MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Ben Gibbard

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+ Justin Bieber made some underprivileged kids' days when he visited Las Vegas' Whitney Elementary School where he performed and donated $100,000 and $100,000 worth of toys. Watch the heartwarming video from "Ellen." (Neon Limelight)

+ Katy Perry is scheduled to appear at the People's Choice Awards on Jan. 11. She's up for seven awards and the PCAs mark her first appearance since husband Russell Brand filed for divorce. (MTV News)

+ She & Him's Zooey Deschanel has officially filed for divorce from Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard. They announced their separation in November. Start lining up, guys. (MTV News)

+ Last night Kanye West weaved stream-of-consciousness tweets about education, fashion development and a new company named after his mom, DONDA. "We want to help simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see hear, touch, taste and feel," read one of 80+ (!!!) tweets. (@kanyewest)

+ Ludacris announced he's opening a "Chicken & Beer" restaurant, named after his third album, at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Luda's also working on his eighth studio album, Ludaversal. (Billboard)

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Tags Ben Gibbard, Buzz Bites, Death Cab For Cutie, justin bieber, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Ludacris, She & Him, Zooey Deschanel

Hey party people. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Leslie Simon. In addition to being an editor at MTV.com, I'm also the author of two books -- Everybody Hurts: The Essential Guide To Emo Culture and Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide To Your Favorite Music Scenes -- and I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my third. It's called Geek Girls Unite: How Fangirls, Bookworms, Indie Chicks, And Other Misfits Are Taking Over The World and it comes out this fall! Before I came to MTV, I spent a bunch of years at Alternative Press magazine, covering everyone from Paramore to Brand New to My Chemical Romance. In other words, I'm your garden variety music geek.

When I was asked if I'd be interested in writing a column for Buzzworthy, I immediately jumped at the chance. (Actually, I think I did the Dougie and then ended with the Bernie. Even I can admit it wasn't cute.) Regardless, each week I'll be offering up a themed music playlist. For you podcast lovers, think of it as "This American Life" but without all the talking... and no Ira Glass. OK, you get the point.

Some weeks, I might be inspired by what highly glamorous thing I did over the weekend (i.e. Songs You Should Practice Yoga To That Don't Involve Weird Chanting). Other weeks, my inspiration could stem from a trip to the grocery store (i.e. Songs I Wish Had Muzak Remixes). Just like a stop on Charlie Sheen's Violent Torpedo Of Truth Tour, you never know what you're gonna get!

This week, I'm kicking off my inaugural column with a theme I'm particularly smitten by: dudes in suits. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing in life that can't be fixed by listening to a cute guy in a blazer play an electric guitar and sing with a British accent. (American accents are OK, too. I'm an equal opportunity dudes-in-suits supporter.) Get ready for music from The Wombats, OK Go, Patrick Stump and Death Cab For Cutie.

Finally, if you'd like to keep up with all my musings, please visit my website and follow me on Twitter (@redpatterndress).

1. The Wombats' "Anti D": I'm sorry but how can you not fall in love with a tune that opens with lyrics like, "Please allow me to be your antidepressant/I, too, am prescribed as freely as any decongestant." Brilliant! I've been a fan of The Wombats ever since I heard their first single, "Let's Dance To Joy Division," and my obsession for this British trio has only gotten more intense with time. Poppy yet perverse, indie yet accessible, The Wombats provide the perfect soundtrack to everything from a debaucherous evening to a lonely morning and everything in between.

Watch The Wombats' "Anti D" video.

2. OK Go's "This Will Be Our Year": This classic jam appears at the end of The Romantics, which I wasted two hours watching last weekend. The movie is just mediocre, but the song is fantastic. Originally recorded by The Zombies in 1968, "This Will Be Our Year" is a supersweet power-pop ballad that barely shows its age, especially when carted out over the ending credits of a St. Elmo's Fire-esque romantic comedy. OK Go re-recorded the song a couple years ago, and their version appeared in the flick John Tucker Must Die, which I actually enjoyed a bunch. (Yes, I just admitted that.)

Listen to "This Will Be Our Year"

3. Patrick Stump's "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)": I was lucky enough to catch Patrick perform this past weekend at Joe's Pub here in New York, and he totally blew me away, especially when he played "Spotlight"... twice. Honestly, he could've played it 10 more times, and it still wouldn't have been enough. This song is musical Prozac: Play it when you see storm clouds on the horizon, the skies will part instantly and you'll feel like you can conquer the world. If that doesn't work, watch this video.

Listen to "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)"

4. Death Cab For Cutie's "You Are A Tourist": Frontman Ben Gibbard wears a mean suit and writes an even meaner rock song. From the tune's galloping guitars to lyrics like, "If you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born/Then, it's time to go/And you find your destination with so many different places to call home," "Tourist" encourages you to stop being a spectator in your own life. Get out there and live it! Oh, and it also didn't hurt that the Death Cab cuties cleaned up real good for the song's live one-take video, which was a visual spectacle of neon lights and kaleidoscopic choreography. Seeing is believing.

Listen to "You Are A Tourist"

Tags Ben Gibbard, Brand New, Death Cab For Cutie, My-Chemical-Romance, OK-Go, Paramore, Patrick-Stump, Soundtrack Of My Life, The Wombats

(Credit: Autumn de Wilde)

Breaking up is hard to do -- especially when you're haunted by an iTunes playlist filled with torturous love songs. (Right, Morrissey? Damn you and your gigantic arsenal of ballads about unrequited love!)

As I shake my fist to the heavens and slowly wipe the tears away from my eyes, I can't help but celebrate -- and curse -- the following videos for scoring the soundtrack to the ultimate heartbroken pity party. You're all invited, too. It's B.Y.O.K., which means "Bring Your Own Kleenex."

Check out the five most downer videos that could only serve to make a break-up more depressing:

1.) Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark": Even the mere title of this song is heartbreaking. Singer Ben Gibbard croons about being so in love with his paramour that he would perish without her. Dramatic, and, at the same time, like here some girl already has a solid suitor waiting for her in the afterlife? That's intense.

2.) Sinead O'Conner's "Nothing Compares 2 U": When you first watch this video, it seems like it's just Sinead's floating head for three minutes. Then you realize it's all one shot, and that she's mouthpiecing Prince who was just so sad, and then that single tear falls down Sinead's porcelain cheek, and OH! You could just totally lose it. This is truly the grandfather of all depressing breakup videos.

3.) Dashboard Confessional's "Screaming Infidelities": Whether you consider yourself emo or not, the message of this clip is universal: It's heartbreaking when someone cheats on you -- and it sucks even more when they shed more than your Golden Retriever.

4.) The Swell Season's "When Your Mind's Made Up": When the movie "Once" first came out, I had to see it twice because during the first screening, my eyes were glazed over with tears the whole time and I couldn't make out what any of the blurry figures were doing, aside from -- spoiler! -- not building a life together. If you haven't seen it, you should totally add it to your Netflix queue. However, watching it while undergoing a fresh heartbreak could send you into a tear-filled sinkhole. But hey, at least you're not alone!

5.) The Honorary Title's "Everything I Once Had": The best part of this video is watching heartbroken singer Jarrod Gorbel cry in the shower. It's oddly satisfying -- and kinda hot? -- to watch a guy writhe in pain while attempting to maintain proper hygiene. There. I said it.

Tags Ben Gibbard, Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab For Cutie, Jarrod Gorbel, Morrissey, Sinead O'Conner, The Honorary Title, The Swell Season

Alex Greenwald -- Phantom Planet frontman, Mark Ronson collaborator, and former model -- used to be so freaking hot it was almost impossible to look at him without thinking "nasty thoughts," as Janet Jackson once said. But not long ago, a paparazzi photo popped up in which the once-smokin' Alex looked like a straight-up hobo. Still, who'd he have hanging on his arm? British supermodel and Met Ball belle Agyness Deyn.

While we've got no problem with some slight shagginess, Alex Greenwald has seen better days, and his unkempt hair looks gnarlier than ever. (A tip: lather, rinse, repeat... repeat... repeat...) Still, Alex bagged a supermodel, so maybe the joke's on us.

