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

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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