Is this the Sound of Settling? A Playlist for Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel's Wedding

Playlist

It all started with radio deejays smartly arranging their sets to tell a story, educate or maximize the music's impact. Later, it was picked up by legions of amateur cassette-dubbing artists who specially tailored mixes for their friends, boyfriend or girlfriends (or that one person for whom they so deeply pined). Now, in the age of iTunes, the Playlist is the new mixtape. Paste carries on a proud tradition with this new blog.

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Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel tied the knot this past weekend after a fairly subdued nine-month engagement. It was the nuptial ceremony heard 'round the blogosphere; music-lovers of both genders tore their cardigans and hoodies from their bodies in mourning, their soulmate now wed to another.

Yeah, there something a little bit cutesy and saccharine-sweet about this pairing. As the reigning royalty of indie-dom, it's impossible to put aside the mental image of them cozied up in knit sweaters, dozing off at 8:30 p.m. with their socks on. But is this the life they've chosen, or is it, as Mr. Gibbard so heart-achingly phrased it, "the sound of settling?" Or did he finally think of something charming to say? Moreover, B-dawg, we happen to have our hands on a fairly incriminating confession, penned by you, about where your relationships rank compared to your music. Just sayin'.

But you know what? All the best to them, because they deserve to be happy, just like everyone else. When you find someone you really love, you have every reason to want to spend the rest of your days with them. So here's a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Gibbard-Deschanel. And in their honor, a playlist about falling in love, loving, being afraid of love, and loving love: