Death Cab for Cutie

Combining sensitive songwriting, memorable melodies, and the rich, wistful vocal tone of bandleader Ben Gibbard, Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie quickly rose from a low-key solo project to become one of the definitive indie groups of the 2000s and 2010s. Then based in the bayside college town of Bellingham, Washington, Gibbard had a minor breakthrough in 1997 with his debut cassette, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, prompting him to put together a band that included the cassette's producer, Chris Walla. After marrying grungy rock and bittersweet indie pop for nearly a decad...