Best Ben Gibbard Podcasts (2024)

1
LTKD! Live with Ben Gibbard and Lori LeFavor 57:46

15d ago57:46

57:46

We recorded this episode with Ben Gibbard and Lori LeFavor before a live audience at Easy Street Records in West Seattle on August 1, 2024. Lori LeFavor is the most prolific all-ages concert promoter in Seattle--and perhaps the US. Starting from age 17 and over the next 30 years, Lori hosted more than 3,000 shows across the Northwest. Her home base…

1
Part 7: Believe in Kids 43:19

4M ago43:19

43:19

At the turn of the 21st century, the TDO’s days are numbered. A generational shift puts a new era within sight. The closest mayoral election in Seattle's history will decide the fate of all-ages music. But even with a win, the creative community will face new economic pressures as old Seattle gives way to modern gentrification. Listen to the offici…

1
Part 6: The Right Kind of Stupid 41:35

4M ago41:35

41:35

After 15 long years of the TDO, public opinion is shifting. Local alternative media starts covering the fight for all-ages music. Rock stars join activists in musical flash mobs to protest at city council meetings and community forums. And for the first time, a new slate of elected leaders recognizes the law's overreach. Listen to the official Let …

1
Part 5: F*ck the Laws 42:05

5M ago42:05

42:05

The TDO made it impossible for venue owners to turn a profit while hosting all-ages shows. But the law contained a few exceptions, allowing concerts at nonprofit spaces and religious institutions. Savvy promoters take full advantage. In the latter half of the 90s, two all-ages venues sent a lifeline to the all-ages community by hosting unforgettabl…

1
Part 4: Shake You Down For Sure 37:40

5M ago37:40

37:40

Seattle’s homegrown hip-hop scene is born from DJ-led dance parties put on by school-aged kids for their friends in backyards, rec halls and community centers. With the arrival of the TDO, these events draw scrutiny from Seattle police, who seem particularly intent on interfering with—and extorting—Black culture. But hip-hop finds a way to thrive, …

1
Part 3: The Best Pack of Idiots 37:04

5M ago37:04

37:04

In 1991, grunge explodes onto the world stage and Seattle is declared the coolest place on earth. Media depicts the city as a creative utopia, but in reality, the Teen Dance Ordinance is suffocating the music scene. A new city attorney embraces the law, crusading for civility on his own authoritarian terms. In response, the Seattle suburbs become a…

1
Part 2: “Kill Lou Guzzo” 41:17

5M ago41:17

41:17

Seattle police begin enforcing the TDO, and youth are fighting back. Cops aggressively shut down a show at Gorilla Gardens--considered the birthplace of grunge--leading young punks to battle with bricks and Molotov cocktails. Another punk-rock riot tears apart the Kitsap Ferry. Artists resist creatively, but kids are arrested, shows are squashed, a…

1
Part 1: City Gone Crazy 41:32

5M ago41:32

41:32

The genesis of Seattle’s Teen Dance Ordinance begins at a nightclub called the Monastery. In the early 1980s, this all-ages disco was renowned on the West Coast for cutting-edge music and all-night parties. Some experienced the Monastery as a radically inclusive refuge where queer youth find community. Others described it as a den of illicit drugs …

1
Let the Kids Dance! (Trailer) - Coming April 4, 2024 1:56

6M ago1:56

1:56

Seattle in the 90s: A tidal wave of unforgettable music roars out of the city. Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam take over global pop culture and Seattle is declared the world's coolest place to be. But here, reality is different for young people. For almost two decades, the Teen Dance Ordinance has made it illegal for anyone under 18 to attend co…

1
Andy Hull (Manchester Orchestra) - EP21 56:06

1y ago56:06

56:06

See Jimmy Eat World & Manchester Orchestra live: https://JimmyEatWorld.lnk.to/Tour GET THE MUG: https://kingsroadmerch.com/jimmy-eat-... Subscribe: https://smarturl.it/JEWSubscribe Animations and Logo: Tonianne Tartaro @tonianaro and Emily Argiro @em_argiro Credit Sequence Music: “Flying On By” by Jackson, Finn and Jim Adkins. Published by Red Pods…

