Who the bloody hell are the Postal Service?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Am I being really dim?

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)

No, consider yourself lucky for not knowing.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, just keep it at "the people who deliver my mail." You'll thank us in the long run.

― Vic, Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

They're a mopey electronic indie band with a member (i don't even know which one) from the mopey regular indie band death cab for cutie.

Sorry everybody for letting the cat out the mailbag.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Wooden..background info for you:

Metacritic ...The Postal Service - Give Up
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/postalservice/giveup/

overrated melodic electronic-rock types ...that were in scores of end of year 2003 polls particularly from US bloggers that like zee music on indie labels

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think they've made any kind of impact here in blighty.

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I like this thread MUCH MUCH LESS than the Postal Service.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Sunday, 25 July 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

the music/composition/production = quite good
lyrics/singing style = shudworthy

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

It's that guy from the indie band I'm not too hot on plus the electronic beats guy who never impressed me that much.

― mike h. (mike h.), Sunday, 25 July 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

They have one great song called "Such Great Heights" and the rest is kforgetable.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"Such Great Heights" gets a lot of love in pop circles. I received a mix CD from someone which had it sandwiched between Fast Food Rockers and Taylor Dayne.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Thing about Postal Service is, they sound great on paper.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

how's that? ben gibbard is dreary and dull in death cab for cutie and dntel were crap? i like figurine but these days i'm thinking it is because of the other two.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

no no no, imagine that you don't know dntel OR death cab. imagine you don't know much beyond the billboard top 100, in fact. now: "a melodic, sensitive emo guy dials down the guitars for an intimate, beat-based side project with an IDM flavor." ahh. irresistible.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

No love the TPS, but I'll second that Such Great Heights is great. Wish it had a different vocalist, maybe.

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

POSTAL SERVICE IS GENIUS. YOU ARE ALL JUST SCARED OF THEIR SUPERIOR MUSIC BECAUSE YOU ALL LIKE CELINE DION SO PASSIONATELY.

― Gilles Meloche (Gilles Meloche), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

The core tension between Tamborello's complex, almost impossibly dense production ... - Pitchfork

TPS is impossibly dense. Those one finger keyboard riffs are crowding everything else out of my mind.

― Xii (Xii), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

it seems like the ilm consensus (is there such a thing?) is that tps are dud indie fuxxtronica, but i like them. it's like they're melodramatic and forgettable at the same time. which is nice.

― tricky disco, Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

nobody has called them "blue-eyed soul" yet. I'm sad.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

it was actually "such great heights" which i liked strangely. i had only just heard dntel and liked "the dream of evan and chan" a lot. i have never heard an emo song in my life. therefore postal service = okay.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

i think a junior boys hall and oates comparison is way more apt but either way "blue eyed soul" is a pointlessly reductive cliche

― tricky disco, Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"what the bloody hell is emo?"

― tricky disco, Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"blue eyed soul" is a pointlessly reductive cliche

how about Simply Red 2K?

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

emo..
a type of rock music that is fairly popular with some US teens/ 20s people...identikit black tshirts..emotional lyrics..whiney songs about life..emphasis on songs and vocals..mid tempo rock music

Explained...What the heck *is* emo, anyway?
http://www.fourfa.com/

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 25 July 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

i was playing "such great heights" and my sister asked if it was the pet shop boys.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

If only...

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Sunday, 25 July 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

That last Dntel CD was pretty great.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Sunday, 25 July 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"a melodic, sensitive emo guy dials down the guitars for an intimate, beat-based side project with an IDM flavor"

I own that Erlend Oye album, though...

― mike h. (mike h.), Sunday, 25 July 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

i'd call it twee..not emo. not whiney enough. sure the lyrics are a bit sappy but i like it. too me its just post idm poppy newwave.

― phunktion, Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I just downloaded "Such Great heights". FUCKING HORRIBLE!

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It is quite horrible.

I like the creeping accordiony bits on This Place Is A Prison though.

― Fergal (Ferg), Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I just listen to it again, to confirm it was as horrible as I first thought. I actually quite like the intro, but the vocals! My God! They're like a much worse version of Tripping Daisy, which is very bad indeed.

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

it's not so much the vocals but the fucking wimpy pathetic lyrics that i see as the drawback to that song. it's still a guilty pleasuree for now though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I like it alright, because it's good walking music.

I don't understand why some people are getting so worked up over this album.

― Super Cub (Debito), Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:43 (twenty-one years ago)

That line, 'I hope this song will guide you.' AAAARGH! I should've listened to Johnny Fever, way upthread.

