Death Cab For Cutie, the App

Mark this one under new, but alternative band, Death Cab For Cutie now have their very own, official, iPhone/iPod touch application. I know movies, such as The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and Disney's BOLT, each have their own promotional apps, but this is the first time I've seen a band with their own.

What does the app give you? Well, according to the band's official MySpace blog:

"This application is free and features 10 full DCfC songs, the latest news, videos, tour dates and more. A few of the most unique features of this application are in the SHOWS section where the tour dates are sortable by distance from your current location and by date, there are driving directions from your current location to the concert as well as the latest concert details and ticket information."

Sounds pretty cool, and after downloading the app myself I can say it is quite neat. The ten songs are from various albums and EPs, offering a nice mix of the band's tracks; and even better, after you've selected the track you can listen to it while you browse the app's menus. One gripe however, is that unlike regular music on an iPod, once the screen goes to sleep, so does the music, but I guess that's what you have to deal with when it's free. Also on the app is a full discography, with lyrics and credits for every release by the band, helpful for those who don't want to carry the CD cases with an iPod. The only issue is that most of the other features in the app need WiFi (or a 3G signal), so without that, it doesn't have much use other than being a digital lyric book and song sampler.

Still, it's a neat idea that I'm sure other bands will employ in the future.

You can get the Death Cab For Cutie app for free from iTunes