Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Band vs. Band #11: Death Cab for Cutie vs. The Shins

Still relatively new on the radar, these two bands have gone from independent label obscurity (avid fan-followings notwithstanding) to indie label superstars (as far as indie label superstars go). But which do you like best?

Death Cab for Cutie
(Probably most famous for the tune "Soul Meets Body" off of their most recent album, Plans. Experienced an initial surge in popularity after their 2003 release, Transatlanticism. Listen to snippets of these albums by clicking on the album titles and making use of Amazon's free song samples.)

or

The Shins
(Arguably pushed into the limelight by their dual song appearance on the Garden State soundtrack. As such, they are probably best known for "Caring is Creepy" and "New Slang." They recently released the album Wincing the Night Away, which has received decent critical and commercial success. Listen to snippets of these albums by clicking on the album titles and making use of Amazon's free song samples.)

Don't let Zach Braff be the only one to share his opinion -- cast your vote now!

Benny K says...

I'm tempted to say I'm more likely to listen to The Shins. Overall, I think they're a bit more upbeat than Death Cab, which means the latter band is often reserved for moments of relative calm and/or melancholia. But, if you compare my enjoyment of Death Cab when I'm really in the mood for Death Cab, and my enjoyment of The Shins when I'm really in the mood for The Shins, I think Death Cab takes the cake. All things considered, Death Cab for Cutie is a notch above and must garner my vote.

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

Gasp. Too glad to see you back...can't think. I'll be back later!

Jennifer said...

I've caught my breath. The Shins for me. They're a big deal in piping hot New Mexico, my old town. Plus the addition to Garden State was fly. Plus, The Shins have the coolest website ever. Seriously, have you seen the flow going on over there.

BTW Sarah's excited to hear that the game is on... (she's mid-travel) so don't end it until she gets to a computer.

Sarah said...

DCFC wins. I like the Shins, but only a handful of their songs. I've seen DCFC in concert and they've really grown on me over the years...I used to hate them! Of course, the Garden State Shin tunes are wonderful.