Death Cab = Prefab
September 18th, 2005Two unfortunately named bands make eerily similar music.
Death Cab for Cutie’s new album (which has been on heavy rotation all weekend) sounds very much like selected songs from the Prefab Sprout ouvre, particularly their first, Swoon.
Heather often cites my love of Prefab as the demarcation line in our age difference. That and the Waterboys. I still hold Fisherman’s Blues up there as one of the top albums of the 80s.
However, it was I who brought The Postal Service into the house. Still, that doesn’t make up for the fact that I have, somewhere in the vault, either Journey or Loverboy on vinyl. This would be before I lived in England and learned better.
Heather gave me the Doves and I offered Catherine Wheel. She the New Pornographers and I Marumari. It’s a delicious dance, this love of music and sharing. I still think she tires of my electronic leanings; Amon Tobin, TRS-80, Shadow, Boards of Canada, Four Tet, The Dining Rooms, Aphex Twin, and others (although I did score points with u-ziq’s Royal Astronomy). We share a love for Ben Folds (I had seen him live before she had) and Soul Coughing (the most underrated band of the 90s). Music is also a dangerous addiction, worse than crack. And this is going into wanky Pitchforkmedia/indie snob territory, so I’ll stop now. o
September 21st, 2005 at 11:36 pm
Oh my holy god. I have Two Wheels Good in my car right now. I thought I was the only person in the world who remembered Prefab Sprout. Did you listen to Aztec Camera, too?
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:19 am
What a plate of shrimp! During my morning commute today I listened to the Waterboys’ version of Sweet Thing and Prefab Sprout’s Green Isaac! –This after not having listened to the latter in years. …and then I read this entry of yours!
Eerie.
BTW, I visited your wife’s site first today. I clicked the hell out of her ads, and now I’ll do the same here. Good luck with your new path.
September 22nd, 2005 at 7:59 am
Jon, my husband hates you now because I pulled out my Waterboys CD and have been listening to it non-stop. “Fisherman’s Blues” was always my favorite, followed closely by “She Is So Beautiful.” When husband and I first started dating, I played it often, pathetically hoping that he would hear it and sweep me into his arms or some weird thing like that…turns out he absolutely hates Mike Scott’s voice. Oh well.
September 22nd, 2005 at 11:58 am
I love Prefab and the Waterboys, but not so much on the Steely Dan. Er, not at all actually.
But I am listening to a cover that the Cure did of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” that I think Chuck would like. You might want to try it.
In the meantime, I’ll click away on the ads if it will help to manage your financial sanity.
September 22nd, 2005 at 1:31 pm
My husband and I also have some diverse musical tastes, but both fell totally in love with Ben Folds Five when first hearing them and seeing them in L.A. in ‘95. We catch Ben whenever he comes here, which is usually at least once a year for 2 shows. Recently, we saw him twice in L.A. and once in Vegas. Here’s a link to my comments on the first night’s show: http://jodi101.blogspot.com/2005/08/ben-folds-night-1.html There are a couple of other entries too.
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:19 pm
if you like the shadow. you’ll love this
http://www.archive.org/details/BrianUdelhofenTheShadowPercussionProject
September 24th, 2005 at 7:52 pm
I haven’t heard of Prefab but if they’re similiar to DCFC, I’ll give it a listen.
My wife has always introduced me to good music (Waits, Waterboys, Greg Brown) but we found Steely Dan together in college. During a time when everyone was sucking up The Spin Doctors and Blind Melon we thought Steely Dan was nicely subversive. I can hardly contain myself when shopping and I hear “Hey Nineteen” softly come on. Nothing like browsing linens to the lyrics “the Cuervo Gold, the fine Columbian”.
September 26th, 2005 at 12:55 pm
Ah, The Waterboys - for a few years in the mid-80s they were pretty much unstoppable, the twin-guns of “This Is The Sea” and “Fishermans Blues” igniting audiences all around the UK and, it seems, all over the world. To this very day a gig of theirs I witnessed at Hammersmith Palais (London) in 1986 remains THE live event that has never been bettered in my entire gig-going life. We Free Kings, Wire Train and The Waterboys. If not life changing, then definitley life-affirming.
And DCFC - yes, I see the Sprout connection. Do like their stuff, I too have been digging “Plans” muchly over the last few days. Got into them via “Transatlanticism”, after it was used to great effect on “Six Feet Under”.
September 26th, 2005 at 1:21 pm
I was listening to dcfc on Morning Becomes Ecelectic (www.kcrw.com) and thought they sounded just like Prefab Sprout. I appreciate the reference and agree wholheartedly. Now what about The Arcade Fire and the Fun Boy Three of it all?
September 26th, 2005 at 5:22 pm
The Waterboys. Ahhh. Thank you! Now that’s taking me back.
And I have to agree — there’s nothing quite like Ben Folds…with the possible exception of the very underrated Michael Penn.
September 26th, 2005 at 5:45 pm
Sure you know it of course but maybe others don’t The Postal Service is Death Cab’s (great) side-project.
September 27th, 2005 at 7:09 am
Mike Doughty is in the fabulous Waco Brothers side project on the Bloodshot label. Also features a number of Mekons. Nothing like Welsh socialist country music.
September 27th, 2005 at 7:14 am
OK, this is what happens when I comment before coffee. WRONG me. It’s *Alan* Doughty from Jesus Jones. They do have Mekons and also the drummer from Poi Dog Pondering (nee Graham Parker and Gang of Four) for your musical snobbing pleasure.
September 27th, 2005 at 2:20 pm
Oh, how I miss Soul Coughing! I was lucky enough to see them several times on both coasts before they broke up, and I’ve also since seen Mike Doughty play solo. Someone in the (small) crowd at that show shouted, “play Bus to Beelzebub!” Doughty held up his accoustic guitar and replied, “I appreciate your confidence in me, but I think not.” He did, however, play my favorite tune (True Dreams of Wichita) beautifully. /sigh/
September 27th, 2005 at 9:03 pm
Death Cab and Mike Doughty - two great tastes that taste great together: http://media.metroblogging.com/seattle/ref_dcfchungry2.mov