Why Death Cab For Cutie? : the name death cab for cutie was actually a song title first written by a band called the bonzo dog band (or sometimes the bonzo dog doo-dah band.) the bonzo's were a cultish/novelty/notorious art rock band based in england in the 60's. the song "death cab for cutie" was featured in the beatles' movie "the magical mystery tour" and is where ben first gained exposure to it, and thought to himself,"hmmm, that's as good of a name as any and i'm sure to bet no other band in the world will name themselves that." Ben, being a guy who doesn't fuck around, settled the matter quickly and the band was born shortly afterward. some notable factoids: one member of the bonzo dog band was a fellow by he name of neil innes who later multiple appearances with the monty python troupe and even landed a role in "monty python and the quest for the holy grail" as sir robin's singing, taunting minstrel.

The facts that matter: The Death Cab for Cutie album is a great pop record that represents a huge step in the maturation of an already precocious band. Guitarist/producer Chris Walla's often experimental recording is consistently brilliant, sounding even better than the group's prior releases. Ben Gibbard's heartbreaking vocal melodies and reflective lyrics are punctuated by the band's moments of cathartic energy. Nick Harmer's perfect bass lines link with solid and inventive drumming (supplied by Ben on all but two of the record's ten tracks) to subtly drive even the record's most sedate moments. The songs are more beautiful than ever in their exploration of themes of transition and loss, and they get stuck in one's head for days on end. Only very rarely do pop bands manage to muster such effortless lyrical and musical grace.

The crass promotional and sales facts: We have the facts and we're voting yes is the first full-length Death Cab record since their astounding 1998 debut something about airplanes (Elsinor/Barsuk). Airplanes left fans and critics alike ecstatic, eliciting comparisons to such indie-rock icons as Elliott Smith, Built to Spill, Quasi, and Superchunk.
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