Ben Gibbard Calls the Next Postal Service LP "The Chinese Democracy of Indie Rock"

As Death Cab For Cutie celebrate the release of their second major-label LP, Narrow Stairs, this week, frontman Ben Gibbard cautions fans of his other project, Postal Service, not to hold their breath for a new album from the glitchy electro-pop duo anytime soon. Though beatmaker Jimmy Tamborello recently sent him five new demos to work on, Gibbard says that between Narrow Stairs and Tamborello's various projects — DNTEL, Figurine — the pair hasn't had time to focus on making the follow-up to 2003's Give Up. "The second Postal Service album is threatening to become the Chinese Democracy of indie rock," Gibbard tells Rolling Stone. "It will come out eventually, or maybe it won't."

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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