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Posted by:
12/24/06
happy holidays y'all,
man, it feels good to be back in the pacific northwest! we just wrapped up 15 months of touring the world on 'Plans' and i couldn't be happier to settle in, stay in one place and write some songs for the next album(s). true, we've got short days and shitty weather in the winter, but the amazing coffee (cafe ladro, goddamn!) and warm bars never fails to carry me through to the spring...
my friend jay hipped me to emitt rhodes a couple years ago and i've found myself listening to his eponymous 1970 debut at least once a week since then. he fronted a band called the Merry-Go-Round in the mid-sixties and upon their break-up recorded this album, playing all the instruments himself. the result was an absolutely flawless McCartney-esque pop record which unfortunately failed to make a dent with the record buying public. hey made 3 albums after this by my count, but this one stands above them all. check it out, kids!
until next time,
ben
i'd hit it
sounds like a good'un, i'll have to take a little trip to Amoeba...well enjoy the break, it's certainly well deserved, the shows here in the bay were great as i'm sure the rest were. Next time I want an Avril Lavigne cover though!
enjoy the winter
I think Emitt's "Face on the Floor" would be the perfect song for a Hollywood "Roadhouse"-type fight scene. :)
And I had to look nearly four years till I found a copy of Rhodes' "Farewell to Paradise" hiding in a dusty bin at Bop Street Records in Seattle.
The gatefold features some of the most bitter, angst-ridden liner notes ever written. Worth the buck or two in themselves.
I'll drink to being home for the holidays!
rhodes' debut is one of my all-time favorites. good call on posting them! "lullabye" is one of those tracks that just gets to me...i play it to my friends and they always ask who the guy is. well, happy holidays ben. hope you have a good one.
-chris
indiechristoph.blogspot.com
sounds nice. I should check it out.
oh, and what I would give to be in the Pacific Northwest right now.
Cheers.
:)
happy holidays to you as well!
Unfortunally im not home in boston with the family, but at least i have the southern cali san diego sun :)
xodanielle
agreed with the yearn to be on the northwest coast. actually, i think my dad listens to Mr. Emitt. if i'm not mistaking, he sings "you take the dark out of the night" it sort of depresses me, yet makes me feel relaxed and at ease. congrats on a WONDERFUL tour!!! i saw you in Chicago in April and would have KILLED to see you at Lollapalooza, but saw you at 2005's, so no biggie!!! You rock and have a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!
cant wait for the next album!
Merry Christmas, Ben!
Glad to hear you're writing again, I can't wait for a new Postal Service album!
Merry Christmas, Mr. Gibbard!
The tour was awesome. I got to see you guys in Louisville, KY.
I'm glad you're back home and writing. I can't wait to hear the new stuff!
Enjoy your well deserved break!
Merry Christmas, Ben! I'm glad you can settle down for the holidays and take a break from touring. It must be insanely nice to sit down at a nice cafe and write some songs for the next album. I can't wait to hear them and I wish you all the best!
xo
Cynthia
i love artists who play all the instruments themselves. it shows they are really enthusiastic about what they are doing
kudos on the top artist being XTC . they are pretty sweet, to say the least.
happy christmahannakwanzikah.
Nice read as usual! Thank you and happy holidays!
P.S. 15 months of touring the world but Istanbul? Eh, impressive! :(
"write some songs for the next album(s)."
yeah, your xmas' gift to me.
Hey, when Ben Gibbard recommends an album, I go and find it. Its kinda like when Jesus said "Go, and find me some butterscotch" and the disciples didn't hesitate. They were like "Whats up fellas, the J-Man wants some dang butterscotch. We better get it or maybe he won't save mankind from their sins!"
Okay so maybe Jesus didn't say specifically butterscotch. But I'm sure it was something like that. Might have been a fish or bread... but you get the point. Happy Holidays, ya freak!
And by freak I mean musical genius.
I'll be sure to check it out -- and I'm kinda glad to hear that now's about the time you'll be settling down to write some new tunes. I always sort of dug the tunes of yours where you can feel the winter season creeping in between the eighth notes, lyrically or otherwise.
Merry Christmas, happy Festivus, and a joyous New Year to you!
merry christmas indeed, i got "directions" from my parents.
it was love at first view.
Merry Christmas Mr. Gibbard,
My friend and i saw you twice in Atlanta during your 15 month tour and both shows were amazing. I am psyched to hear you are writing new stuff for Death Cab and Postal. It will be amazing to hear both!
Happy Holidays and enjoy your rest you definatel deserved it!
Hi Ben! Im glad your back in Seattle and get to rest a little! Yeah, the weather really is shitty here but I love it. So, were you guys on tour during that huge wind storm? I think so oh man it was huge branches were everywhere and totally dented my sisters dads car! Not too bad of a dent though. So, happy christmas Ben, haha i comment on your myspace like everyday, though you probably never read it, alot of people comment. So, i went to your last show, since i had been dying to for months and it was just so close! Ben, I really do love that you guys my favorite band live in the same city as me, local is good. Hahah well anyways yeaah ill check out that record your saying is so great =D.
Leave me a comment eh? hahah yeah right.
xo
Sierra
And a Merry Christmas to you! I shall check him out. Cheers.
Hope it was great.
emmit rhodes, right on. so good coffee and warm bars are the key to getting through the shitty north coastal winters...hmmmm, I that applies to the northwest as well!
merry christmas, sir.
wow now im craving cafe ladro. they make insaine good coffee, especially the one on cap hill with cool walls. not so much the one in issaquah.
its awesome that you're back in seattle! i'm from seattle too! your concert on the 9th was awesome! i can't wait for your next album you're an amazing songwriter. I'll have to check out Rhodes, sounds good! my sister's good friend's dad works with your dad! small world...
Excellent Post! Emmit Rhodes. COOL ! Like another Todd Rundgren, playing all the Instruments by himself. Now that's True talent. Glad to see this kind of post.
fragrant joe,
frostbit toe,
contemplating friend or foe.
master mind,
retna blind,
suffocating one might find.
ghostly cold,
season fold,
bifuricating paths of old.
brainwaves tethered,
feelings weathered,
memories adorned and feathered.
-Boz of SLC
I shall be sure to check it out.
And good luck with those new albums, I can't wait.
Oh, almost forget: Merry Christmas Ben, and have a Happy New Year as well. Tell Chris I said hi.
You sir are Amazing!
I saw you at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC...
I was front row, and it was single handedly the best day of my life.
I remember you said it was the first time you'd been to SC in 7 years, so I'm glad you enjoyed it this time around, and come back soon....
after you're done with a new Death Cab album and Postal Service album...
I need some stuff to add to my ipod.
Happy New Year! Mr. Ben Gibbard.
sincerely,
Nick....Gannon....not Harmer..hmmm.
cafe ladro is incredible. when i'm in seattle, it's a must :) thanks for the update and have a fabulous new year!
-dkg-
Doesn't he have a song on _The Royal Tenenbaums_ soundtrack?
The song "Summer Skin" from PLANS speaks to me loudly. A fantastic piece.
It is a must that one sets the repeat option to "on". Leave it there.
Just leave it for a while.
he looks like Jared Leto
this is random, but i was reading something in my spanish book for homework and all of a sudden its talking about this "Popul Vuh" and i remebered that i saw something that you were listening to Popul Vuh. That was just weird. The name has something to do with Mayans? hah.
I never dreamed I'd see someone tipping Emmitt Rhodes. His albums were such secret pleasures when they came out. If you like these, check out the first three Michael Nesmith albums. They atmospherically fit together like two sides of a coin.