The Airborne Toxic Event is an alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, United States in 2006. The band consists of Mikel Jollett (vocals, guitar), Steven Chen (guitar, keyboards), Anna Bulbrook (viola, keyboards), Noah Harmon (bass) and Daren Taylor (drums). The band is best known for their single "Sometime Around Midnight", which was a hit in the U.K. as well on American alternative radio in 2008 and 2009.
Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
SONG: (A) Letter to Georgia BAND: The Airborne Toxic Event Q/C/C: email me: [email protected]
Probably the prettiest song by this band to date. Absolutely heartwrenching.
NOTE: this is based on one particular live version. It is “Live at Birmingham Academy,” in the UK on the 7th of November 2009. It was played during a set that is available for download in its entirety (like an hour and a half long track) on the Airborne website. I have seen this song performed live, and it was played slightly differently, and most youtube clips I have seen all play it differently as well. Most versions I’ve seen he uses a capo (sometimes 3, sometimes 4...); sometimes he plays D G A, sometimes G C D. I guess we won’t know the official version until the studio version comes out, but this version, the one I’ve downloaded from their website, is the prettiest version I’ve heard, so I’d suggest everyone grab a copy of it.
If you have a different version somehow and you really like THAT version and it sounds slightly different, then try messing around with a capo, or if worst comes to worst replace the chords below with the following: D -> G, G -> C, A -> D, and move the capo around again.
LAST NOTE: The way I hear it (for this version; no capo, standard tuning), he (Mikel) avoids the top e string a lot, emphasizing instead the unchanging note D on the B string (3rd fret), like the tremolo. Sometimes he does play the e string, and sometimes, instead of the D chord he plays Bm. It’s too hard to tell, and at this point it’s too irregular, to put the Bm’s in this tab, so I’m just going to put D’s in and if you want to throw in the occasional Bm go for it.
Song starts off with Anna’s (viola) tremolo on note D (8th fret, high e-string). Eventually, when Steven (guitar) begins mimicking, he tremolo’s in a similar pattern. It’s pretty much (top e string): 8 8 8 10 (in same time as chords below, trem each). Sometimes they go up to 12, and one or both of them might add a second note via the B string.
Intro: (after lead-in trem from Anna) DGDA x4
D How can I explain to you G The picture of this avenue? D The rain falls on the street outside A My window on this Thursday afternoon D I sit alone inside G These sinful walls I've lived inside D So many lies I’ve lived and died A None so much as the one I’ve lived with you. DG I see you on the highway (G) A thousand miles away D Rain falls through your hair and cheeks A Tears and mascara streaks D Your face reflected in the glass G Lines in the pavement go past D Just like the lines around your eyes A That held the weight of all these sad goodbyes
Interlude: DGDA x 4 (I think the last time is Bm G D A...)
D Everybody that I know G Tell me just to let it go D You run from everything, they say A Hurt the ones you love blindly D But here I sit and picture you G With fingers worn, your shirt torn through D Your heart's so big and broke in two A Your mind drifting through all you knew D Afraid to love, afraid to lose G Afraid to start, afraid to choose D Afraid to live, afraid to die A Afraid to let you days slip by D Afraid you’ll change or stay the same G Afraid we’ll lose ourselves again DA Afraid of the truth that love
D Could cause you so much pain
(D) GD
A I know D I felt it, too GD I know, I know A Darlin, I wish it wasn't true.