The Greatest Non Hits

Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs

• Chris & Tim • Season 4

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We have a love hate relationship with this album. We dug the music but the lyrical themes are too focused on unhealthy emotions like isolation, obsession, anxiety, mortality and fear of loss that it takes the fun out of a show likes ours, so we dunk on it a little. 

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SPEAKER_02:

So that's the album we're gonna be doing today. And we want to thank you for listening as always. Uh this is uh this is a pretty an emo kind of uh thing, and uh Tim and I are kind of like loving the music. Thinking the lyrics, maybe some of the band members are a little pretentious, but uh yeah, there's good and bad, there's there's everything in this, and so we're gonna we're gonna do what we always do, and uh we're gonna go through the songs, listen to uh everything on the album, and at the end we're gonna rank our top three uh non-hits, and uh there are a few of them on this album. Yeah, so we're looking at uh I Will Possess Your Heart, uh a few others. We'll we'll get into that uh in in a little bit. So anyway, um Yeah. It's uh I remember in 2008 I was down in Florida, and I remember hearing about them from a buddy of mine. I don't really talk too much uh anymore, but uh and he was he was just telling me about I mean I I heard the I I saw I Will Possess Your Heart in a video. And at that point in time, I was thinking, okay, these guys are this is a great song, I'm I'm digging it, even though I'm getting kind of like a so-so vibe, you know, from the lyrics. I don't know, there's something about it. I didn't know. I I liked it and I didn't like it, but nevertheless, it gave an impression. Yeah, it made an impression on me, I should say. And then of course I had the friend who had the girlfriend who he broke up with, and she's like they're having a fight over the the death cat for QD C D and it became all drama and so it just felt like a loop, you know, between their drama and the drama on the album, and it was just like so But I mean it is a good song and I know that a lot of people like it, and I we're g we're going in a little a little blind. I mean I've listened to the album once through and some of the the bigger songs you know we you know we've heard multiple times. So I'm I'm willing to give it a chance. I I I listened to it this morning, there were a couple on here, I'm not gonna say. I'm just gonna give it a clean listen, and then from there just I'm gonna I'm gonna lay right into it. So anyway. Uh what else can we say about Deathcap for Cutie? There's this narrow stairs. Um it was released on May 12, 2008. So um I guess in the UK and on May 13 in the US. Oh, so it was a day early in the UK. Anyway, um the second single was Calf. Um great, great song, I I will admit. Um I dig that one. I think I'm I'm more that that's my number one hit, followed by I Possess Your Heart is my number two hit. So um those are the two real biggies from my recollection. Um I guess it would it reached number one on Billboard 200. They I know they have uh um multiple uh Grammy nominations and awards, I believe. Um the guitarist is also the producer Chris Wallah, and he stated Narrow Stairs was very much a commitment to just crashing through the songs as we recorded them, like four people in a room. Okay, yes, alright. Alright on. Yeah, so there's uh it starts off with Bixie Bixby Canyon Bridge. It kinda gives me an image of Bill Bixby, you know. Incredible Hulk kind of a thing. I think there was a canyon or a bridge, and there was rain coming down, he was hitchhiking. So, anyway, turned into the Hulk. When nuts. Apparently, uh lead singer, uh Ben Gibbard, uh, founded the band. Um Married Zoe Day Chanel, divorced her shortly thereafter. It may have been around this time when they got married. Um we'll have to look at the dates. She was inspiring in some way of this album. She's a quirky lady, and uh everybody loves her. So we're gonna go with the first song Little Little Bixby Canyon Bridge. Think Incredible Hulk.

SPEAKER_01:

Shout out to the bikers, shout out to the runners.

SPEAKER_03:

Eventually you're right at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_02:

So this is like we're going down like a place of suicide here.

SPEAKER_03:

Barefoot in the ship. Or it's just the death creek. I grabbed some stones from underneath and waited for you to speak to me. That you had long ago disappear. Quirky girls myself, where'd the quirky girl go? That this didn't play like it did in my mind, all the way from San Francisco as I chased the end of Europe, cause I've still got miles to go and run off into the hills or whatever.

SPEAKER_05:

I want shout out to Kira.

SPEAKER_04:

I think if I keep up this way, it's hard to win. The build-up here.