1
The Sound of Where You Come From (feat. Angélica Negrón) 31:09

1+ y ago31:09

31:09

What is the sound of where you come from? Is it a particular song you remember from your childhood? Maybe it’s a collection of remembered sounds from your first home—a train that passed nearby, or the wildlife that would sing at night. Maybe it’s the first song that you ever really connected to, the one that first made you feel like you belonged. I…

1
The Listening Lounge: The Sound of Where You Come From 2:30

1+ y ago2:30

2:30

Imagine walking inside a room that was made for fans of this show. We've teamed up with the first-ever immersive podcast experience happening Feb 23-26 at Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg Brooklyn to make it happen. Flip through original vinyl and artifacts from the show, add your selects to a living playlist, and if you're lucky, run into Hanif in the …

1
This Year In Music (feat. Kelela, Sam Sanders, & Santigold) 50:32

2y ago50:32

50:32

Welcome to our first ever year end special, ‘This Year In Music with Hanif Abdurraqib.’ December is the perfect time to look back on all the incredible music that has been released over the past year: the songs that moved us to dance, and the songs that helped us endure. In this hour-long deep dive, we'll review the musical highlights of 2022 and m…

1
Future Facing Sound (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) 28:34

2y ago28:34

28:34

In Mali, where Fatoumata Diawara was raised, it is common for women to sing, but much rarer for women to play an instrument. As a result, Fatoumata—who is one of the first, if not the first woman guitarist in all of Mali—has developed a self-taught, intuitive guitar playing style that is entirely her own. “This way of playing, it's me,” says Fatoum…

1
Celebrating The Last Waltz (feat. Hrishikesh Hirway) 34:59

2y ago34:59

34:59

The night before Thanksgiving, Hanif has a special invented tradition: every year, he makes a batch of cupcakes and watches The Last Waltz—and every year, he finds new things to love about the film. Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Last Waltz is a 1978 concert film documenting the final performance of The Band. To Hanif, the movie is not just a col…

1
Growing Up and Alongside (feat. Ben Gibbard) 34:18

2y ago34:18

34:18

“Music is a time machine,” says Ben Gibbard, singer and guitarist of Death Cab for Cutie. Just a few bars of a beloved song can be transportative, an instant reminder of another time and place. “And if you've been that in someone's life, you have a responsibility to keep that material alive.” For Ben, that means continuing to honor and perform work…

1
When It’s All Gone, Something Carries On (A Tribute to Scott Hutchison) 44:24

2y ago44:24

44:24

“While I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to Earth.” Written by Scott Hutchison, the late frontman of the band Frightened Rabbit, this line has provided comfort, consolation, and inspiration to those who loved Scott’s music. A talented and witty lyricist, Scott’s songs could be devastatingly crushing or funny, visceral or resonant—sometimes all in t…

1
The Breakup Album (feat. Tegan and Sara) 30:07

2y ago30:07

30:07

Before Tegan and Sara sat down to make Crybaby, they had to navigate a series of breakups—with their label, their management, and (almost) with each other. “This is our breakup record,” says Sara Quin, “but we're not going to break up. We’re siblings. We can’t.” In the turmoil that followed, Tegan and Sara rebuilt their professional team, repaired …

1
The Wonders of Songwriting, Pt. Three (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen) 31:47

2y ago31:47

31:47

Carly Rae Jepsen is a writer’s writer. “I am very excited about the idea of writing it in all directions,” Carly says — and for the making of her latest album, The Loneliest Time, that meant writing literally hundreds of songs. On this episode of Object of Sound, Hanif and Carly Rae Jepsen talk about the unique collaborative process that went into …

1
The Wonders of Songwriting, Pt. Two (feat. Nick Hakim) 25:04

2y ago25:04

25:04

“One of the most meditative things about writing is that you kind of forget where you are,” says Nick Hakim. “If you're tapped into it, you're not really thinking about anything else.” On this episode of Object of Sound, Nick recalls the spontaneous 5:00am recordings and free writing that went into the making of his new album COMETA, out October 21…

