Bellingham, WA, indie pop quartet Death Cab for Cutie began in 1997 as the solo project of singer/guitarist Ben Gibbard, who previously recorded under the name All-Time Quarterback. The underground success of the cassette You Can Play These Songs' Chords inspired Gibbard to recruit a full-time band including guitarist/organist Christopher Walla (who recorded the early DCFC sessions as well), bassist Nick Harmer, and drummer Nathan Good, and in the summer of 1998, Death Cab for Cutie issued their debut LP, Something About Airplanes, to much acclaim from indie circles. Just prior to completion of the 2000 follow-up We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, Good left the group and was replaced by drummer Michael Schorr. In fall 2000, the band released the Forbidden Love EP. A solid selection of new cuts were found on The Photo Album the next year. In 2003, Eureka Farm's Jason McGerr joined the group and the band's stunning fourth album Transatlanticism appeared in October. While touring in support of that album in spring 2004, Death Cab For Cutie recorded seven brand new tracks. The John Byrd E.P., which was named for the band's touring sound engineer John Byrd, was issued on Barsuk in March 2005. After a lengthy courtship with Barsuk, the group inked a deal with Atlantic and released their label debut, Plans, in August of 2005. It sold nearly 90,000 copies during its first week of release, entering the US album chart at number four.
© Jason Ankeny All Music Guide
1967 was a great time for music. There were many mediocre releases such as The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Jimi Hendrix' Are You Experienced?, The Doors' self-titled album, and The Velvet Underground's debut release. But underneath the creative din, lied a comedic masterpiece by a band dubbed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. At the heart of their debut album, Gorilla, appeared a song called "Death Cab for Cutie." 30 years later, four men from Bellingham, WA were there to capitalize. (Hey, it could've been worse; other song titles on the album were "Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold!" and "The Equestrian Statue.")
Originally created as a solo project, Ben Gibbard (who formerly recorded under the moniker All-Time Quarterback) recorded You Can Play These Songs' Chords with his friend/guitarist/keyboardist Chris Walla. Soon after, Gibbard recruited bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Nathan Good to round out a full-time band. From then on, Death Cab for Cutie has been anything but stagnant.
In 1999, Elsinor and Barsuk Records co-released Death Cab's first full-length album, Something About Airplanes. This album marked a departure from the pop ditties that used to grace Gibbard's songwriting; the songs were intricate and more somber than before. This album set the standard for all future Death Cab releases.
In 2000, the highly lauded We Have the Facts And We're Voting Yes was released on Barsuk. Death Cab once again placed themselves on a higher pedestal with a more engaging yet minimalist approach to songwriting, raising comparisons to Bedhead and Built to Spill. Just prior to the release of We Have the Facts, Good left the band and was soon replaced by Michael Schorr. The Forbidden Love EP was released later that year.
With two full-lengths and a solid EP under their collective belts, Death Cab had gained a bigger and stronger fan base; and their constant touring in support of these albums only strengthened their status in the indie-pop domain. 2001 saw the release of their third full-length, The Photo Album (Barsuk). With more focused songwriting and dynamic drumming, Death Cab take full advantage of the pop medium, never relying on studio tricks and experimental wankery to bring their message across.
When it comes down to it, Death Cab for Cutie is a pop band. But what separates them from the rest of the sheep is the pure emotion and genuine sincerity of each note. Their music awakens an emotional beast and evokes a feeling that only heartfelt songwriting coupled with amazing talent can produce.
© Marvin Line Sing365.com
Ben Gibbard has worked with many bands, addig his own style to each and expressing himself differently. One of his most recognized works is his project with Jimmy Tamborello called, "The Postal Service". It began when Taborello began sending CD-R's of electronic beats and instrumental electronic songs via the US Postal Service which is where the name derives from. Ben then added his own vocals and mixed it and then sent back to Tamborello for finishing touches. This started in December of 2001 and they eventually created enough songs to release their 10 song LP "Give Up" in 2003. Since then they have released "Such Geat Heights EP" and made a few songs under a different name after the US Government ordered them to change their name due to rights. The Postal Service has topped charts with their song "Such Great Heights" and their work has appeared in movies, commercials, and TV shows. They have a unique style of soft electronic melodies with steady moving beats mixed with the unique sound of Ben's artistic and truley beautiful voice.
Another band affiliated with Death Cab for Cutie is DNTEL. DNTEL is a band comprised of Jimmy Taborello as a solo project involving glitch and electronica style music forming an overall pop-electronic mix. It features singers and backup vocals from artists like Ben Gibbard, Rilo Kiley and other indie/pop vocalists making a sound much like a softer Postal Service based off of more electronic based songs with more subtle beats and overall subject of love. DNTEL's music is, to me, extremely talented and isn't recognized for the talent involved.
Kind of Like Spitting is an indie-pop band formed around their vocalist Ben Barnett. Their music features Ben Barnett's unique voice, which added to the slow, soft drum beats, the guitar picking/strumming to accompany the base line that leads you through the stories in their songs in a way that can't be described as anything but powerful. The main feature of the band is the amount of emotion that Ben puts into the vocals, with his almost crying at times voice, it fits the music perfectly. KOLS's relation to DCFC is Ben Gibbard's appearence on their latest album "Bridges Worth Burning" playing drums. KOLS has failed to make a major dent in the indie-pop scene but their music is extremely talented and a band that I enjoy greatly, I think they aren't as recognized as they should be. Their single "Passionate" can be reached on their record label "Barsuk Records" page or by clicking here.
© Mike Weinert