SPEAKER_01:

Shout out to the Yerva Mate drinkers. Let's let's get some Yerba. Let's get some Yerba go.

SPEAKER_02:

Get some tip of the Yerba go great. Did you hear that raga? There was like a a nice little puppet cup raga.

SPEAKER_01:

It's just a dream.

SPEAKER_02:

It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Shout out to Tom Fruit. Cool kid.

SPEAKER_01:

And the deleted scene. That uh however. Shout out.

SPEAKER_05:

I felt it's my later thought thought up by some of the time.

SPEAKER_02:

I do like this.

SPEAKER_01:

Sugar ray. We done sugar ray yet. I could do without sugar ray, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Flying somewhere?

SPEAKER_01:

Are you are we flying somewhere?

SPEAKER_02:

We could you know I had it. No, I don't. What the other oh oh smashing pumpkin. This is like smashing pumpkins. This is what I'm hearing. Okay. A little bit. Okay. Yeah. Stop scared.

SPEAKER_03:

Trudge back. Your world frightens and confuses me.

SPEAKER_02:

This is frightening and confusing. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03:

As I must assume.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, this is like a song about like uh accident, they died, and it was a suicide. I didn't even pit.

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, look, good drama.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we'll just leave it at that.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, sure. Still legal in 16 states. It's happy, it's fun, it's happy fun ball.

SPEAKER_02:

Alright, alright, back to the misery. Okay, this is I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01:

This is could be one of the best intros of all indie songs. I yeah, I agree. Maybe. I I like the build up of it. I mean, this is an eight-minute song. It's a three-minute. Just buckle in and fall. I hope it makes you happy. Shout out to the runners. Shout out to the runners. We can't we can't just take it to the ledge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Sit the next couple plays out, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I like the piano.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh yeah, for the yes and no.

SPEAKER_01:

I like more piano, please.

SPEAKER_02:

I like the bass. So bass and piano. Kind of like doing banjos. Chris Wall is kind of sparsely playing guitar.

SPEAKER_01:

This is like one of my favorite bass piano show notes. I tried to play all the pieces, really. Tried to meld a yuke melt.

SPEAKER_02:

It's the uh the bizarro version of Death Cat for TD. It's like live Uber against Frumpy. Tim didn't want me to use that one. I was gonna say I was gonna say ugly. He's like, nah.

SPEAKER_01:

Alright, frumpy. Ugly the live Uber against ugly. Okay. Look at you here. There it is.

SPEAKER_02:

Show us a fossil. That's good.

SPEAKER_01:

I like I will possess your heart, but I prefer. You will loan me your uncle's love. Or whatever. I don't know. I don't know. Your uncle's love. That's a good song. But then you be honest.

SPEAKER_02:

That's gonna be that's gonna be one of the first songs.

SPEAKER_01:

We do our sustained panic guitar.

SPEAKER_02:

I can't receive much. I don't know what the absolute time is against you.

SPEAKER_01:

Come do it.

SPEAKER_03:

How I wish you could see the potential. The potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can't read just yet. You gotta spend some time to go and a cappella. You gotta spend some time with me, and I know that you'll find good drama, right? I will possess your heart. You gotta spend some You gotta spend some time with me, and I know that you'll find low. I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01:

I like how his voice adds another melody on top. It's sort of a another riff, like a guitar could play a fill, but it's his voice that's doing it. He's doing that whole uh John Choose thing. Are you talking about respect? Yeah, okay. We'll be lovers, it's cool, we'll be lovers.

SPEAKER_03:

You gotta spend some time with me. I know that you'll find low I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01:

It's very repetitive. And also if you're newly newly romanced, maybe just don't say the possess, like possess it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, this is coming off a little strong. Coming on so we don't go on a dame. I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01:

I will but hey, I'm gonna really catch you. Yeah, and it works with the lyrical sync patient song.

SPEAKER_02:

So he don't he don't possess so we dation now's heart anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a good uh inseg. This is the bridge here.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah You gotta spend some time excellent bridge there You gotta spend some time with me I know that go back to that fine manic guitar again. I will possess it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, there's a little drum little thing going on. Good drama, break, good drama, break, good drama, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

It's not me I know that you find I will possess you I know that Ben's a big runner.

SPEAKER_01:

I know Ben. Ultra marathon runner, shout out to the runners out there. Shout out to the runners to keep us keep us honest. That's right. Look both ways before you cross the street.

