NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

  Ben Gibbard  started performing in 1997 under the moniker  Death Cab for Cutie , the name of a  Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band  song by the same name released in 1967 and featured in  The Beatles ’ film  Magical    Mystery   Tour . When Gibbard signed a recording contract, he turned his solo act into a band. The band released albums on indie label  Barsuk Records , garnering spots in films and television, which got the attention of  Atlantic Records . Their major label debut,  Plans , was released in 2005 and spawned three singles: " Soul Meets Body ," " Crooked Teeth ," and " I Will Follow You Into the Dark. " Despite being on a major label, Death Cab for Cutie is a symbol of Indie Rock music. They consistently produce thought-provoking music and have many Grammy nominations under their belt. However, like most bands with die-hard fans, their older records often resonate best, whether it's  We Have the Facts and ...

Hippo Campus ' debut record landmark comes five years into their career. A solid, unpretentious indie release, landmark is the perfect soundtrack to spring and summer. Musically, lead singer Jake Luppen in a hyper-aware, somewhat ironic lyric in the album's first full song " way it goes " describes the album as "easy going shit" in which the lead singer "just grab[s] a guitar and moan[s] and shit[s]." But while the "easy going" songs on landmark sound effortless, the lyrics certainly are not just nonsensical "moaning." Rich with imagery of time, color, and place, the songs on landmark start to become quite vibrant, showing the band's keen erudition in lyric writing. IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME.     In the middle of the "easy going" record, Hippo Campus shares a somber moment on the track " monsoon ," which sounds a bit like it could fit in in the middle of Death Cab for Cutie 's Plans .  Rather than a...