Anyway, the shaggy/smoldering combo of Alex Greenwald and Agyness Deyn reminded us of some more hot chicks and the mangy men they love. So check out more of Buzzworthy's favorite guys who look like they live in boxcars and the beautiful babes who love them anyway.

Ryan Adams: Alt-country musician Ryan Adams won the heart of pop-folk singer Mandy Moore, who's had high-profile romances with tennis hunk Andy Roddick as well as Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, while Ryan dated pretty Parker Posey. But it was ultra-shaggy Ryan who swept Mandy off her feet: Ryan and Mandy got married just last month. Hopefully the groom, uh, groomed for the big day.

Alex DeLeon: Okay, Alex DeLeon -- who's been linked to the radiant Demi Lovato -- used to be way more polished, but when he came to MTV for The Cab's Buzzworthy interview in March 2009, his broken-ended hair, fuzzy facial hair and leather accessories kinda made him look like he was running from the law. Bring back unquestionably hot Alex!

Ben Gibbard: Indie superstar Ben Gibbard's sensitive vocals are the perfect match for Zooey Deschanel. Zooey, dubbed "the rich man's Katy Perry" -- oh snap! -- by one site, has had leading roles in a slew of movies like Elf, where she showed off her vocal cords and her adorablility. Even though the oft-unshaven Ben's been featured on UglyMales.com (to the objection of many commenters, to be fair), he and Zooey matched up not only musically, but they're also engaged. Aww! Indie romance!

Joe Trohman: It's clear that Pete Wentz-ian man-glam is not Joe Trohman's style. But there are other ways to stand out besides looking like a homeless man who wandered off the street and onto the stage. His disheveled, mountain-man look has still been described as "wonderfully hobo-esque meets Jesus." True! We're not saying Joe's not hot. We just miss his From Under The Cork Tree-era/ "Dance Dance" short hair. Still, he nabbed a super-cute girl and put a ring on dat; he and Marie (above) are engaged.

+ More hobo guys and hot girls after the jump.

Read more...

Tags Agyness Deyn, Alex DeLeon, Alex Greenwald, Ben Gibbard, Cisco-Adler, Death Cab For Cutie, Demi Lovato, Devendra Banhart, Fall Out Boy, Joe Trohman, Mandy Moore, Phantom Planet, Ryan Adams, The Cab, The Postal Service, Zooey Deschanel

+ The (real) NYPD has reportedly beefed up security here in Times Square to prevent a scheduled Jonas Brothers appearance from turning into a veritable "tween mob scene." Ha! Good luck with THAT, coppahs. (Gothamist)

+ And speaking of Jonas Fever, here's a totally tween-mobworthy interview with Frankie (a.k.a. Bonus Jonas) himself! OMFJ, right!? (Jonas Brothers Fan)

+ Fresh of the heels of (false!) rumors that Katy Perry and Travis McCoy are wedding-bound come (true!) reports that Katy's twinsie, Zooey Deschanel, is engaged to Death Cab's Ben Gibbard. (MTV News)

+ One-time Shot at Love star Tila Tequila wages one-sided war against Rihanna. Discuss. (Remote Control)

+ Meanwhile, Beyonce inadvertently(?) picks a fight with Janet Jackson, calling her family upbringing a "bad situation." Yep, it's about to get Nasty, folks. (National Enquirer)

+ Britney Spears tops USA Today's annual "Celebrity Heat Index" (a.k.a. list of Most Overexposed Celebs) for the second straight year. And they said this was a comeback! (Usmagazine.com)

+ Fact: Bjork to singlehandedly save Iceland from total financial ruin. (Scandalist)

+ American Idol rewind! MTV's resident recapper, Jim Cantiello, recounts the best moments of '08. (MTV News)

Tags Ben Gibbard, Beyonce, Bjork, Britney Spears, Death Cab For Cutie, Frankie Jonas, Janet Jackson, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Tila-Tequila, Travis McCoy, Zooey Deschanel