SPEAKER_05:

And run off into the hills or whatever. It's just key rock, Your Honor, and yes, I'm ready. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, that's a nice little now. We're getting into the get out of your cave. We're number two here. Yeah, so number three. Yeah. No sunlight. This is very Zoe D Chanel-ish.

SPEAKER_03:

When I was young, lying in the grass. No warming bath of sunlight, of sunlight, a fast open sky. Could do no harm. Like another chat rubber. Of mother's arm.

SPEAKER_01:

There was some but there's sunlight. I think it's sunlight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

That was sunlight.

SPEAKER_01:

Get on my bike to go to work. It's morning. I know. It's time to sit there for seconds. More chills appear.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, there's just something not right about this song. I try.

SPEAKER_03:

It's all we got.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's kind of depressing.

SPEAKER_03:

It's all like I do it.

SPEAKER_00:

Don't start by this time. I'm making people happy! I'm the magical man!

SPEAKER_02:

Just a if when you're in the a rock spot at the place.

SPEAKER_01:

Maybe this death really hits at that point in time. Shout out to MC. Death death tab. You'll call it Manner North. Shout out to Manor North. Shout out. Yeah. Okay, sunlight there. What's new to houseplants then? I don't know. Couple house plants in the dorm. That's not good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

No sunlight. No sunbind. No sun vibe.

SPEAKER_02:

Filtered air. Anymore. Filter water. Yeah. Shout out to the plant people, aka Tim. Yeah. Gotta get that sunlight. Okay, this is Kath. Did we establish a crate fine fires? Is it a hit? I thought it would be, but Yeah, let's put it in there. Those three. Let's take those three out. Cath crate vine.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Alright, I can get down with that. Got that established. Kath is not.

SPEAKER_02:

Kath is a this is a hit. Okay. Or not. This isn't gonna hurt. For our consideration. Alright. Bill Pittsburgh's nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Posture here. Alright. Alright. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Shoulders balls. Nice and broad. Shout out to Annapolis. Let's help it a big shoulders. Am I crying? No, I'm not crying.

SPEAKER_01:

What is this? Get the same offline. I have hot lines. I worked out. Alright.

SPEAKER_03:

It's deep. Someone else's dream. Wedding dress. Could have been all oppressed. She said you've vowed. You close the door. On so many men. Would have loved you more.

SPEAKER_01:

Yikes, wow.

SPEAKER_04:

Everybody will lie.

SPEAKER_02:

Put that pot. Put that pasture up. Put the posture back.

SPEAKER_01:

The bread. The romantic bread look like. Yeah. And if anybody fucks with you, they're fucking done. Roll up and down the church. I don't know. That's what I'm saying. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Use the church metaphors.

SPEAKER_01:

But then they have done the same as you. Don't make this deep cut song on about you. Yeah. Damn. Alright, that was that was good. That was a good one.

SPEAKER_02:

This is Talking Bird? Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh. My talking bird. Like a boy.

SPEAKER_02:

Shout out to coming out. Eddie Murphy. Coming to America again.

SPEAKER_03:

Repeat. Like your brain can keep up with your be.

SPEAKER_02:

That's pretty good.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm just a caveman. And you're a cave. No cave. So you're free to leave us. Sometimes you get confused.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm getting for claps.

SPEAKER_03:

Like very trying to give you something about this life.

SPEAKER_01:

Like Wilco vibes. Yes, yes, I agree. Wilco before Wilkes. Same time. It's hard to see.

SPEAKER_02:

Maybe the cranberries a little bit. Oh. Zombie.

SPEAKER_03:

Will you live in a house in a house? House in house. You don't realize. The window.

SPEAKER_01:

You ever seen that?

SPEAKER_03:

Open.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh. Matzo.

SPEAKER_01:

I bet some birds will probably fly in. Yeah, is it kind of like a moat? Oh yeah. It surrounds the house. Yeah, the garden. The greenhouse. They surrounded their house with glass. Oh, I see. Oh, yeah. Okay, I gotcha. It's mind-blowing. True. I don't know. Is that that's your dream? Well, you ever had a dream last year you would do that? How much glass do you need for that dream? Yeah. Nowhere near for you. A side greenhouse with glass.

