New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) - Atlantic recording group Death Cab for Cutie has unveiled a new video for their song, "Little Bribes," which is featured on their recent EP, "THE OPEN DOOR." The inventive clip was directed by director/cinematographer Ross Ching and can be viewed at http://web.mac.com/atlanticcontent/iWeb/DCFC/BLURS.html.
A longtime DCFC fan, Ching's interest in time-lapse photography was spurred by the "Brothers On A Hotel Bed" video from "DIRECTIONS," the DVD companion volume to 2005's Grammy Award-nominated, RIAA platinum-certified label debut, "PLANS." Thus inspired, the San Diego State University film school graduate created the "Little Bribes" clip on his own, which he then posted on his personal website under the heading, "Looking For A Job." When the members of Death Cab saw Ching's work, they immediately decided to release "Little Bribes" as the track's official video.
As if that weren't enough, Ching has since been hired by Atlantic Records to helm a future video project for the label.
Death Cab has long supported the work of new and aspiring filmmakers. Most recently, the animated companion video for "Grapevine Fires," one of the stand-out tracks on 2008's RIAA platinum certified "NARROW STAIRS," was honored as the year's "Best Music Video" by the Los Angeles Film Festival. Directed by Walter Robot, a.k.a. the team of multimedia artist Bill Barminski and writer Christopher Louie, the award-winning clip can be seen online at the band's own www.deathcabforcutie.com/medias.
Death Cab is currently poised to take off on their eagerly awaited summer tour, slated to hit the road this Friday, July 3rd with a warm up show at San Diego's Belly Up Tavern (see below itinerary). On Sunday, July 5th, DCFC will headline a very special sold-out concert at Los Angeles' esteemed Hollywood Bowl, performing a number of songs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the baton of legendary arranger/composer/conductor David Campbell (Beck, Metallica, Green Day). The tour will then travel on sans orchestra, culminating with a pair of homecoming shows July 18th and 19th at Marymoor Park, located just outside of Seattle in Redmond, Washington. Support acts on the summer run include Tegan & Sara, Andrew Bird, the New Pornographers, Ra Ra Riot and Matt Costa.
In other news, Death Cab will be performing on the Monday, July 6th installment of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (check local listings). Later that same week, PBS will air DCFC's installment of the venerable live performance series, "Soundstage." The program's debut broadcast is stated for Thursday, July 9th (check local listings).
Released this past March, "THE OPEN DOOR" features four previously unreleased songs recorded by Death Cab during the sessions which yielded last year's RIAA gold-certified, Grammy Award-nominated "NARROW STAIRS." In addition to "Little Bribes," which in just under three weeks has skyrocketed into the Top 15 at Triple A radio, the EP includes a demo version of "Talking Bird" - found on "NARROW STAIRS" - which sees the band's Ben Gibbard accompanying his own vocals with ukulele. All five songs on "THE OPEN DOOR" were written by Gibbard, except "My Mirror Speaks," written by Gibbard and bassist Nick Harmer. The EP was produced by guitarist/keyboardist Chris Walla, except "Talking Bird (Demo)," produced by Gibbard.
"THE OPEN DOOR" received a wide array of critical acclaim upon its initial release. Rolling Stone awarded the EP three-and-a-half stars, praising "Little Bribes" as "a return to the jaunty guitar rock of 'THE PHOTO ALBUM,'" while further noting that the EP "(makes) it abundantly clear that - 12 years into his band's career - (Gibbard is) nowhere close to running out of things to be sad about." "'THE OPEN DOOR' is full of fresh air, wide spaces and rollicking melodies," raved Paste, singling out "Little Bribes" for "(throwing) the doors wide with Chris Walla's blues-fueled licks that alternatively melt into reverb and dance off in detailed frets." "It's a testament to Death Cab for Cutie's continuing creative peak that even the band's leftovers still sound pretty great," observed The Onion A.V. Club, declaring the EP to be "a worthy addition to a solid catalog."
Death Cab for Cutie is: Ben Gibbard: guitars, keyboards, vocals * Chris Walla: guitars, keyboards * Nick Harmer: bass * Jason McGerr: drums.
For up-to-the-minute news and tour information, please visit www.deathcabforcutie.com.
(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)
Death Cab for Cutie
On Tour 2009
JULY
3 San Diego, CA Belly Up Tavern
5 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl (w/Los Angeles Philharmonic)
11 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre
12 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
13 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
14 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
16 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
17 Troutdale, OR Edgefield Amphitheatre
18 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park
19 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park
7/3 w/Matt Costa * 7/5 w/Tegan & Sara, The New Pornographers * 7/12 w/Ra Ra Riot
7/11, 13, & 14 w/Andrew Bird, Ra Ra Riot * 7/16-19 w/The New Pornographers, Ra Ra Riot