1
The Wonders of Songwriting, Pt. One (feat. Ravyn Lenae) 29:16

2y ago29:16

29:16

“I came into my own and I was able to find my voice through my writing,” says artist Ravyn Lenae. The making of her album, HYPNOS, was a four-year-long journey of blood, sweat and tears—but the result is a meticulously crafted debut, a collection of songs on which Ravyn herself has curated every element, right down to individual snares and bass lin…

1
The One Who Digs (feat. Björk) 30:18

2y ago30:18

30:18

“It’s like digging a hole and moving into it, and listening to a lot of bass, and loving it.” So says Björk of the meaning behind the word ‘Fossora’—the title of her tenth studio album, just released today. On this episode, Hanif and Björk break Fossora down concept-by-concept, from the sextet of bass clarinets that shape the album’s grounded, soni…

1
Storytelling Through Song (feat. Danielle Ponder) 32:12

2y ago32:12

32:12

“When I'm onstage, it's the happiest I feel. It's the most in love with myself I feel,” says Danielle Ponder. “I know that’s my purpose.” On this episode of Object of Sound, Danielle and Hanif talk about how Danielle left her successful career as a public defender to follow her purpose and become a musician full time—and how Danielle sees storytell…

1
Writing For the Future (feat. Madison Cunningham) 31:35

2y ago31:35

31:35

Welcome to Season Four of Object of Sound! To kick us off, Hanif sits down with Madison Cunningham, who just released her latest album, Revealer. Hanif and Madison dig deep into the songwriting process: the vulnerability and ultimately, the surrender that is required to put a piece of yourself out into the world. Throughout the conversation, Hanif …

1
You Belong To No One (feat. Margo Price) 26:53

2+ y ago26:53

26:53

“I have lived half my life in fear of judgment,” says Margo Price. “I'm so done with it.” In the final episode of this season, recorded from the back lounge of Margo’s tour bus, Margo reveals how the experience of writing her autobiography, Maybe We’ll Make It, empowered her to let go of her fear and tell her personal story. Plus, Margo talks to Ha…

1
Homecoming (feat. PJ Morton) 28:51

2+ y ago28:51

28:51

So many coming-of-age stories focus on leaving where you’re from—but what compels someone to come back? Musician PJ Morton returned to his hometown of New Orleans in 2016, and since then, he’s established an independent record label, founded a non-profit organization, and worked to restore the home of jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden. In this episode, Han…

1
Beautiful (feat. Mavis Staples) 28:58

2+ y ago28:58

28:58

“I still have every bit of my voice,” says singer and civil rights icon Mavis Staples. “It’s still here, and I’m still here.” Throughout her career, Mavis has used her voice to uplift the truth through song, and after seventy years, she has no interest in slowing down. This year Mavis is on tour throughout the US and Europe, and on May 20th, she wi…

1
Karaoke Dreams (feat. Marianne Chan, Garvaundo Hamilton, and Raina Lee) 36:11

2+ y ago36:11

36:11

“Anyone who loves music can karaoke.” So declares Raina Lee, Karaoke Queen and author of Hit Me With Your Best Shot: The Ultimate Guide to Karaoke Domination. In celebration of National Karaoke Week, our new favorite niche holiday, we’re devoting a whole episode to karaoke. We’ll hear tips for picking the perfect song and what it takes to rule the …

1
My Anger Is My Friend (feat. Yaeji) 29:15

2+ y ago29:15

29:15

What does anger look like? In Yaeji’s case, the answer is simple: a fearsome, bedazzled hammer. At least, that’s the idea behind her forthcoming debut album. “It's a story about me and my anger,” says Yaeji. “My anger is materialized into this hammer that I befriend.” In this episode, Hanif sits down with Yaeji to talk about her songwriting process…

1
Nothing Is Easy (feat. Jack White) 28:29

2+ y ago28:29

28:29

Jack White has won twelve Grammys, founded his own label, and is regularly ranked as one of the top guitarists of all time—but, “I’ve never felt like I’ve arrived or felt satisfied,” he tells Hanif. It’s that restlessness and discomfort with success that keeps pushing Jack into new creative territory. In this episode, we talk to Jack about his two …

