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Honestly, this is an incredible album, but you have to be a Death Cab fan to appreciate it. Yes, this is their first demo and their B-sides. So don't complain if you buy it and aren't pleased because it's not "up to their usual quality"

But this album gives you insight into Death Cab that you aren't going to find anywhere else. So if you care about this band and actually appreciate their music in a moving sense, it's incredible. Some of the B-sides on this album are more incredible than the original songs. Also, it's amazing to hear the differences between the songs that made it onto latter recordings and those which were laid down for You Can Play These Songs With Chords.

So stop complaining. If you didn't like this album, you don't really like Death Cab. If you do, however, this is a rare treasure. Buy it, but only if you're a real fan. You know who you are.


a cute album   August 1, 2004
 9 out of 13 found this review helpful

death cab for cutie's "you can play these songs with chords" is the cutest album ever, musically speaking. all the songs are melodically hypnotic, with adorable chords that make you bob your head (or your bobblehead). all the songs are sweet and desireable. some songs, though, like "president of what" is such a reminiscent of old school rock songs, like from the beatles era. don't gasp, some of the songs (i know im stretching it here) are reminiscent of beatles tunes. others are reminiscent of 70's rock tunes. it's all very classic sounding and beautiful. some tracks could have been better, there could have been some more work done on some of the tracks, but why focus on the negative aspects. "amputations" is a cute little song you can drive to, like the end to a movie sequence. to say this album is "so relaxing" or "enjoyable" is to shortened the real quality worth of the songs as a whole. i really liked "state street residential." another fun track is "flustered/hey tomcat," it reminds me of those old school hip hop album interludes with the DJ cuts (public enemy had them, erik b. and rakim had them). overall this is a fun album for everyone. if you enjoy indie rock, soft rock, anything, this album is cool.


Death Cab album for die hard fans   July 27, 2003
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This album is a collection of rarities and b-sides and I would not reccomend it to the first time death cab buyer your best bet is to pick up the photo album the biggest plus to this album is the smiths cover of this charmning man which is done semi tastefully aside from a few lyrical miffs.


DCFC's Best Album   March 25, 2005
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

I might get a lot of negative responses from this review, but in my opinion this is the best album Death Cab has produced. It is very complete, well thought out, and each song says something. I have been a Death Cab fan for a long time, and have every single album they have produced, listened to each one countless times, and this one strikes me as their best one. Maybe this doesnt get the appreciation it deserves because not every fan has this album. Give this cd a chance and listen to each song carefully, and you will see what i'm talking about. Trust Me.


Recommended For Fans Only   February 3, 2006
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is a collection of Barsuk Record's DCFC rarities and unreleased songs. This contains some of their earliest work, before they developed their sophisticated style of indie rock. After having listened to all of their albums, this album is the "rawest". The layered production of their later work is gone, although the catchy hooks and energy of the band shines through. DCFC is one of the most unique and individual indie bands to emerge in years, and their influence of ska, and punk come through. President of What, Champagne From a Paper Cup, Pictures In An Exhibition, Amputations,and Line of Best Fit all were rerecorded for their first album Something About Airplanes. This Charming Man is a Smith's cover, my favorite songs are State Street Residential, and Army Corps of Engineers, and Song For Kelly Huckaby. At 18 songs, this is still a good listen. There is a great balance of fast and slow songs. It is interesting to see how much of a rock band DCFC was in the beginning and how they've grown.