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

it sounds like that one Chicago song that starts "everybody needs a little time away/i heard her say/from each other" and has similar lyrical content too. wonder if this was done on purpose?

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a brilliant happy hardcore tune which samples that Chicago song.

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Indeed: DNTEL's Life is Full of Possibilities is pretty great. In fact, it might even qualify as really great.

― nader (nader), Sunday, 25 July 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i've been looking for that happy hardcore track for ages - who's it by and what's it called?

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 25 July 2004 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Dog - I'm afraid to say I don't know. I'll ask my mate Justin when he comes back from holiday (a week from now). You may have to remind me.

― Wooden, Sunday, 25 July 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

not since "heavy metal drummer" has there been a guiltier guilty pleasure than "such great heights"!!!

― artiste, Monday, 26 July 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

such great heights is probably the worst song on the record. so, like, whatever.

― Gilles Meloche (Gilles Meloche), Monday, 26 July 2004 03:39 (twenty-one years ago)

oh god no. the worst has gotta be that opening track with that indie girl wail smeared all over the place. it's just horrendous. i first heard it played on a college radio station and my girlfriend and i were making fun of it and then we went to a party and it was playing there too!! (the end)

― artiste, Monday, 26 July 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

People would be so much happier if they listened to me in the first place and dodged the Postal Service like the raging assfuck-inspiring plague that they are.

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

They played the entire CD last Saturday in the trendy mens section of Selfridges!

― marianna, Monday, 26 July 2004 08:31 (twenty-one years ago)

DON'T YOU GUYS WATCH THE OC???????????

― George W. ILX (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

uh... no.

what the bloody hell is the OC? Am I being really dim? Can I eat it?

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 26 July 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"The OC" is a TV show that features blatent plugs for DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE who is the indie fuq dude in TEH POSTAL SERVICE's other band.

I am afraid of the googlers that this will draw in.

― George W. ILX (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 12:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The hit around here is "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight." After enough hipster bars, I like it whether I like it or not, if you know what I mean.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 26 July 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

one of these guys was in a niftly LA band about 10 years ago called "strictly ballroom" while DJ-ing at a LA college radio station and working at a LA record store.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 17 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

He looks like one of those Conan O'Brien "if they mated" things, a cross between Paula Poundstone and Beck.

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

this forum really is just a big circle jerk of condescension.

― shut up, Monday, 26 July 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm imagining that retort sung in a twee emo voice with pedestrian electro music backing it up.

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I BANISH THEE TO CLUB BANG!

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Gygax!, who is that picture supposed to be of?

Here is the Postal Service (Gibbard on L, Tamborello on R):

http://www.seattleweekly.com/graphics/features/0334/post.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.vicandbob.net/images_jim/bang.jpg

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I can see how Gibbard's voice could be a take it or leave it kind of thing, but the music is anything but "pedestrian electro".

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not even motorist-electro, really. (Or has "electro" recently undergone the same loss-of-meaning as "emo?")

― nabiscothingy, Monday, 26 July 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Gygax!, who is that picture supposed to be of?

start here and read down:

one of these guys was in a niftly LA band about 10 years ago called "strictly ballroom" while DJ-ing at a LA college radio station and working at a LA record store.
-- gygax! (gygax0...), July 26th, 2004 8:43 AM.

Did the frontman have kickass bangs?

-- Vic Funk (doctor_funk_ph...), July 26th, 2004 9:58 AM.

he had shorter hair but this is a more recent picture:

[picture you reference]

-- gygax! (gygax0...), July 26th, 2004 10:28 AM.

the picture is of chris gunst, who is currently the lead singer/guitarist of beachwood sparks. chris and jimmy were in Strictly Ballroom (named after the bez loehrman (sp) film) with Aaron Sperske (who was in Lilys), Jimi Hay (now of TV On The Radio), and a couple other KXLU dudes. Chris sings on the DNTEL song called "Umbrella".

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

gibbards voice is the opiate of the korny indie masses.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

the percussion is so blah MOR

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

naming a band after sonic youth lyrics = massive DUD (xpost across myself to ggyax!)

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

who band named themselves after sonic youth lyrics?

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

wait, i'm crazy i could have swarm i hear "beachwood sparks" in some sonic youth song but it might just be the DXM talking

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

(Besides Eric's Trip, of course.)

(And thx, gygax!, for the explanation: I'd lost it somewhere.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Eric's Trip is so corny

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

(ot: what other bands are named after SY songs?)

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a shitty local band called Tom Violence which is even cornier than Eric's Trip.

― adam (adam), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm crazy i could have swarm i hear "beachwood sparks" in some sonic youth song

The Zombies have a song called "Beechwood Park".