1
The Sounds of the Game (feat. Monica Lynch & Haley O’Shaughnessy) 30:05

2+ y ago30:05

30:05

Just in time for the final weeks of March Madness, we’re bringing two of our favorite things together – music and basketball. Hanif heads to a Cleveland Cavaliers v. Detroit Pistons game to take in the sounds courtside. Then, together with sports journalist Haley O’Shaughnessy and former Tommy Boy Records President Monica Lynch, we’ll uncover the s…

1
Transformation Through Repetition (feat L’Rain) 31:29

2+ y ago31:29

31:29

“I'm just so fascinated by the voice,” says Taja Cheek, the experimentalist and multi-instrumentalist behind L’Rain. “It feels so scary to me, but that's also what kind of draws me closer to it to try to figure it out.” It’s this fascination Taja credits with inspiring the dreamy and ethereal vocal manipulations on Fatigue, L’Rain’s second album. O…

1
Great Movie Soundtracks (feat. Wesley Morris) 36:11

2+ y ago36:11

36:11

“Soundtracks are the unsung heroes of film.” That’s the premise of this special episode of Object of Sound, recorded live at On Air Fest 2022. Hanif and New York Times critic at large Wesley Morris took to the stage in Brooklyn to talk about four of their all-time favorite Black movie soundtracks, from Do the Right Thing (1989) to Love and Basketba…

1
To Love Ourselves Well (feat. Allison Russell) 32:38

2+ y ago32:38

32:38

“The journey to self-love is not quick, or easy, or ever over,” says musician Allison Russell, whose solo album Outside Child was released to widespread acclaim last year. In this episode, Allison and Hanif sit down to talk about healing and moving towards self-love through trauma—and the rollercoaster of emotions that often comes along with that w…

1
Detroit Techno (feat. Eddie Fowlkes and Imani Mixon) 26:55

2+ y ago26:55

26:55

“For a very long time, people knew of techno as a genre, but never placed it in Detroit,” says writer and cultural producer Imani Mixon. In this episode, we’re digging deep into the origins of that Detroit techno sound. Hanif and Imani are joined by “godfather & originator” of Detroit techno himself, Eddie Fowlkes, to guide us through the evolution…

1
The Magic Trick (feat. Ibeyi) 26:54

2+ y ago26:54

26:54

Welcome back to Object of Sound. In the debut episode of our third season, we’re talking about the power of music to heal, inspire, and invite magic into our lives. “When we sing, we are deathless” says Lisa-Kaindé Diaz, one half of the duo Ibeyi describing her relationship with twin sister and collaborator, Naomi Diaz. That connection creates a sp…

1
Christmas At Home with Hanif Abdurraqib (feat. Hrishikesh Hirway and She & Him) 49:47

2+ y ago49:47

49:47

Welcome to our first ever holiday special, ‘Christmas At Home with Hanif Abdurraqib’ an hour long deep dive into the world of Christmas Music. Whether you’re flooded with warm nostalgia at the first beat of Jingle Bells, or like Hanif didn’t grow up with the holiday but are nonetheless enchanted by the aesthetics of it, this episode is for you. We’…

1
Episode 4: Can You Hear Us? The New Puget Sound 58:31

3y ago58:31

58:31

In the finale of Breaking Waves: Seattle, we look at the collapse of the scene in 1997, and how Seattle struggled to find a new musical identity. From the ashes of grunge, a new scene began to form, focused around emerging genres such as indie rock and electronic music. We wrap up the series by looking at the legacy of grunge, and examine the bands…

1
Episode 3: Overblown 59:44

3y ago59:44

59:44

On episode three of Breaking Waves: Seattle, we continue the story with Seattle as a dominant force in pop culture. The “Big Four”—Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains—were the preeminent rock acts in the world, and Seattle’s influence could be felt everywhere, in movies, TV, radio and even fashion. Everybody wanted a piece of the Em…

1
Episode 2: Here We Are Now, Entertain Us 59:09

3y ago59:09

59:09

Episode two of Breaking Waves: Seattle begins with the release of what Charles Cross has labeled “the purest statement” of the grunge movement—the seminal Temple of the Dog album, created in memory of the late Andrew Wood. At the same time, Pearl Jam was formed, Nirvana was gathering strength and Soundgarden was refining their iconic metal-influenc…

