Source Tags & Codes

Source Tags & Codes
Studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Released	February 26, 2002
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	45:54
Label	Interscope Records
Producer	Mike McCarthy & ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Professional reviews
Allmusic link The A.V. Club (favorable) link Pitchfork Media (10.0/10) link PopMatters (favorable) link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone link Tiny Mix Tapes link
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead chronology
Relative Ways (2001) Source Tags & Codes (2002) The Secret of Elena's Tomb (2003)

Source Tags & Codes was the third full-length album and major-label debut from the hard rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Interscope Records. It was released to wide critical acclaim in early 2002 and is generally considered their finest work. The album reached #73 on the UK Album Chart.

Music videos were produced for "Another Morning Stoner" and "Relative Ways," which saw significant airplay on MTV2.

Recording and production

This section requires expansion.

After releasing two albums on indie record imprints, Trail of Dead signed a multi-release deal with Interscope Records and began recording a followup to 1999's Madonna with the same producer, Michael McCarthy.^[1][2] Their major label budget improved recording quality and allowed intricate orchestral pieces, yielding a sound texture unlike previous records.^[3]

Track listing

Personnel

• Conrad Keely performs vocals on tracks 1, 2, 5, 9, 11
• Jason Reece performs vocals on tracks 4, 6, 8
• Neil Busch performs vocals on tracks 3, 7

Critical reception

Among the most widely-read reviews of Source Tags & Codes came from Pitchfork Media, where Matt LeMay gave the album a 10 out of 10, stating:

"Source Tags & Codes will take you in, rip you to shreds, piece you together, lick your wounds clean, and send you back into the world with a concurrent sense of loss and hope. And you will never, ever be the same."^[4]

In addition, Yancey Strickler of Flak Magazine called Source Tags "an important record, a landmark"; while Nick Sylvester of Pitchfork Media later noted it was "one of indie rock's truly epic albums".^[5] Online music magazine Pitchfork placed Source Tags & Codes at number 100 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.^[6]

Cultural references

• The song 'Baudelaire' refers to the French poet, Charles Baudelaire.
• The song 'Days of Being Wild' is named after the Hong Kong film of the same name.

Notes

1. ^ "Artist Biography - ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=259564&aid=379531. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
2. ^ "New York Music - Atomic Prog - page 1". Villagevoice.com. 2002-03-05. http://www.villagevoice.com/2002-03-05/music/atomic-prog/1. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
3. ^ "Flak Magazine: Trail of Dead's Source Tags & Codes, 02.28.02". Flakmag.com. http://www.flakmag.com/music/trail.html. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
4. ^ "Source Tags and Codes | Pitchfork". Pitchforkmedia.com. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/14941/And_You_Will_Know_Us_by_the_Trail_of_Dead_Source_Tags_and_Codes. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
5. ^ "Worlds Apart | Pitchfork". Pitchforkmedia.com. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/14945/And_You_Will_Know_Us_By_the_Trail_of_Dead_Worlds_Apart. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
6. ^ Pitchfork staff (September 28, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200-151". Pitchfork. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7708-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-100-51/. Retrieved October 1, 2009. 

External links

• Trail of Dead official site
• Trail of Dead fan site