*Clever Title Involving the Word Cover* : Ben Gibbard

Ben Gibbard at the Metro in Chicago
photo by matt arends

I hope no one will take offense at this late edition to Covers Week, which is, at least officially, now past. I mean, there’s a certain intrinsic value to following a schedule — though I have yet to personally discover just what that is in my own life — but when you have something this exceptional to share, I’m all for violating whatever schedule it is that we were on here at HTFAF.

For any of our readers who aren’t caught up, you can view this post (and listen to the accompanying mp3’s) to learn why Caleb and I are big fans of Creeper Lagoon. By sheer chance, I recently found out that Ben Gibbard is, too. He covered the opening track to Creeper’s first full length record, I Become Small and Go, at a recent show in San Francisco. With determination , I tracked down the mp3 (thank you, AJ), and Covers Week — yes, the officially over Covers Week — seemed the proper time to share it.

[mp3] Creeper Lagoon – Wonderful Love
This song represents what is, to me, the best of the late-1990s indie sound: weird tape loops and out-of-place synthesizer noises, samples of some Amazonian tribal singer, and perfectly recorded angular (thanks, Caleb) guitar during the verses.

[mp3] Ben Gibbard – Wonderful Love (Creeper Lagoon)
Same song, but forget the above description. This is just Gibbard and a handful of chords on his Gibson J-45. Not a bad rendition, and it’s interesting to hear one of Creeper’s songs stripped down to its essence. Recorded at the Fillmore in SF on May 18 of this year, during his solo tour with David Bazan and Johnathon Rice.