[Watch] The Postal Service's Audition Tapes

Have you ever been curious about the beginnings of The Postal Service? Many will know that the duo started out in a rather respectful manner, with the United States Postal Service playing a major role, but a new video on Funny or Die looks to alter the history books. The rare footage is of a series of auditions held by Sub Pop Records, with Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) and a record executive sitting through tryouts by "Weird Al" Yankovic, Aimee Mann, Moby, Duff McKagan, and more. It's not until Ben Gibbard steps up that Dntel knows he's found the right person. Check out the clip above.

The Postal Service will soon head out on tour in support of the 10th-anniversary reissue of their 2003 album Give Up, including stops at this year's Coachella and Sasquatch! festivals. As well, the reissue will include two brand new tracks from the duo, the first being "A Tattered Line of String". Stream the song here.

[News] The Postal Service Announce Tour

The Postal Service deftly recaptured the spirit of our younger selves last month when they announced their reunion, along with a tenth-anniversary reissue of their lone album Give Up. Now, Ben Gibbard and Dntel will hit the road to support the upcoming release. Starting in April, the tour will include slots on the lineups of Coachella, Primavera Sound, and the just-announced Sasquatch!. Check out their (brief) tour schedule below.

The reissue of Give Up is out on April 9th in North America.

The Postal Service 2013 Tour Dates:

04-09 Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Theatre
04-10 Davis, CA - Mondavi Center
04-12 San Luis Obispo, CA - Madonna Expo Center
04-13 Indio, CA - Coachella
04-18 Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
04-19 Las Vegas, NV - Chelsea Ballroom at the Cosmopolitan
04-20 Indio, CA - Coachella
05-18 Manchester, England - Academy 2
05-20 London, England - Brixton Academy
05-21 Paris, France - Trianon
05-23 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-14 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center

[News] The Postal Service's 'Give Up' Reissue to Include New Material, Rarities and More

As reported yesterday, The Postal Service's only release, 2003's Give Up, will get a deluxe edition reissue to mark its tenth anniversary next month. Fitting alongside the reunion of Ben Gibbard and Dntel, the reissue will include a whopping 15 bonus tracks. The best part, though, is that two of those fifteen songs will be brand new, the first being titled "Turn Around" and the second "A Tattered Line of String". For all those hoping for some new material, your prayers have been answered. Two tracks are better than none!

As for the rest of the bonus content, you'll be happy to find a slew of remixes, covers, rarities, and b-sides, including covers by The Shins and Iron & Wine. The deluxe edition reissue will be released digitally on April 8th in the UK and Europe and April 9th in North America, along with 2xCD and 3xLP editions.

Check out the full tracklisting for the Give Up Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition below.

Give Up Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition Tracklist:
Disc 1
01. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
02. Such Great Heights
03. Sleeping In
04. Nothing Better
05. Recycled Air
06. Clark Gable
07. We Will Become Silhouettes
08.This Place Is a Prison
09. Brand New Colony
10. Natural Anthem

Disc 2 (New Tracks, Rarities, B-Sides, Remixes, Cover Versions, etc.)
01. Turn Around
02. A Tattered Line of String
03. Be Still My Heart
04. There’s Never Enough Time
05. Suddenly Everything Has Changed
06. Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)
07. Grow Old With Me
08. Such Great Heights (John Tejada Remix)
09. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (DJ Downfall Persistent Beat Mix)
10. Be Still My Heart (Nobody Remix)
11. We Will Become Silhouettes (Matthew Dear Remix)
12. Nothing Better (Styrofoam Remix)
12. Recycled Air (Live on KEXP)
13. We Will Become Silhouettes (Performed by The Shins)
14. Such Great Heights (Performed by Iron and Wine)

[News] The Postal Service Reunites for Coachella, Tour, and 'Give Up' Reissue

After the original speculation laid out by Brooklyn Vegan, it seems the recent rumors circulating about The Postal Service reuniting for Coachella have proven true! The band, made up of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and Dntel, updated their website today with the above image, more or less confirming that they will join forces for the first time in a decade.

Billboard has further fueled the fire, stating that Sub Pop is readying a deluxe tenth-anniversary edition of 2003's Give Up. The reissued album will be released sometime next month, most likely aiming for the original February 19th release date of the LP. As well, Billboard reports that "[a]dditional dates and festivals are also in the works", meaning fans will (hopefully) have plenty of chances to see The Postal Service over the course of this year.

Stay tuned for more on The Postal Service's reunion.

[News] Could The Postal Service Be Reuniting for Coachella?

The Postal Service was one of those shortlived collaborations that stands out distinctly in many people's minds, a cherished memory that lives on through our digital libraries. Could it be that Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard and DNTEL are reuniting, perhaps for a performance at this year's Coachella? A post on Brooklyn Vegan suggests through title alone that a reunion is "in the works", along with a tag for Coachella. As no other information was given, all we can say is that this is pure speculation.

Gibbard has been rather dismissive of any chance of reuniting the shortlived collaboration, stating as recently as October that "[t]here are no plans to make a second record … I can’t say that enough.” He states further, "I really enjoyed doing that record with Jimmy", but "making music in computers involves a lot of mouse time … I don’t have an aesthetic for that. Keeping up on new software technology, I'm not particularly interested in that... I’m much more interested in playing music than creating it" (via Spinner).

What do you think about a Postal Service reunion? Let us know in the comments below.