SPEAKER_03:

As long as you choose to stay torture. As long as you don't fly away.

SPEAKER_05:

Like a bite.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, that was nice. Okay. This is you can do better than me.

SPEAKER_03:

We're starting to feel. We stay together out of fear of dying alone.

SPEAKER_02:

Shout to you long-term couples out there.

SPEAKER_01:

My old slipping. Get out the life alert.

SPEAKER_03:

So they hang like ghost.

SPEAKER_02:

My old clothes have been. Shout out to the aging, which is all of us really think about this true.

SPEAKER_03:

I fall in love every day. I feel like a fool. I have to face the truth. And no one could ever look at me like you do. Like I'm something. Holding on. There's times I think it's good like Christmas song.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. But something I It's got a little jingle to it. Yeah, you're right. It does.

SPEAKER_03:

But I can't do better than you.

SPEAKER_02:

It's like America. You can do bye bye, Miss American Pie. Oh wow. A little bit.

SPEAKER_03:

I can't do better than you.

SPEAKER_01:

And my soul is born in 1901. It's a glitch in the matrix.

SPEAKER_02:

This is great fine. Fires. This song is fire. Shout out to Jen Alpha.

SPEAKER_03:

Like the end of day. The end of day. The wake-up call to a ransom room sounded like an alarm of impending turnout. To warn us it's only a matter of time.

SPEAKER_00:

Before we are I'm making people happy. Before we are.

SPEAKER_05:

And run off into the hill. Whatever.

SPEAKER_01:

Shout out to Phil Hartman. Yeah, I know. Auntie Sand.

SPEAKER_02:

If I'm gonna get all over clapped about something right now. Let's make it. Yeah, I always kind of legend. Uh Harlan.

SPEAKER_01:

I went strove through a cemetery. Hollywood cemetery in Virginia without presidents. A lot of presents are very Hollywood Celebrity. The Hollywood Hollywood Cemetery. Hollywood Cemetery. I think it's called Richmond.

SPEAKER_02:

Shout out to Richmond. That's wild.

SPEAKER_01:

Gotta put that on my calendar. If you like cemeteries, that's the best. Just get lost in there. Besides New Orleans, obviously. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Which uh which presidents are buried there?

SPEAKER_03:

Probably like Van the Flame.

SPEAKER_01:

President's Circle.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, as Virginia governors, bro, Supreme Court Justice. John Tyler. Oh Tippy Canoe. Is it Tippi Canoe and Tyler too?

SPEAKER_01:

Rather big canopy commonly known as the Bird Kid.

SPEAKER_03:

Watch it all burn away.

SPEAKER_02:

James Monroe. John Tyler. Gotta check that out. Exam. Okay. Anyway, uh the song is fire.

SPEAKER_01:

Fireman.

SPEAKER_02:

Song is so goated.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Check the firemen. EMTs out there. People that deal with death sometimes. Hard jobs.

SPEAKER_03:

The firemen were in double ships with prayers for rain on their lips. And they knew it was only a matter of time.

SPEAKER_02:

See sixty five gen alpha slang words and meanings. That's a fun uh brain rot seems to come up a lot. Some brain rot going on here. We have that.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, some of this album is a little Ohio to me.

SPEAKER_03:

You look so defeated lying down in your nudes.

SPEAKER_01:

I get that. It's just a little cringy. It's expressive, it's it's a good band.

SPEAKER_03:

With a single pillow underneath your single head.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a little more electronic than you got me.

SPEAKER_03:

Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free.

SPEAKER_01:

Got a lot of good stuff from the free the free band. Yeah. The three posts.

SPEAKER_03:

More luck with this than me.

SPEAKER_01:

$20 patigonia jacket. Okay, yeah. That was 20 bucks, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, the organ isn't doing anything for this.

SPEAKER_01:

I hear it. It's kind of dreamy.

SPEAKER_03:

Other side of the mattress unboxed.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I feel yeah. I feel like I'm in bed with them right now. I just I'm not feeling it, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

That's just sick. I'm getting like office like overhead fluorescent lights right now. Huh? I kinda like that little transition there.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, the music part of it is actually. Guitar. Yeah. Sure, this isn't easy and I can appreciate the craft of this music.

SPEAKER_03:

It's like you're in some kind of hurry.

SPEAKER_01:

I'll just need to slow down.

