Austin Town Hall

The super duo of Death Cab for Cutie front man Ben Gibbard and Son Volt leading man Jay Farrar are stopping into town at Antone’s on Wednesday.  The recently formed group are touring in support of their Big Sur inspired colaborative project.  One of our favorite songwriters Will Johnson will also be on hand to open things up.

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Download: Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar – California Zephyr [MP3]

What?   You still listen to THAT album?  That record is so 2004!  Well, that’s okay, because we really like that one too, which is why we decided to come up with a list of our favorite albums of the last decade (2000-2009).  Sure, these might not be YOUR favorite records, or the most critically acclaimed, but we sat down and really thought out every record from the past ten years that we keep coming back to in our collections.  You’re likely to disagree with some of these, and we won’t tell you we’re absolutely right we just know that these happen to be OUR favorites.  If you think we totally blew it here, feel free to tell us so, but be nice, as our egos are kind of fragile.  Follow the jump for more.

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Amy Millan, the great voice behind powerhouses Stars and Broken Social Scene (at least back in the day) is gearing up to release a new album on September 8th titled Masters of the Burial.  Her first single, well, it isn’t really hers, it belongs to Death Cab for Cutie, but her cover puts a different spin on the standout track.  Have a listen.

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Download: Amy Millan – I Will Follow You Into the Dark [MP3]

On their recent stop through Austin with Death Cab for Cutie, we had the chance to interview Syracuse indie-rock band Ra Ra Riot.  We spoke with bassist Mathieu Santos about the state of his band, his favorite music of 2009, and how his band has survived through some major adversity.  Follow the jump to read our entire interviewwith Mat.

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Everyone’s favorite indie kids Death Cab for Cutie are playing a sold out show at Austin Music Hall on Friday.  The show should be made more enticing to you music fans as ATH favorite Ra Ra Riot will be joining the band on the stage.  Matt Costa will also be playing right before the headliners.  Music starts at 8pm.  Check out craigs list for some tickets buying options.

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Download: Death Cab for Cutie – Little Bribes [MP3]

Somewhere in the history of my adolescence, I adored this band. I’ve watched them change and grow from album to album, always finding something to appreciate. There newest album Narrow Stairs saw them branch further than before, but it also didn’t seem to fulfill Ben Gibbard’s desire for perfect acoustic songs with Death Cab. This number reminds us all why we fell in love with his songwriting, and check the midway mark for a change in the song’s progression. The song is the first track off their new Open Door EP coming out next week digitally.

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Download: Death Cab for Cutie – Little Bribes [MP3]