With new moderators begins a new generation. And a new FAQ (kind of).

Don't be afraid to tell me if I missed anything.

FAQ

Who are the band members?
Ben Gibbard – guitar, vocals, piano
Chris Walla – guitar, vocals, keyboards, producer
Nick Harmer – bass
Jason McGerr – drums
Past members include drummers Nathan Good and Michael Schorr.

Where did their name come from?
“Death Cab for Cutie” is the title of a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and is featured on the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.

When and where did they form?
The band formed in Bellingham, WA in 1997. Ben had been playing in a band called Pinwheel making bad choices with hair dye before he and Chris Walla recorded some songs that were released in cassette form on Elsinor Records in 1997. Nick Harmer and Nathan Good joined the band to record Something About Airplanes, released in ’98 when the band joined the Barsuk Records family.

How many albums have they released?
Six full-lengths (seven including You Can Play These Songs with Chords) and four EPs. See below for a full discography.

With three different drummers, who plays drums on which albums?
Ben plays drums on most of Chords, but Nathan plays a few tracks. Nathan also plays drums on Airplanes and two tracks of Facts (The Employment Pages and Company Calls Epilogue) but Ben played drums on the rest of that album. Michael Schorr played drums on The Photo Album. Jason McGerr drums on all subsequent albums.

Are there music videos? What about DVDs?
There are music videos for the following songs:
A Movie Script Ending (The Photo Album)
The New Year (Transatlanticism)
The Sound of Settling (Transatlanticism)
Title and Registration (Transatlanticism)
Soul Meets Body (Plans)
Crooked Teeth (Plans)
I Will Follow You into the Dark (Plans)
I Will Possess Your Heart (Narrow Stairs)
No Sunlight (Narrow Stairs)
Cath... (Narrow Stairs)
Grapevine Fires (Narrow Stairs)

Additionally, there is the DVD entitled Directions which serves as a companion to 2005 release Plans. The DVD features 13 videos by different directors for each of the eleven tracks on Plans plus a video for Jealousy Rides with Me and Talking Like Turnstiles. The DVD also features director’s statements for each video and plenty of other special features.

Drive Well, Sleep Carefully is a DVD documenting Death Cab on tour. It was recorded during the spring 2004 tour and features oodles of live footage and interviews with the band members as well as other special features.

What bands/side-projects are related to DCfC?
All-Time Quarterback – A solo side project of Ben Gibbard, with songs recorded on an old four-track home-recording machine. Released a 5-song self-titled CD and a cassette tape called The Envelope Sessions on Elsinor Records, both out of print, but ten of those songs can be found on a CD offered on Barsuk Records.

Martin Youth Auxiliary – Solo side project of Chris Walla. He released a cassette under this moniker on Elsinor Records in 1999 and it is long out of print, but one of them’ll pop up on Ebay once every year or two…or three.

The Postal Service – Side project of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel. They have released an album, Give Up, and several singles, which are available at various online and offline retailers and probably in your local independent record store.

The Vernacular – Side project of Chris Walla and Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger. No releases to date, but you can visit their MySpace profile here.

Also, Chris Walla finally released his long awaited solo album entitled Field Manual in February 2008 on Barsuk Records.

Any other collaborations involving Ben, Chris, Nick, or Jason?
Ben
- sang backing vocals on "See These Bones" by Nada Surf
- contributed vocals to "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" by Dntel
- sang backing vocals on "This Is The Thrilling Conversation You've Been Waiting For" by Harvey Danger
- played bass for Pedro the Lion on their 2001 tour
- played drums on "Carparts" by the Long Winters
- played drums on Kind of Like Spitting's album, Bridges Worth Burning and contributed vocals to the album's last track
- collaborated with Andrew Kenny (of American Analog-Set) on Home Volume V
- contributed vocals to "Couches in Alleys" by Styrofoam
- contributed vocals to "Handle With Care" by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
- is the original bassist for the Revolutionary Hydra (also included Chris Walla and original drummer Nathan Good)
- sang backing vocals on "Midnight Again" by Certainly, Sir
- co-wrote the score for the film Kurt Cobain: About a Son with producer Steve Fisk
- sang backing vocals on "April" by Sun Kil Moon
- lent guitar and backing vocals John Vanderslice's 2002 album, The Life and Death Of An American Fourtracker
- sang backing vocals on the Mates of State album, Re-Arrange Us
- sang backing vocals on "Saloon Song" by The Prom

Additionally, Ben collaborated with Jay Farrar of Son Volt on the soundtrack for the Jack Kerouac biopic, "One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur". The soundtrack is available on Atlantic Records.

