Death Cab for Cutie to Revisit “Transatlanticism” (with Demos) for 10th Anniversary

Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard has been quite busy in the catalogue world lately, overseeing reissues of his band’s early albums on vinyl as well as a 10th anniversary expansion of his acclaimed side project The Postal Service’s sole album. This October, he’s looking back again to the 10th anniversary of what might be Death Cab’s greatest album, Transatlanticism.

The band’s fourth and final album for Barsuk Records, Transatlanticism – written solely by Gibbard and produced by fellow Death Cab member Chris Walla – received unanimous acclaim when released in 2003. Critics and audiences alike took well to its more expansive and open production over past Death Cab albums (Gibbard himself deemed it “more like a proper album” than previous efforts) and intimate, relatable lyrics on songs like “The Sound of Settling” and “Title and Registration.” Bolstered by the album’s success (including a gold certification for over 500,000 units shipped), Death Cab would subsequently sign to Atlantic Records, where they continue to record (2011’s Codes and Keys being their most recent LP).

Barsuk will release Transatlanticism on double vinyl, with a new gatefold sleeve design and a full-color 12-page booklet. The package will also include, as a bonus MP3 download, a compilation of demo versions of all 11 tracks from the album; The Transatlanticism Demos will also be available as a separate digital album, too.

These packages will be available on October 29; right now, pre-orders are available at Barsuk’s official site. The full track list, and a stream of the demo version of “Lightness,” are below.

Transatlanticism: 10th Anniversary Edition (originally released as Barsuk BARK32, 2003 – reissued Barsuk BARK32LP10, 2013)

1. The New Year
2. Lightness
3. Title and Registration
4. Expo ’86
5. The Sound of Settling
6. Tiny Vessels
7. Transatlanticism
8. Passenger Seat
9. Death of An Interior Decorator
10. We Looked Like Giants
11. A Lack of Color
12. The New Year (Demo)
13. Lightness (Demo)
14. Title and Registration (Demo)
15. Expo ’86 (Demo)
16. The Sound of Settling (Demo)
17. Tiny Vessels (Demo)
18. Transatlanticism (Demo)
19. Passenger Seat (Demo)
20. Death of An Interior Decorator (Demo)
21. We Looked Like Giants (Demo)
22. A Lack of Color (Demo)

Vinyl Watch: Black Sabbath, Death Cab Box Up Remastered LPs on Wax

There are only two weeks left until Christmas, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of interesting catalogue projects around the way. Two recently-released vinyl boxes pack up a good chunk of two very diverse discographies for your perusal, with boxes for rock legends Black Sabbath and indie darlings Death Cab for Cutie available now.

The import-only Album Box Set by Black Sabbath, released today by Sanctuary Records, features all of the band’s albums for Vertigo/Warner Bros. with Ozzy Osbourne as frontman. (That’s Black Sabbath and Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), Volume 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976)and Never Say Die! (1978), as well as 1980’s Live at Last…) Not merely content to present the original albums remastered on vinyl and replicated down to the last insert and sleeve, Sanctuary has also thrown in a copy of the band’s first single, “Evil Woman,” backed by non-LP B-side “Wicked World,” as well as a hardbound book replicating all of the band’s tour programs from that era. Order this box through Amazon U.S. or Amazon U.K. now.

Also available to order online only is a box set devoted to the early works of Washington alt-rock band Death Cab for Cutie. The Barsuk Years chronicles everything the band put out for the independent Seattle label before signing with major label Atlantic, as well as the band’s first release, the cassette-only demo You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997). That album, in its vinyl debut, is exclusive to the box, along with exclusive vinyl editions of the Forbidden Love and Stability EPs from 2000 and 2002. Proper albums Something About Airplanes (1998), We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes (2000), The Photo Album (2001) and breakthrough disc Transatlanticism (2003). All but that final disc have been newly remastered by Roger Seibel at SAE to maintain a sonic quality consistent with that final disc. Limited to 1,500 signed, numbered boxes, The Barsuk Years is available here through the Artist in Residence imprint.