Sub Pop Records Is Really Happy That The Postal Service Album Went Platinum

I supposed it's a big deal when a record label sells a million copies of something...particularly in this era!

But for Sub Pop Records-who's last platinum record came with Nirvana's Bleach-they got all sentimental when the Postal Service's Give Up release went Platinum last month. Good for them.

For me, this record is permanently embedded in the soundtrack to my divorce, "Such Great Heights" a cruel reminder of the lows that a person can face.

The announcement also reminds me that there were a million of others like me, wallowing in this spotty electronic album that permanently altered by perception of Ben Gibbard and Death Cab For Cutie.

Like they give a shit! There was 999,999 in back of me to make Give Up such a success.

Here's Sub Pop's Press Release:


"We at Seattle’s Sub Pop Records feel a profound sense of self-satisfaction in announcing that The Postal Service's universally acclaimed 2003 album, Give Up, is now a certified platinum record. It is only our second ever; please forgive us for the excitement. Released on February 9, 2003, the landmark album, led by the single "Such Great Heights,” peaked at #114 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and has sold 1,067, 087 copies in the US to date. After Nirvana’s Bleach, Give Up is the second-biggest selling album in Sub Pop’s 24-year history.

The Postal Service is a long-distance collaboration between Ben Gibbard (singer/guitarist from Death Cab for Cutie) and Jimmy Tamborello (who also records under the names James Figurine and Dntel). Ben and Jimmy sent music back and forth, between California and Washington, each adding new elements until the record was complete. The result is a sweetly charming, largely electronic album with warmth not typically associated with the clicks-and-beeps set. As an added bonus, additional vocals on the record were provided by Jen Wood and Jenny Lewis.

Give Up, which Entertainment Weekly called a "near-perfect" album, is the first and only full-length by The Postal Service. And the album received 2003 year-end praise from an array of publications, including SPIN, Rolling Stone and the Village Voice “Pazz & Jop” critics’ poll. The album also earned "Best of the Decade" status from Pitchfork, NPR, Complex, Paste, Under the Radar, and more. Both Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello (as Dntel) recorded albums this year: Gibbard's solo outing, Former Lives, was released via Barsuk Records earlier this month; Dntel's Aimlessness was released this past June on Pampa Records. We’re exceedingly proud of our association with The Postal Service and Give Up is a true high point in Sub Pop’s catalog (and admittedly somewhat checkered past).

Congratulations, you guys.