Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard and electronica musician Jimmy Tamborello (also known as Dntel) decided to make music together more than a decade ago. But since Gibbard was in Seattle and Tamborello lived in Los Angeles, they shared ideas, lyrics and instrumental tracks through the mail, which, ultimately, gave them the name of their band: the Postal Service. They put out one electronica- and indie-pop-filled full-length album, Give Up (stream it below), in 2003, which included backing vocals from Jenny Lewis
and Jen Wood, and received plenty of love from critics and fans alike. But despite a successful tour in support of the album, that was pretty much it. Or was it? Thankfully, SubPop recently reissued the album with a host of bonus tracks to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. And following a much-ballyhooed appearance at this year’s Coachella, the Postal Service (above, performing “Such Great Heights” at Coachella) have hit the road. Tonight’s show with Mates of State is sold out, but you can see them—with Ra Ra Riot opening—tomorrow night at Barclays Center.
Ra Ra Riot’s third LP, Beta Love, comes out on Tuesday, 1/22, and that night the band will celebrate the release with a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg that streams live in HD on The Bowery Presents Live channel on YouTube at 10 p.m. EST. When we caught up with the band at their Brooklyn practice space to film them performing “I Shut Off” (http://tbp.im/V9bdgA), frontman Wes Miles and violinist-keyboardist-vocalist Rebecca Zeller talked about the creation of Beta Love, and how they reimagined their entire creative process to make it come to life.
Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary originally teamed up as a duo in 2007, making feel-good folk music and taking the name Ivan & Alyosha from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamzov. Since then, the band has become a quartet, and, according to NPR, their music is filled with “Beatles-esque harmonies and infectious guitar hooks.” And while they may hail from rain-soaked Seattle, their sunny California vocals shine through in this acoustic version of “Be Your Man” exclusively for The Bowery Presents Live.