― Vic Funk, Monday, 26 July 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

beachwood sparks were named after two adjacently parallel streets in burbank, california.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost: and i'm sure the zombies ref. played a part in that as well.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT SONIC YOUTH LYRIC AM I TIHNKING OF DUDES

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

well, the bassist of the beachwood sparks was in a band about 12 years ago that lee ranaldo contributed his guitar playing for a song.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

GYGAX! IS BETTER THAN ALLMUSIC

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"Rain King" from Daydream Nation?

― Tim Ellison, Monday, 26 July 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Gygax what are some roots and influences of Beachwood Sparks??

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I listened to this album today and man, I can't believe "Such Great Heights" gets so much attention when right after it is "Sleeping In," the one Postal Service song I really enjoy. It's ironic that Gibbard is called emo cuz his voice feels very sterile. That duet with Jen Wood is DEVOID of vocal emotion.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

yea, it must have been "daydream sparks"

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

http://khaaan.com/

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't that sort of the thing about emo in it's most recent incarnation? Detached, flat vocals/emotional lyrics?

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

the only 2 beachwood sparks songs you will ever need to hear:

"sweet julianne" (slsk this, kinda hard to find)
"by your side" (sade cover)

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know why I care, since I don't really like the stuff anyway, but for my own sanity: I just don't really feel like it's "emo" unless there's a second guy screaming from what sounds like the back of the room.

― nabiscothingy, Monday, 26 July 2004 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

yea, well Death Cab for Cutie is of the corny NW Sunny Day Real Estate variety

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I just don't really feel like it's "emo" unless there's a second guy screaming from what sounds like the back of the room.

hahahaha.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Does that mean Cypress Hill are emo?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

He's sort of the Oscherwitz Glatt Kosher inspector of emo.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

naming a band after sonic youth lyrics = massive DUD (xpost across myself to ggyax!)
-- Whiskeytown Littlecock (░▒▓█▌...), July 26th, 2004.

Well, there goes the name for my band The Silver Rockets!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

That's actually a good name because it is the LEAST PRETENTIOUS SONIC YOUTH SONG EVER. It sounds like the Descendents if they liked NOISE.

― Whiskeytown Littlecock (ex machina), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't that sort of the thing about emo in it's most recent incarnation? Detached, flat vocals/emotional lyrics?

http://hipsterdetritus.blogspot.com/conor1.jpg

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

(and haha I got that from PATRIN's site!)

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

eight years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIJaQhVoMZg

― Bee OK, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 02:46 (twelve years ago)

http://www.subpop.com/channel/blog/the_postal_services_give_up_turns_ten_gets_reissued_w_new_tracks.html
apparently they sold out barclays. 18K. Didn't think they had it in them.

― it was very clear that it's a sarcastic song (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:50 (twelve years ago)

and now we know why this track wasn't released back in the day...

― bish (bosch), don't kill my vibe (rennavate), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:34 (twelve years ago)

i could be wrong, but a postal service gig seems like the most boring thing ever.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:41 (twelve years ago)

I dunno if I'd feel the same about old Postal Service, which I liked then but haven't listened to since I knew shit about electronic music, but the vocals and the production on that track seem to really jar until the guitar comes in.

― hot young stalin (Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 20:45 (twelve years ago)

Didn't their album go platinum a little while ago. Can see these guys selling out big halls.

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 22:03 (twelve years ago)

fuck these clowns

― :C (crüt), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 22:05 (twelve years ago)

three months pass...

So, my friend won free tickets to see these guys so we went last night. It was better than I expected. They sounded pretty good, and had a serious light show and stage set that really helped (though a few times the whole thing got rather strobtastic which can sometimes trigger my migraines. I lucked out this time). However, they kind of went dubstep on the beat with crushing bass and a few actual breakdowns that were rather disconcerting. The new song was horrible. My friend and I were definitely some of the oldest people there, as the crowd was at least 90% between 26-32, and we had neither skinny jeans nor novelty facial hair to help us blend in.

Ra Ra Riot opened and though they sounded fine they have negative stage presence. Would probably be good in a club but not theater ready at this point.

Wouldn't pay to see either band, but for free it was decent.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 4 June 2013 16:05 (twelve years ago)

I liked Give Up when it came out but never really listened to it that much a year or two after it came out. I recently put it on and was surprised at how dated it sounded. Couldn't tell if it was the production or just the weirdness of not having heard it in so long.

― Murder in the Rue McClanahan (jaymc), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 16:14 (twelve years ago)

vox on that album are the primary dealbreaker for me

― christmas candy bar (al leong), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 17:29 (twelve years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.