SPEAKER_03:

Just say goodbye.

SPEAKER_01:

To say goodbye. Well, isn't that how it works? People that Irish goodbye are more happy, apparently. Because they're content. Okay. With this with our socializing. They're done. Irish goodbye. Yes. We gotta just you know. Goodbye at parties too much, that's what I'm saying. Okay. Just when you're done, you're done. Just uh Yeah. Everybody just says, oh well, hey, let's hang out another time. It's like let's just focus on like this. That's never a good idea. You know, when your breakup is falling apart. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Just the breakups. Yeah. Long division. This is about the water. Yeah, we read something about this.

SPEAKER_03:

Paper building. Echoes that remainder.

SPEAKER_01:

The remainder. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Echoes that remainder.

SPEAKER_03:

Both friends and lovers.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh.

SPEAKER_03:

Features bleeding. Together in his brain. Oh, oh, oh, oh, you just always distract.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, oh, oh.

SPEAKER_03:

But the very tension. Of an open.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, oh, oh, before main.

SPEAKER_01:

Long division. Remain.

SPEAKER_02:

It's so clever. So clever. After like three or four years, though you did you know it's like, uh yeah, I can't.

SPEAKER_01:

Actually, long division one more time. I do like this one, I think. It is a tough sort of story. Oh, oh, oh. It's a lot. It's a lot of people. It's a little more cowbell. Oh, yeah. Slightly more. Got that rocked at the end.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

More cowbell. Um order of operations. Uh get it. Uh yeah, you had that. Okay. You had that, didn't you? No, I don't I just hey just thought of it. Oh. We're going somewhere. Somewhere else.

SPEAKER_05:

Could have used a little more cowbell.

SPEAKER_01:

This is hitting uh some international vibes. Yeah. Space Odyssey vibes too.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I don't think you understand something, Dave. I don't I don't want this stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

Dave, Max. Open the open the pod main doors. Open the pod paid doors.

SPEAKER_05:

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

SPEAKER_02:

Shout out to our AI overlords. I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

SPEAKER_01:

Get the chalk out. Alright. Rice all over around your door. 010101. Should be spinning.

SPEAKER_03:

Ravine.

SPEAKER_01:

Ravine? Like a grapevine ravine? Oh. Whoa, we got a storm here? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

A storm at sea. I sung.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh no.

SPEAKER_03:

I store I would never go. You can stand in play. You can't tell who's walking away.

SPEAKER_05:

You see the grin when your ship comes in and you've got the stock market beats. The man worthwhile. The man who can smile. But his shorts aren't too tight in the seat. McQueen? No, McQueen.

SPEAKER_01:

Did he push or did he fall? That's a good question. I really like this electronic guitar staff. It's tough.

SPEAKER_02:

I agree though, here's the jamming. It's like more, it's more, it's more. Everything's laid on top. It's chaos. Oh, what happened? Oh. Oh, geez. We're right in the middle of the jammy. Let's get back. Okay, we're back on track.

SPEAKER_01:

We just went around the world once. Yeah. Time space. Yeah, we're at the speed of light. Yeah, that wasn't a technical difficulty.

SPEAKER_02:

So blown away by this. So you just wreck.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm just a kid.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh that's that's what it did.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. It just goes out. Oh, so we got We got that. That speaks to how good the song was. I I thought I was like, oh wait, we gotta let's go back. It was worth listening to it again.

SPEAKER_03:

We're not the same. Oh I'm getting a little bit clammy. Louis stayed by its side as the days turn into weight. And the eyes can't get getting there.

SPEAKER_02:

Is there anybody out there?

SPEAKER_01:

Not with this song, no, there's no one out there.

SPEAKER_03:

When we were taken by surprise when the flows and nothing was left for you and me.

SPEAKER_02:

Joey and Rachel. Joey and Rachel. What do you think for more? Like what is it? Is it more heartbreaking for him or her?

SPEAKER_01:

Same IQ. Yeah. Same but different in other ways. Yeah. There's another one in the show.

SPEAKER_02:

I knew what you meant.

SPEAKER_03:

Under me. We both truly scale me. And the eyes were scared.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't like you can do better than me. I'm just getting great. That one is a little weird. That was weird.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you so much for listening.

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Chris

Host
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Tim

Co-host