http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/7074/the_meaning_of_life



From USA Today's PopCandy: From USA Today's PopCandy:

'Paste' sends Gibbard into the wild 'Paste' sends Gibbard into the wild

Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard adorns the new issue of Paste magazine, but the cover story isn't what one might expect: Paste sent the musician into the woods to reflect on the meaning of life, and he pens an essay inspired by Jack Kerouac.

"At some point I thought that, as I got older, I’d come to terms with a lot of things," Gibbard writes. "I’d solve some big problems, and eventually I’d become content. It’s almost more depressing to think that the older you get, the more your problems multiply. When I’m old, I’d like to wake up in the morning and not really do anything -- just be happy to exist. I’d like to look at my accomplishments and sit back and revel in my own achievement. But I don’t think that’ll ever happen."

The entire piece is online, so take a look -- it gets a little more optimistic than that, though not by much! The Kerouac connection arises because Gibbard happens to stay in the iconic author's cabin in Big Sur, Calif.

Death Cab's new album, Narrow Stairs, releases May 13.

"We were terrible when we first started playing. Our shows were so fucking boring."

I dunno! If I could go back in time and watch one of their first shows it would blow my mind!

I also thought this part was rather poignant-

"As you go through your life, you make friendships, you break friendships, you have relationships. Music is the one thing I’ve always been able to rely on. So why wouldn’t it be the most important thing in my life?"

check it.

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3152610

Ben is an amazing writer.

I read the article and I don't know what to think of it. I love the insight it gives us on Ben though. He seems nostalgic but appreciative. I love the tone.

I have to be honest and say that I did not like this article.

I would not refer to myself as someone that thinks "Ben has sold out" or whatnot, but I think his overall outlook throughout this article is that he does not back on the Airplanes eta favorably. I guess it just feels like he was writing off the older fans when he started talking about how Airplanes was not necessarily a good record. Honestly I think he wrote better songs back in the day. It was the songs' cryptic nature that I liked the most. I have by no means been there since day one, but I think that era is especially significant for them as a collective band.

I thought the parallel he drew from his own life to the life described from the transition of On The Road to Big Sur was especially interesting, however. Ben is still A O.K. in my book.

quote:

Originally posted by Guitar Enthusiast:
I would not refer to myself as someone that thinks "Ben has sold out" or whatnot, but I think his overall outlook throughout this article is that he does not back on the Airplanes eta favorably. I guess it just feels like he was writing off the older fans when he started talking about how Airplanes was not necessarily a good record.

I think you're probably reading too much into this. That attitude is a standard among nearly every band that I listen to - they always hate their early material. They always view it as immature, trying too hard, and generally of poor quality. Members of the band Depeche Mode (my favorite band) slag off one of my top five tracks as the worst of their career. It's no biggie, no slight against the fans that like it, they just don't like the song.

He's older, he's not the same guy he was when he was 22 years old so it's no surprise that he views life and his music differently.

What a fucking liar, everyone knows he goes on these boards under the name Introversion.

quote:

Originally posted by interface:

quote:

Originally posted by Guitar Enthusiast:
I would not refer to myself as someone that thinks "Ben has sold out" or whatnot, but I think his overall outlook throughout this article is that he does not back on the Airplanes eta favorably. I guess it just feels like he was writing off the older fans when he started talking about how Airplanes was not necessarily a good record.

I think you're probably reading too much into this. That attitude is a standard among nearly every band that I listen to - they always hate their early material. They always view it as immature, trying too hard, and generally of poor quality. Members of the band Depeche Mode (my favorite band) slag off one of my top five tracks as the worst of their career. It's no biggie, no slight against the fans that like it, they just don't like the song.

He's older, he's not the same guy he was when he was 22 years old so it's no surprise that he views life and his music differently.

He also emphasized how he found it odd that some people sort of insist that Airplanes is their greatest piece of work, as Death Cab were very young and unexperienced when they made it and all feel like they have made a lot of progress since then. It must be odd as an artist to see people react like that.

I hated the article, it changed how i see Ben i was kind of hurt. Like he says the songs dont really have meaning to him, not like they used to. Also that its not really coming from his experience. Further he insults people who see themselves as an individual.

quote:

Further he insults people who see themselves as an individual.

Does this mean that I shouldn't wear FUBU anymore?

i find it kind of funny that ben not being sonically in line with material he wrote so long ago upsets people on a forum where plans is slagged off all the time.

quote:

Originally posted by Hemingway:

quote:

Further he insults people who see themselves as an individual.

Does this mean that I shouldn't wear FUBU anymore?

hahahahahahha

quote:

Originally posted by Walla405:
I hated the article, it changed how i see Ben i was kind of hurt. Like he says the songs dont really have meaning to him, not like they used to. Also that its not really coming from his experience. Further he insults people who see themselves as an individual.

you can't be upset with him saying that at all...

because he is 100% correct. people can always say that they are this true individual, but in all reality, there are always going to be people who admire what you are doing and try to be like you, etc. etc.
also the bit about writing songs that aren't directly related to him? i mean seriously... you can only write so much about yourself and still keep a level of selflessness... clearly he has always found other things to write about and as we have seen from the recent concert videos that the new tracks still have the magic that ben has.

Yea, i guess i over reacted, still the article changed how i think of Ben. I get that liking cool things for the sake of being cool is stupid. But theres nothing wrong with liking bands like death cab and decemberists in a world where everyone likes angels and airwaves.

yeh but he kinda mentions that sorta musically snobby types don't dig death cab (pitchfork for example). hes not dissing people that like death cab.