Where They’re From: Bellingham, WA

Who They Are: Out of Bellingham, Washington in 1997 came Death Cab for Cutie, an indie rock group riding the wave of Pacific Northwest rock reinvention spearheaded by the likes of Kurt Cobain, Elliot Smith, and Built to Spill, to name a few. Frontperson Benjamin Gibbard led Death Cab from house shows into the studio with producer and long-time member Chris Walla, alongside bass player Nick Harmer and drummer Jason McGerr. After years playing the post-emo and indie circuit, 2003’s Transatlanticism and 2005’s Plans brought Death Cab out of the lo-fi genre and into a sound that would typify indie rock for a decade.

Years Active: 1997 – present

Essential Albums: Transatlanticism (2003), Plans (2005), Narrow Stairs (2009)