If I had to make a 36 song playlist...

This is what I'd choose:

1. Is There a Ghost - Band of Horses
2. Perfect Games - Broken West
3. Carry the Zero - Built to Spill
4. Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie
5. The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
6. Tiny Vessels - Death Cab for Cutie
7. 405 - Death Cab for Cutie
8. Scientist Studies - Death Cab for Cutie
9. Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
10. Feeling the Moment - Feeder
11. Damaged Goods - Gang of Four
12. Lately - The Helio Sequence
13. Evil - Interpol
14. The World at Large - Modest Mouse
15. Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse
16. Always Love - Nada Surf
17. Moth's Wings - Passion Pit
18. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
19. Strange Condition - Pete Yorn
20. Lisztomania - Phoenix
21. 1901 - Phoenix
22. High and Dry - Radiohead
23. Bullet Proof - Radiohead
24. Let Down - Radiohead
25. Karma Police - Radiohead
26. Lucky - Radiohead
27. Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave
28. Publish My Love - Rogue Wave
29. Love's Lost Guarantee - Rogue Wave
30. Be Kind-Remind - Rogue Wave
31. Caring is Creepy - The Shins
32. New Slang - The Shins
33. All I Want to Do - Sugarland
34. Modern World - Wolf Parade
35. Forever Young - Youth Group
36. Start Today Tomorrow - Youth Group

Death Cab

Much has changed on my iPod since I first heard Tiny Vessels--on a CD made by Liz Fuller no less--and fell in love with Death Cab. They have come out with 2 new albums, I have graduated from middle school and high school, and my music listening device has improved from my old black and white 8 GB iPod to my new 32 GB iPhone.

Recently, I've fallen in love all over again. At one time in my life I was convinced that Death Cab was the love of my life, but as I grew up and found new music my love for them slowly faded. I guess you could say I take them for granted sometimes. But no matter what happens between us, I inevitably end up listening to them again and remember exactly what drew me to them in the first place. Death Cab is more than just comfortable for me, they know me. They've been with me for years and I think I'm different for having listened to them all these years.

With every album I listen to again, I'm flooded with a new group of memories and emotions that are hard to put into words. I think that is a lot of why I always liked them--their music, as lame as it sounds, just kind of connected with me. When I hear "Coney Island" I can remember exactly how I felt at certain times in my life when I would listen to that song, I just can't remember when that was or what was going on at that point. It's weird.

As long as I've liked Death Cab I've always had an internal debate about which of their albums was my favorite. Transatlanticism is the obvious pick, what with both "The Sound of Settling" and "Tiny Vessels" it seems almost unfair. But there's also We Have the Facts, Plans, Something About Airplanes, The Photo Album...I don't know if it's really possible to choose a favorite at this point. Let the debate rage on I guess, all I know is that I really, really, REALLY like Death Cab for Cutie.