closer "Tranatlanticism" was a major testament to how far the band has come from being lo-fi gloom peddlers to arena filling headliners.

The origin of Death Cab stem from solo records Gibbard made under the moniker "¡All-Time Quarterback!" in 1999. Recording on a Casio tape recorder with a broken keyboard and an out of tune guitar, the sessions stack up against any of Gibbard's finer musical and lyrical moments. Like a low quality manifesto against suburban life and invisible scene politics, Gibbard uses wit and charm to detail the absurdity through the eyes of a world weary observer.

The Breeders-"Saints"

I'm in love with early 90's Kim Deal, down to earth with a beautiful smile.

Dom

Dom are a four piece stoner surf band from Worcester, Massachusetts who play the same brand of cat-centric and resin inhaling lo-fi as current scene king and queen Wavves and Best Coast. One glaring difference among the bands is that Dom are more unabashed in flaunting pop sensibilities. Their debut EP Sun Bronzed Greek Gods is a bright and energetic set of songs that doesn't take itself seriously, let alone anything else. Lead singer Dom has that "Is that dude or a chick?" kind of voice, which is even more difficult to distinguished through low fidelity (Completely intentional if you've heard their live shows). The EP is straightforward pop from end to end, so those looking for commentary on the plight of the human condition will be disappointed. With songs about remedying the pain of rejection with an ecstasy tablet at a basement party ("Jesus") and a single completely coated in sarcasm that will still probably go over the heads of red state residents ("Living in America"), Dom have that I don't give a flying fuck attitude and will spend their unemployment insurance on drugs. The highlights are the early Weezer inflected "Hunny" and the malt shop closer "I Wonder", songs about relationships that revolve around a couch.

Buzzcocks

Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (You Shouldn'tve Fallen In Love With)

Harmony in My Head

Lipstick

Nardwuar vs. Nirvana

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is known for his ambush interviews with celebrities and musicians that involve a deep retrospection into their early careers as well as any relation however vague they have to his native country of Canada. Some musicians like Pharrell from The Neptunes greatly appreciated Nardwaur's extensive research on their past and a couple of times the  keyboardist/media personality found himself in some rather tense and painfully awkward interviews.

Perhaps one the the most compelling interviews Nardwuar conducted was back in January 1994 where he snuck backstage into a Nirvana concert in Vancouver. At the time the Seattle grunge trio were coming off their third release In Utero and were one of the biggest bands in the world, which makes it rather surprising when Kurt Cobain and then wife Courtney Love casually chat with a fresh faced kid who inexplicably found a way in their dressing room with a camcorder.

Bassist Krist Novoselic creeps around in the background clearly altered by some type of chemical, and Kurt and Courtney humor Nardwuar while eating cheese pizza and causally wiping their hands on the tablecloth. After watching the videos I put any conspiracy theory of Courtney being the one to kill Kurt to rest. While she might not of been the best wife for a man struggling with the demons of drug additions, it's obvious that they were very much in love with each other. The videos are beautiful for showing a human side to an icon like Cobain who became so synonymous with suicide and incessant pain even when he was alive. A must watch for any fan of Nirvana and the history of modern music.