Seattlest: In Other Political Protest News, Death Cab Hates Auto-Tune

carney

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:52:24 -0800

So when is everyone going to start talking shit about bon iver then? He used it on his album, and the new EP.

TroyJMorris

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:58:02 -0800

I'm on a boat.

Audrey

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:52:17 -0800

If you'd like a brief primer on auto-tune, check out the Sasha Frere-Jones' piece here: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/06/09/080609crmu_music_frerejones?printable=true Auto-tune is a pitch corrector, but it's also used as a vocal effect. Critics (like Death Cab) don't like that the sound is robotic and fake, not to mention that it's everywhere in pop music lately (T-Pain is a major perpetrator on his own songs, and those that he produces). Kanye's last album was entirely auto-tune, Lil Wayne is all about auto-tune, Cher and Madonna have used it, even SNL's Andy Samberg's joke band has been using it. This is just a case of hyper-saturation leading to backlash.

jdavin

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:41:42 -0800

For those not in the know, can you explain what the controversy behind auto-tune is? Your link to t-pain.net doesn't really explain it for me... from looking on wikipedia I see that auto-tune is some technology for correcting pitch in recordings. But why does Death Cab care about that? If they don't want to use it, then fine; it doesn't really affect them if other artists use it.

partyfernandez

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:21:23 -0800

now, i'm not a death cab fan, but i actually think this is pretty rad. SO many horseshit musicians (many in the 'R&B' and newly invented 'rappers that try singing' genres) are using this, and it's kind of awesome that they're getting called on it.

Jeremy M. Barker

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:45:40 -0800

Ahem. I don't care how many times you repeat "Guinevere" over and over again; that's not sensitive, that's just crap.

MvB

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:29:54 -0800

We're all mad at the Zooey thing, Troy. And *some of us* like DCFC just fine. Because we're sensitive!

TroyJMorris

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:52:49 -0800

Fair enough. I'm still mad at the Zooey thing.

Audrey

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:42:10 -0800

When they start not sucking, I will start not ragging on them.

TroyJMorris

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:38:51 -0800

This site is a no-fly zone for DCFC. Those boys can do no good in this blog's eyes.