1
Episode 1: Touch Me, I’m Sick 59:42

3y ago59:42

59:42

The series premiere of Breaking Waves: Seattle begins with the untimely death of a Seattle music legend, and takes us back to the very beginnings of the grunge movement, documenting the rise of bands like The Sonics, Green River, Mother Love Bone and Soundgarden, as well as describing the community that nurtured the music in the early days. Listen …

1
Breaking Waves: Seattle Coming 10/12 3:30

3y ago3:30

3:30

Breaking Waves: Seattle is the story of the scene that defined rock in the ‘90s. The show traces the roots of grunge, and details the rise and fall of the Seattle scene. Breaking Waves: Seattle concludes with a look forward, examining the legacy of grunge and highlighting the current and emerging artists who will create Seattle’s next Breaking Wave…

1
Harvest Together (feat. Aaron Dessner) 22:07

3y ago22:07

22:07

“Collaboration—that's the easiest way to grow” says Aaron Dessner, member of the National and Big Red Machine, and a prolific collaborator with artists from Taylor Swift to Kanye West. In our final episode of Season two, we’re talking to Aaron about what it’s like to learn and experiment alongside other musicians, and how valuable that can be for b…

1
Coming Soon 1:45

3y ago1:45

1:45

Breaking Waves: Seattle is the story of the scene that defined rock in the ‘90s. The show traces the roots of grunge, and details the rise and fall of the Seattle scene. Breaking Waves: Seattle concludes with a look forward, examining the legacy of grunge and highlighting the current and emerging artists who will create Seattle’s next Breaking Wave…

1
In Praise of Aaliyah (feat. Kathy Iandoli and Kiana Fitzgerald) 36:59

3y ago36:59

36:59

It’s been 20 years since Aaliyah’s passing, and for most of those years, her music has been largely inaccessible. Kept off streaming platforms, hidden from the internet. That is, until now. With nearly all of Aaliyah’s catalog freshly released into the world, we’re celebrating by devoting our full show in praise of Aaliyah. With a deep dive into he…

1
Source Material (feat. Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine) 21:37

3y ago21:37

21:37

What do you do when you revisit a beloved movie from your childhood, only to find out it's not quite what you remember? If you’re Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine, you write a song about it. Their forthcoming album, A Beginner’s Mind, is a journey back into childhood nostalgia and perspectives, shaped by films the pair watched while recording…

1
Southern Identity (feat. Adia Victoria) 37:04

3y ago37:04

37:04

“What about the Black woman who does not care to save you?” asks Adia Victoria. “How about the Black woman who is trying to look after her own skin, because you're not looking out for her?” Adia’s forthcoming album, A Southern Gothic, is rich with these questions and the characters who ask them, moving between romanticizing the South and interrogat…

1
Screwed Up Sound (feat. Lil Keke and Brandon ‘Jinx’ Jenkins) 32:14

3y ago32:14

32:14

DJ Screw changed hip hop forever. You’ve heard his signature sound, even if you don’t know his name. On this episode, co-hosted by Mogul’s Brandon ‘Jinx’ Jenkins, we sit down with Lil Keke to talk about the warbly, slowed-down style of mixing called Chopped and Screwed born out of Houston in the ‘90s, and how this sound spilled out from car stereos…

1
Everything You Hear Belongs to You (feat. Bartees Strange) 31:18

3y ago31:18

31:18

“The way I look at music is it's all mine” says Bartees Strange. “I can do whatever I want with whatever I hear, period.” When Bartees approaches a song—whether he’s reimagining or remixing another artist, or writing for himself—he doesn’t hold back. In this episode, Hanif and Bartees talk about making their art into their career, and the journey t…

1
Ode to Joan (feat. Joan Armatrading) 23:24

3y ago23:24

23:24

“All I need to be inspired is to be alive,” says Joan Armatrading. Throughout a career spanning over 50 years, Joan credits her singular songwriting to a relentless fascination with other people: how they love and live. This week on Object of Sound, listen in as Joan and Hanif talk about the process of bringing to life everyday observations, and tr…

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