Death Cab For Cutie - Live on mtvU.com
When one thinks of MTV, what comes to mind? Crappy “reality” TV programming? How about ass-clown VJs, replays of meaningless awards shows, or commercials that try so hard to be hip? Regardless of which you choose, the one thing that NEVER comes to mind is music.
The sucktitude of MTV has been discussed so many times on the internet that there’s no possible way I could contribute anything else to the diatribe that hasn’t been said before. MTV knows they suck, but they don’t care, because the simple fact is that playing music videos makes them a ton less money than putting half-naked skanks on “Road Rules” and loading it up with a ton of commercials.
MTV tries to be hip, and actually had something going in the 90’s with MTV2 before they ruined that channel as well. (Seems like every time I turn it on there’s Steve-O wrestling with an alligator?!)
MTV’s newest venture in hip is mtvU, a channel broadcast nationwide to college campuses. Here is how they describe themselves:
mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life–from the music to
the news to student life to campus events. The channel is designed to
reflect the fast pace of students’ lifestyles, and to reach them
everywhere they hang out, whether they’re watching TV in their dorm
rooms, surfing the web, or walking across campus.With music at its heart, mtvU plays a diverse mix of music programming
ranging from hip hop to rock to punk to reggae to dance, along with a
constant focus on up-and-coming artists creating a buzz on campus. In
addition, mtvU is dedicated to giving college students all the
information they need for their hectic lives. Each hour, mtvU features
news updates from CBS News, including reports from around the world
along with the issues making headlines on campus. Plus twice an hour,
MTV News airs stories on everything from music downloading, to new
artists and bands students should keep an eye out for. Every day, mtvU
also features a variety of segments on daily campus life including
fashion, dating, sports, work study, travel, food and much more. And
each week, mtvU’s team of VJs crisscross the country visiting campuses,
meeting students, and bringing the latest music and mtvU events with
them.
Looking at their website, one will find there are a lot of videos that are worth watching, very similar to the stuff one would find on Subterranean. Unfortunately, I’m not in college anymore, and watching music on TV is pointless with a high-speed internet connection.
Death Cab For Cutie recently made it to the mtvU studios to shoot a live performance and interviews. “Plans” was one of my favorite albums of 2005 and I still listen to it at least once a week even now. The performance on mtvU is excellent, features a great setlist and is surprisingly well mixed.
Tracklist:
1. Soul Meets Body
2. Crooked Teeth
3. Someday You Will Be Loved
4. Summer Skin
5. A Movie Script Ending
6. Lightness
7. Your Heart Is an Empty Room
8. I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Download this wonderful performance here.