Ben Gibbard had put out four well-received albums of guitar-centric indie rock with Death Cab for Cutie and was on the verge of making it five when he took a brief -- and overwhelmingly successful -- detour into the realm of ones and zeroes with the Postal Service, his electro-pop side project with producer Jimmy Tamborello (aka DNTL).

Death Cab had been slowly and steadily picking up steam, but the Postal Service delivered in a big and almost immediate way. Singles 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight' and 'We Will Become Silhouettes' were Top 5 hits on the Billboard Dance Sales chart, and the album eventually became the second Sub Pop album to go platinum. (The other was Nirvana's 'Bleach.')

Watch the Postal Service's Video for 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight'

 

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