This exchange in The AV Club’s interview with Death Cab for Cutie struck me:
AVC: You were approached by at least one label that wanted to sign Death Cab and The Postal Service as a package deal. Did you ever seriously consider that?BG: Absolutely not. That’s something we could never?to me, that was the big red flag. And, if I recall correctly, it was really only Jimmy Iovine at Interscope that was gunning to get both. He was like, “Why would I only want the one that doesn’t sell as much as the other one?” “Well, because one’s a real band, and the other one is not.” [Laughs.] That idea demeans everybody in the equation?it demeans the value of the band, saying we’re not worth it to you unless you can have this other thing, it demeans my relationship with Jimmy [Tamborello]. That puts me as, like, “I’m the star wonder kid between these two projects.” And plus, I want to keep what I have with Jimmy?which is very special to me, and very creatively satisfying?separate in every way possible from what I’m doing with Death Cab, for everybody’s sanity. There could be no worse situation than ending up on a huge conglomerate major label with two bands fighting for the same attention, and I’m?as the songwriter and voice of both?put on the fucking 50-yard line with both of them. Why would anybody think that’d be a good idea? Seriously. Jimmy Iovine should fucking know better than to think that would be a good idea.
That reminded me: what’s the Postal Service up to? Selling wallets. Probably the only thing the USPS let them license.
(Also: The interview has a nice shout-out to the Otto bar in Baltimore, where Death Cab almost broke up. Do they still have that dollar beer with the monocled logo that looks like Rich Uncle Pennybags?)
(Also also: Chris Walla is missing part of his tongue? Explain.)
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dood, natty boh is practically the official beer of baltimore. of course they still have it.
http://www.nattybohgear.com/
Ok, I remembered a monocle. I guess he just has one eye. Which…is…weirder. Is that just so people have something to talk about while they polish off 30 of them? “I heard he sold his cornea to get weiner surgery for his cat,” etc?
One night, after consuming a few, I thought the slogan on the side of the natty boh bottle said “from the lord of pleasant living” instead of “from the land…” so naturally I assumed the guy was the lord of pleasant living. That’s probably what they should start calling him.
Way to stick it to Interscope Ben. I’m sure Atlantic is all about the music.
HA!!!!!!!! Bravo Josh!! That gave me a much needed laugh today
how funny. i clicked on the comments to point out that his name is “mr. boh” after spending college in annapolis and buying cases for $4 nearly every day. fuck i miss that beer. and maryland for that matter. i even made a painting of the logo that still hangs in my living room.
omg omg omg i NEED one of those wallets. such great hights is liek the story of my LIFE
death cab for cutie is the fucking worst band to ever plague the earth
mmm….natty boh…the miller high life/PBR of BAWL-MORE
hon
Never fear, you can totally buy Death Cab and Postal Service tees at that purveyor of fine teen angst products, Hot Topic. They’re nestled on the wall of t-shirts between My Chemical Romance and Hawthorne Heights.
Man…i havent thought about Ottobar in awhile……one of the few things i miss about Baltimore…
last time I was at the Otto, one of the bands featured a guy on stage in a sleeping bag.
what a brave indie hero! He sounds like a haggard, 65-year-old Borscht-belt entertainer complaining about the time Joey Bishop insulted him.
And Postal Service is about 50 times more interesting than Death Cab.
There, can we fight now?!??!!!!
Haha i love how the person who called death cab the “worst band ever to plague the earth” posts under the name “#1 switchfoot fan”.
you can get postal service tees pretty easily (i mean, i picked one up at my local record store in australia)… but they have “this band is in no way associated with the u.s. postal service” or something printed small on the back.