Chris
- In addition to Death Cab, Chris has assisted in the production of the following albums:
Songs About Leaving by Carissa's Weird
The Worst You Can Do Is Harm and When I Pretend to Fall by the Long Winters (also contributed multiple instruments)
Out of the Fierce Parade by Velvet Teen
Knock Knock Knock and Make Up The Breakdown by Hot Hot Heat
Fuckin A by the Thermals
Travistan by Travis Morrison (also contributed multiple instruments)
Picaresque and The Crane Wife by the Decemberists (also contributed multiple instruments)
The Weight Is A Gift by Nada Surf
The Con by Tegan and Sara (also contributed multiple instruments).
- also contributed multiple instruments to Putting The Days to Bed by the Long Winters and Light and Sound EP by Rocky Votolato.
- owns Hall of Justice Recording (now renamed The Alberta Court), where Nirvana's Bleach was recorded

Nick
- did some percussion on All-Time Quarterback's self titled album

Jason
- an instructor at the Seattle Drum School when not playing with Death Cab
- played on half of Some Mad Hope by Matt Nathanson
- played on The New Romance by Pretty Girls Make Graves
- played on The Con by Tegan and Sara
- played on Field Manual by DCfC's own Chris Walla
- opened his own recording studio, dubbed Two Sticks Audio, in Seattle in June 2007
- worked with Propellerhead on an expansion pack for Reason 4, named "The Jason McGerr Sessions"
- played drums and sang on Bring It Back by Mates of State
- played drums on Travistan by Travis Morrison

What covers have DCfC recorded?
“Brand New Love” on the John Byrd EP is by Sebadoh
“Wait” on You Can Play These Songs… is by Secret Stars
“This Charming Man" on You Can Play These Songs... is by The Smiths
“All is Full of Love” on The Stability EP is by Björk
“The Face that Launched 1000 Shits” on Something About Airplanes is by The Revolutionary Hydra
“Dream Scream” on Late, Great Daniel Johnston (comp) is by Daniel Johnston
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on Maybe This Christmas Tree (comp) is by Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich / Phil Spector
“Earth Angel” on the Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack is by the Penguins
“World Shut Your Mouth” on the Crooked Teeth single is by Julian Cope
“Lovesong” on the Good Music for UNICEF Tsunami Relief Comp. is by the Cure
“I Wanna Be Adored” on the Yeti Two Comp. is by the Stone Roses
"Rocking Chair" on Endless Highway: Music of the Band Comp. is by The Band

Who’s that guy talking during “Amputations”?
It’s an excerpt from Glenn W. Turner’s "You Can Better Your Best."

Where can I find guitar tabs?
A Google search will bring you lots of results, but you can also get tabs for most of DCfC’s albums here: http://hometown.aol.com/outofskape/
Or you could try “The Tabs Thread” in the Sights and Sounds forum.

Will Death Cab play in my town?
Check the “shows” section of deathcabforcutie.com for a full list of upcoming shows. These guys tour a lot, so if you missed them last time they came around your area, chances are they’ll be back.

What’s the JAMC in “We Looked Like Giants”?
The JAMC stands for the Jesus and Mary Chain, a now-defunct Scottish band.

Is that Chris Walla singing on “New Candles”?
Yep, and there’s even an acoustic version of the song on his site, www.hallofjusticerecording.com.

Who is Kelly Huckabee?
He (yes, he) is a friend of the band from Bellingham.

What is Expo ’86?
Expo ’86 was a World’s Fair held in Vancouver, BC. The theme of this expo was “Transportation and Communication: World in Motion - World in Touch.”

I want to sound just like DCfC... what kind of gear do they use?

