Ben Gibbard
Death Cab for Cutie Announce EP With Covers of TLC, R.E.M. to Support Georgia Runoff Elections
Ever wanted to hear Ben Gibbard sing “Waterfalls” by TLC for a good cause? If so, you have some weird desires, but you’re also in luck. Death Cab for Cutie has just announced The Georgia E.P., a five-song release through Bandcamp that will support Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight organization in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections. It includes covers of prominent Georgia artists like TLC, Neutral Milk Hotel, R.E.M., Vic Chesnutt, and Cat Power. “We created this exclusive e.p. of songs by some of our favorite Georgia artists for our friend Stacey Abrams and all the hard-working people at Fair Fight,” Gibbard said in a statement. “We strongly believe in the work Fair Fight has done to assure free and fair elections in Georgia and beyond and have been honored to assist them throughout the 202...
Ben Gibbard Performs Postal Service’s ‘Such Great Heights,’ Dedicates It to USPS
Finally, the collab we’ve all been waiting for: The Postal Service meets the United States Postal Service. After an outcry of support for the USPS, following accusations of the President Trump-appointed Postmaster General attempting to slow mail delivery in time for the election, another Postal Service has seen a spike in interest. This one, however, is Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello’s version of it. And Gibbard apparently figured the coincidence made him the right candidate to help out. In a recent performance for the Democratic National Convention’s #TeamJoeSings series, Gibbard played Death Cab for Cutie’s “Northern Lights” and…Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.” Before performing the latter song, Gibbard shared a story on how the band got their name. “I think more t...
Ben Gibbard Covered John Fogerty’s ‘Centerfield’ Before Mariners Opening Day
If you know anything about Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard beyond his music, you know that he’s a diehard Seattle Mariners fan. If you don’t, then have a look at how he thinks the team will do this season in our 2020 MLB preview. What does that have to do with anything? Well, Gibbard participated in the team’s 2020 virtual Opening Day ceremony because, you know, fans can’t go to games (or really anywhere) this year. As part of the event, Gibbard tackled John Fogerty’s baseball standard, “Centerfield,” by home plate, which you can see below. Unlike the boisterous original, Gibbard’s version on acoustic guitar and in a much more subdued fashion. The singer, sporting a Mariners jersey, also tweaked the words to reflect his baseball fando...
Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins Enlists Ben Gibbard, Tegan Quin for New Podcast
Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins will discuss the intricacies of songwriting with Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Tegan and Sara’s Tegan Quin, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, and more on his upcoming podcast. The Pass-Through Frequencies series launches with a Hoppus-featured episode on Aug. 6. Adkins detailed his direction for the show in a new trailer, noting his enthusiasm for creative conversation. “I’ve been writing songs with our band, Jimmy Eat World, for 26 years now,” he says in the clip. “And even after all that time, I’ve realized I am just a student. Songwriting to me is a never-ending circle of listening and responding to your inner creative voice. What’s fascinating to me is tal...
28 Musicians Predict the 2020 Baseball Season
Against all odds and the advice of many virologists, the 2020 MLB season is finally underway. Whether that’s a good idea in the midst of a pandemic is beside the point because it’s happening. Baseball is back, albeit in a much stranger fashion than anyone could have imagined when spring training began in February (which may as well have been 1923). With a 60-game season looming and a bunch of bizarre rule changes in effect (universal DH, runner starting on second base in extra innings, expanded rosters, and more playoff teams), the season is set to be the most unpredictable in years. You know who else is stoked about the season finally starting? Musicians. There’s always been a romanticism between artists and baseball that makes perfect sense. Thus, we’ve summoned a panel of baseball...
Ben Gibbard, Laura Jane Grace, El-P, Others to Help Save Stereogum With Cover Songs
Ben Gibbard, Laura Jane Grace, and El-P are among the artists contributing to a new compilation called Save Stereogum: An ‘00s Covers Comp, which, as the title implies, is a a fundraiser to help the long-beloved online publication, which went full independent earlier this year, stay up and running. The list of musicians contributing covers of songs from 2000 to 2009 is staggering: The National, Dirty Projectors, Car Seat Headrest, Soccer Mommy, Sharon Van Etten. Ty Segall, Hamilton Leithauser and Mac DeMarco among others. You can find the list all 44 contributing artists here. The choices of songs being covered will be “a surprise.” (Also, check out their amazing t-shirts for sale, which parody the Stooges, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, and others.) “We knew building a sustainable operatio...
Pearl Jam Play ‘Dance of the Clairvoyants’ in First Performance of 2020
Though they’ve been hit hard by COVID-19 on many levels, Pearl Jam played their first “show” as a band (Eddie Vedder performed solo at One World Together and at Jack Johnson’s streaming event) since the release of Gigaton. Though it took a while to get to this point, Pearl Jam performed Gigaton’s first single “Dance of the Clairvoyants” for the first time at the All in Wa COVID-19 fundraiser. Of course, the performance was recorded from their respective homes. They were the last band to perform on the night at the 1:06:29 point of the show. The song featured Stone Gossard on bass, Jeff Ament on guitar and keys and a special appearance by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who was supposed to join the band on tour this spring. Vedder’s wife and kids made...
Benjamin Gibbard Shares Recorded Version of New Single ‘Proxima B’
Today is the last day of livestream pioneer and Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard’s ongoing series of streams (at least on a frequent basis). Giving fans a bit of a thank you, Gibbard shared a new single that he recorded in quarantine. Titled “Proxima B,” the tune has already been performed during past livestreams. But the recorded version has more of an upbeat, power-pop vibe with lyrics that describe going to another world. For its B-side, Gibbard tackled Minor Threat’s “Filler.” Unlike the chaotic original, this version is a bit more tender and runs almost double of the original’s 93 seconds. “This one I wrote a while ago and I was going to have it out as a single for my solo tour this spring,” Gibbard said in a release. “It’s about a planet that was discovered deep, deep in the co...
Pearl Jam, Ben Gibbard, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews to Play Virtual Relief Concert
Seattle’s best are about to come together for something massive. And no, we’re not talking about the ’95-96 SuperSonics. Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Brandi Carlile and Macklemore are some of the biggest names behind All In WA’s newly announced virtual COVID-19 relief concert. It airs on June 10. The show — also featuring Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Allen Stone, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and others — will be streamed on Twitch via Amazon Music’s channel, as well as on local Seattle television stations KING 5 and KONG at 7 pm PST. The money raised through the broadcast will be put toward several local organizations working on youth homelessness, food security and other issues. All In WA has already raised $20 million of its $...
Ben Gibbard Performs All-Beatles Set in Latest Livestream
Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard has been offering generous livestreams to fans for a couple months now; he was one of the first to hit the ground running with this sort of thing when quarantine began. So far we’ve seen him take on his own extensive catalog, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and other greats. Tonight (May 7), he came full circle to some degree by doing a whole set of the Beatles, whose Magical Mystery Tour flick is where Death Cab got their name. Gibbard noted during the livestream that one time he shared a flight with Paul McCartney (and Keane) and had a flight attendant pass Macca a note thanking him for the band name. Other things we learn: “I’m Looking Through You” was the “hardest to sing,” John would be the Beatle “most annoying to hang out with,” Revolver is Gibbard’s favori...
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