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Spring Music Guide 2003 Death Cab for Cutie Support: The Velvet Teen, the Thermals Date: March 7, 9pm. $12. Slim's, 333 11th St., San Francisco. 415.255.0333. Also: March 8, 9:30pm. $10. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.1338 Current Album: You Can Play These Songs With Chords (Barsuk, 2002) Vitals: Smart, skilled and sorrowful pop music lauded by critics and college radio Breakthrough: Something About Airplanes (Barsuk/Elsinor, 1999) Current Single: "Hindsight" (2002) Scouting Report: In an interview a few years ago, DCFC's Ben Gibbard admitted that while he appreciated fan mail, he didn't think the band had "any mainstream crossover potential." And therein lies the secret of Death Cab for Cutie's long-lasting indie cred: completely unwarranted modesty. Maybe because it hails from the atmospheric blue-collar college town of Bellingham, Wash., DCFC has managed to distill indie pop down to a potent low-key amalgam of Built to Spill vs. Elliott Smith goodness. The band's songs evoke sobbing loyalty in fans and a gratified surprise in those who expect them to sound like every other indie band. Death Cab for Cuties's latest release is a lo-fi remix of early songs (early meaning 1997-2000), some originally released on a cassette, some never before officially made public. Expect a live show where audience members know every lyric but mouth them modestly into their plastic beer cups. (TV) Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]