Ben
Guitars:
G&L Bluesboy (Sunburst)
G&L Bluesboy Thinline Semi-Hollow (Honey Sunburst)
G&L Bluesboy Thinline Semi-Hollow (Black)
Gibson J-45 (Black)
Gibson J-45 (Brown)

Amps:
ACME SILVERTONE Custom Head
Dr. Z 2x10 OB Cabinet

Pedals:
ZVEX Box of Rocks Distortion
Line 6 Delay Modeler
Boss Digital Reverb
Boss DD3
Boss TU-2 Tuner

Nick
Basses:
Lakland-Skyline Bob Glaub Signature (Black)
Lakland-Skyline Bob Glaub Signature (White)
Mike Lull Custom (Black)
Mike Lull Custom (White)

Amps:
Ashdown ABM 900 EVO ll
Ashdown NEO 2x15 Cabinets

Pedals:
Summit TD-100
Maxon AD999
Turbo Rat
Boss TU-2 Tuner

Chris
Guitars:
1976 Fender Starcaster
2001 Fender Telecaster '52 reissue w/ Harmonic Design pickups
2002 Gibson ES-335 w/ Seymour Duncan 1959 pickups
2005 Gretsch Malcom Young Duo Jet
2005 Rickenbacker 6 string 660

Amps:
1964 Fender Tremolux
2007 Orange Tiny Terror w/ JQ modified front end
2005 Dr. Z 2x10 Cabinets

Pedals:
Boss TU-2 Tuner
MXR Micro Amp clean boost
Fulltone Full Drive
Maxon AD999
Maxon AD80
HBE Dos Mos dual boost
Z-Vex boost pedal (feeds Tremolux only)
Radial Engineering Loopbone (for AD80 only)

Keyboards:
Clavia Nord Electro rack
Clavia Nord Electro 73
Clavia Nord Rack 2X
Korg Micro Korg

Jason
Drums (Ludwig):
Legacy Classic in Piano Black Stain
9x13 Tom
16x16 Floor Tom
14x26 Bass Drum
6.5x14 Hammered Bronze Snare

Cymbals (Paiste):
Twenty Series Cymbals
15" Hats
19" Crash
20" Crash
22" Ride

Hardware (DW):
9000 Series Pedals and Hardware

Heads (Remo):
Coated Vintage Ambassadors top
Coated Ambassadors bottom
Coated Emperor Bass Drum

Sticks (Vic Firth):
5A wood tip

Electronics (Drumkat and Akai):
DK 3.8 Z4 Sampler


DISCOGRAPHY

LPs:
Narrow Stairs (2008)
CD Atlantic Records
LP Barsuk Records
Plans (2005)
CD Atlantic Records
LP Barsuk Records
Transatlanticism (2003)
CD/SACD Barsuk Records
LP Sonic Boom Recordings
CASSETTE Skrocki Records
You Can Play These Songs with Chords (+10) (2002)
CD Barsuk Records
The Photo Album (2001)
CD/CDx2/LP Barsuk Records
We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes (2000)
CD/LP Barsuk Records
Something About Airplanes (1998)
CD Barsuk Records/Elsinor Records
LP Sonic Boom Recordings

EPs:
The Open Door EP (2009)
CD Atlantic Records
The John Byrd EP (2005)
CD Barsuk Records
Studio X Sessions (2004)
iTunes digital release
The Stability EP (2002)
CD Barsuk Records
Forbidden Love EP (2000)
CD Barsuk Records

Singles:
Cath… (2008)
CD/7” Atlantic Records
No Sunlight (2008)
CD Atlantic Records
I Will Possess Your Heart (2008)
CD/7” Atlantic Records
I Will Follow You Into the Dark (2006)
CD/7” Atlantic Records (Parts 1 & 2)
Crooked Teeth (2006)
CD/7” Atlantic Records (Parts 1 & 2)
Soul Meets Body (2005)
CD/7” Atlantic Records
The Sound of Settling (2004)
CD/7” Fierce Panda Records
The New Year (2004)
CD/7” Fierce Panda Records
We Laugh Indoors (2002)
CD/7” Fierce Panda Records
I Was A Kaleidoscope (2002)
CD/7” Fierce Panda Records
A Movie Script Ending (2002)
CD Fierce Panda Records
Death Cab for Fiver (2000)
7” Barsuk/DIW Records
Underwater! (2000)
7” SubPop Records
Prove My Hypotheses (1999)
7” Sonic Boom Records
Your Bruise (1998)
7” Elsinor Records

Other:
DCFC Fan Club single (2007)
7" DCFC Union Local #1138
iTunes Originals (2005)
iTunes digital release
You Can Play These Songs With Chords (1997)
CASSETTE Elsinor Records



Thanks to Dianna, Jake, CocktailPolitics, and Mike for their help.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: .brian,