Sunday, March 10, 2013

New Album Review: Give Up by The Postal Service



Death Cab for Cutie is the success story every wanna-be Indie band wishes to achieve. After establishing a trademark sound and spinning out three consecutive hit albums, the band reached a level of fame that most bands could only hope for. But the real talent was proven when Ben Gibbard, the singer-songwriter of the group, broke away to create a new accidental hit group when Gibbard wrote and recorded some vocals for his friend Jimmy Tamborello. The result was a series of glitchy electronic music that was mix tape ready and oh-so-fabulous. The name The Postal Service came about from how the duo sent music sample back and forth to each other, which seems harmless enough, but the the United States Postal Service actually sent the band a cease and desist letter for allegedly infringing on their trademark name. What's music without a little drama, right? Proving everyone---even those affiliated with the government---can possibly get along, the band and the USPS negotiated a deal that allowed the band to keep their name in exchange for promoting the USPS. It's unfortunate that the USPS went through so much trouble since everyone emails and texts anyway, but no one asked me my opinion when all this was going down. 



So, here we are, a decade later and unlike the USPS, the band The Postal Service has an even wider fan base and is stronger than ever. In honor of Give Up's 10 year anniversary, the album will get the reissued and revamped, packaged along with a second disc of remixes, unreleased tracks, and such. But perhaps the reeeeeally exciting new is that The Postal Service will also embark on a long-anticipated reunion tour, which begins April 9. Even better news? The tour includes a stop at Coachella. I know, get excited. If your a fan of the original, compare a sample of the new and (possibly) improved album here:

XOXO

Camie