In the Spring of 1999, Death Cab for Cutie songwriter/frontman Ben Gibbard had some time on his hands and a batch of songs running around in his head that didn't seem quite right for his band. He also had a few broken keyboards scattered about, a guitar that wouldn't stay in tune, and an old four-track home-recording machine. What resulted were two charming lo-fi releases (a five-song self-titled cd and the envelope sessions cassette tape) on the excellent Bellingham WA scene-documenting Elsinor label under the one-off moniker All-Time Quarterback.
Ten songs from those recordings are collected here along with a previously unreleased outtake and a hilarious, strangely heartwarming video. Standouts include why i cry (a lovely Magnetic Fields cover), underwater (later re-recorded by DCFC for a 2000 Sub Pop singles club 7"), and the pop gems plans get complex, sock hop, and empire state.
