After my harsh words about Death Cab for Cutie the other day, I meant for yesterday's song to be this one, but I have a lousy memory. Although The Postal Service is not Death Cab for Cutie, they occupy the same memory for me.*

I'm always worried when this comes on in my car when there are passengers, because I hang out with the kind of people who make fun of 'emo's, people like me, but this string cover of Such Great Heights always elicits positive comments. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Gibbard (and co.) write excellent songs but then bog them down with silly/blatant songwriting that no one wants to listen to outside of a horrible break up, or while cutting themselves alone in the bathroom.

You subtract Gibbard's twee lyrics about answering machines and eye freckles and you're left with a pretty song. You go further and perform the song on strings and you have something beautiful and lovely. I never thought I'd use the word 'twee' before. Thanks a lot, Gibbard, you big asshole. (Also, screw you Gibbard, getting engaged to my--and every indie / scenester / hipster boy's--girlfriend, Zooey Deschanel.)

*That memory being that about three years ago I went through a break up that hit me a lot worse than it should have. I ended up listening to nothing but Give Up and Transatlanticism for at least a month (or three) while I lied around dramatically, full of inner turmoil and sorrow after this girlfriend of three months broke my heart forever and ruined me for all women to come in the future! Of course, it was bullshit, and I blame Ben Gibbard personally for extending the time it took me to recover by writing such wimpy-sappy bullshit.

I saw The Section Quartet play years ago, they opened for The Polyphonic Spree in Los Angeles. They came on stage and played something with Jon Brion and it was utterly sublime, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. In their set they played No One Knows and it was rad. If I remember correctly, the chicks are hot. Why are chicks playing stringed instruments always so hot? I guess it's watching their nimble fingers work the neck, while the other hand pumps the bow with fervor.

So hot.