Posts Tagged: Ben Gibbard


10
Mar 09

Death Cab Readying New EP

Death Cab Readying New EP headline shorties

As a big fan of Narrow Stairs, I can’t wait to hear four more songs that Gibbard and friends cooked up in the recording process. From Nick Harmer, a description:

“When we finished Narrow Stairs, there were four extra songs that, because we were trying to put together an album, we ended up not including them — it’s not like they’re castoffs or anything; they’re part of the Narrow Stairs experience … They needed to have a proper home, and the EP is it. There’s going to be four songs on it, plus the original version of ‘Talking Bird’ that features Ben singing and playing the ukulele. It’ll be out this year, I think. And then, you know, back to the grind again.”

While the “Talking Bird” altered version doesn’t interest me too much, the rest does. I’m pretty pumped, and glad that a band like Death cab has found a way to keep their songs fresh for so long. (Thanks to Stereogum)


14
Feb 09

pmaCAST #7: The “Valentine’s Day 2009″ Episode

pmaCAST #7: The Valentines Day 2009 Episode mp3

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! You know I had to join in on the cheese and pull this week’s pmaCAST early with a Valentine’s Day-themed episode!  Hopefully some of you enjoy it enough to listen to it with someone special tonight. Just maybe.

Because I assume that 99.9% of the movie-going population will be watching some sort of chick flick (I’m not ashamed to admit that I liked He’s Just No That Into You, and will probably watch Confessions of a Shopoholic tonight), I wanted to structure this playlist like 99.9% of the chick flicks out there. So I’ve come up with a story that I hope would play out well in songs. Or maybe you want to see this as a hopeful soundtrack to some V-Day movie coming out in 2010. Either way, here it is…

Download pmaCAST #7 – 35MB | Subscribe via iTunes or RSS

Continue reading →


8
Feb 09

pmaCAST #6: The “F*** My Life” Episode

pmaCAST #6: The F*** My Life Episode mp3

REMINDER:: WATCH THE GRAMMYS TONIGHT ON CBS 8PM ET/PT!

Have you ever tried counting how many times you say “Fuck My Life” out loud? No? You should. The results may shock you. I stopped counting after my tally hit 13. Maybe I’m just a big whiner, but a couple of days ago I created this playlist on my iPod to de-stress myself. It features some great tunes that have always made me happy and don’t remind me of anything negative — good vibes all around. It worked out pretty well.

So when Saturday night came around, I was stumped trying to come up with a theme/tracklist for today’s pmaCAST. Then I had an epiphany: I am not the only guy in the world who needs some de-stressing. My stress is nothing compared to people with real problems! So why should I lock this playlist up in the sweet confines of my iPod? I love you guys too much to do that.

There’s really nothing much to say about this week’s pmaCAST, other than it is meant to be really feel good-y. I start it up with my FAVORITE song of the moment, Feist and Ben Gibbard’s “Train Song.” I follow it up with Little Jackie’s “The World Should Revolve Around Me” and Lenka’s “The Show,” two of my favorite songs out on Top 40 radio. Then comes the Mae Shi with their Christian Bale tribute “R U Professional” — if this song doesn’t make you smile, you’re retarded. Up next are the Veronicas with their brutally stoic and heartless piece of pop majesty, “Untouched.” The next three songs are by artists you should really keep an eye on from now on: The Whitest Boy Alive, Passion Pit, and Ted & Francis. Following them is a club remix (though it doesn’t really sound like it) of Hercules & Love Affair’s “Blind” — one of 2008’s most beautifully sad anthems.

I threw in “Walking On A Dream” by Empire of the Sun (another band you should keep an eye on) right before Lily Allen’s “Fuck You,” off her new album, It’s Not Me, It’s You. This song is trill. Like super trill. I close up the podcast with a new Timid Tiger song. I know some of you are really feeling their stuff, and I’m glad. “Gadget Girls” is another song that will be featured on Timid Tiger’s new EP that will be released here pretty soon, more info on that later, I promise.

So that’s the rundown of what’s playing on this week’s pmaCAST. So tell me, what did/do you need de-stressing on? PS: Check this site out, good for a few lolz

pmaCAST #6 Tracklisting
Feist & Ben Gibbard – Train Song
Little Jackie – The World Should Revolve Around Me
Lenka – The Show
The Mae Shi – R U Professional (Christian Bale Tribute)
The Veronicas – Untouched
The Whitest Boy Alive – Keep A Secret
Passion Pit – Smile Upon Me
Ted & Francis – All Ways
Hercules and Love Affair – Blind (Hercules Club Remix)
Empire of the Sun – Walking On A Dream
Lily Allen – Fuck You
Timid Tiger – Gadget Girls

Download pmaCAST #6 – 43MB | Subscribe via iTunes or RSS Continue reading →


5
Feb 09

Feist – Train Song (w/Ben Gibbard), Service Bell (w/Grizzly Bear)

Feist   Train Song (w/Ben Gibbard), Service Bell (w/Grizzly Bear) listen

Feist recently lent her voice for Dark Was The Night, a great cause raising awareness and money for HIV/Aids. She appeared on two of the 31 songs that span the 2 discs that make up the compilation.

The first song Feist appears in, “Train Song” features vocals from Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service vocalist Ben Gibbard. You know how I love boy-girl songs, and I can’t picture a more perfect vocal coupling than Feist and Ben Gibbard. Well maybe Gibbard’s real-life fiance Zooey Deschanel — but I’ll leave my dreams for the dreamers.

Someone must have told Feist  how much I love boy-girl songs, because later in the compilation, she the mic with Grizzly Bear, in the haunting and beautiful “Service Bell.” A lot of the wettest of my indie music dreams were fulfilled just now. Seriously.

I suggest you preview the songs below, then make sure to preorder the album, it’s out 2/17.  Continue reading →


1
Apr 08

Ben Gibbard is kind of funny!

Death Cab For Cutie lead vocalist Ben Gibbard made a funny today, announcing a new side project called Just Jazzin.

Ben Gibbard is kind of funny! music

From the myspace…

Just Jazzin’ is a new project by Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. Born out of an interest in exploring music free from rules and convention, Just Jazzin’ offers the world a chance to see another side of Ben.

“….there’s this side of me and my music that desires a lack of structure and Just Jazzin’ does that for me because I am allowed to just play whatever note comes into my head”, says Ben.

Check out this funny April Fools gag, complete with video documentary and song on Just Jazzin’s MySpace!

Death Cab’s new album, Narrow Stairs, comes out on May 13th. Listen to their looong new single, “I Will Possess Your Heart,” at their MySpace.

If you’ve never listened to them, I recommend that you do!