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Month: August 2023

Ben Gibbard Profiled in the NY Times

The Postal Service
Jason Tate

The New York Times sits down with Ben Gibbard to talk about Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service:

I felt very self-conscious. I was already dealing with the weight of expectations on “Transatlanticism.” My ability to write both of those albums concurrently was predicated by a year-ish long break Death Cab took from touring. We had almost broken up, and we had a meeting where we decided to take some time away. During that break, there wasn’t nearly the same sense of expectation to the songs I was writing. Yes, there were fans of Death Cab who I’m sure were anticipating a new record, but in 2001 and 2002, the band still felt very small. But by the time that “Give Up” was out and had gone gold, and we’re touring “Transatlanticism” with Pearl Jam — we literally signed with Atlantic Records backstage at a Pearl Jam show — I was feeling a ton of pressure from my main gig.

Eventually Jimmy and I had a conversation where we were like, “Hey, this isn’t happening, is it?” He was the perfect partner. Jimmy is the most easygoing dude in the world. If I had made “Give Up”with someone who was a little more success-oriented, or career-oriented, it would’ve gone very poorly.

Hayley Williams Is Seeing Red

Hayley Williams
Jason Tate

Los Angeles Magazine talked with Hayley Williams:

“It feels like a crazy victory lap and she’s not even close to the end of her career,” Williams says of the stadium trek. “It’s just so historic to be a part of it. Both [Taylor and I] started really young and we’ve grown up alongside our fan bases, and that makes both of our stories really unique in a way that we get to come together from two different sides of the industry. Paramore isn’t quite mainstream, but people know our band, and we’ve had a really lucky, long career thus far. For both of us to be feeling like we’re in our prime now in our early thirties, career-wise, that’s just so special, and we don’t take it for granted. I’m so grateful that all these years later, we’ve stayed connected.”

Williams’ favorite Swift era? “Speak Now — since it came out it’s been my favorite Taylor record ever,” she enthuses. “The fact that I got to be on Taylor’s version of a vault track [“Castles Crumbling”] was just like kismet. I really got to know her when she was writing that record and I was so enamored. … She is the epitome of a songwriter, you know, just someone that will stop in the middle of your conversation and say, I have to write this down, or I have to record this. I was so in love with how passionate and present she always was.”

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Review: Blessthefall – Hollow Bodies

Adam Grundy

The fourth studio album from metalcore band, Blessthefall, called Hollow Bodies was produced by Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria) and showcased a band moving their sound closer to a blend between metal and electronica. Having listened to it again with fresh ears, albeit ten years later, the record still holds up. The sound is reminiscent of the electronica found on early Underoath albums, paired with the slick guitar hooks of Escape the Fate, and the metal-tinged leanings of Bullet For My Valentine. It all works out surprisingly well, and features the same lineup as their third album, Awakening, for the first time in consecutive records for the band. The set was released via Fearless Records and would spawn two singles, “You Wear A Crown But You’re No King” and “Deja Vu,” and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums charts. While Blessthefall wear their influences clearly on their sleeves, the product that comes out of it still feels unique and ambitious.

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Jack Antonoff Signs Management and Joint Venture With Jamie Oborne

Jason Tate

Jem Aswad, writing at Variety:

Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff has announced an extensive new partnership with Dirty Hit Records founder Jamie Oborne, alongside a new exclusive agreement with leading global publisher Universal Music Publishing Group.

The multifaceted deal will see Antonoff and his band Bleachers being managed by Oborne, with Antonoff and Oborne also launching a new joint venture; in addition, Antonoff’s band Bleachers have signed with Dirty Hit, Oborne’s independent label, which is also home to the 1975, Rina Sawayama, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and others.

As their first release on Dirty Hit, Bleachers will release a new album, “Live At Radio City Music Hall,” this Friday (Aug. 25). Recorded in July of 2022 during their headlining show at the iconic venue, the 21-track live album features a special guest appearance from Bruce Springsteen on “Chinatown.”

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