The one-man project of ¡All-Time Quarterback! began in 1999 as a side project for Ben Gibbard -- who also spends most of his time fronting Death Cab for Cutie. By taking up a collection of broken Casios and an array of other instruments that are held together by duct tape, the end results in a gentle but melancholy dance of lo-fi love songs. With his first demo recorded on a hand-held tape player, The Envelop Sessions were self-released in 1999, followed by a self-titled five-song EP -- including a Magnetic Fields cover -- that came out through Elsinor Records that same year. In 2001, Gibbard inked a deal with Barsuk and reissued the album the following summer. ~ Mike DaRonco