The Decemberists

[Decades]

Nice band, I haven't heard much but they're quite folky. Odd, not many other bands I can think of being like them. The songs are often written in an archaic manner, for instance one song is from the perspective of a Victorian era orphan. Others are just modern folk/rock/indie songs. Interesting stuff.

They have songs about pirates!

[Ribcage]

I find their music amusing :) and it always puts me in a good mood. Love the song "The Chimbley Sweep".

[ok_computer]

heard good things about them but their record isnt available in the Netherlands :(

[new born muser]

I saw them live last October and what a night it was!
Colin Meloy is a brilliant songwriter and lyricist.:)
My favourite has to be the Engine Driver from their last album Picaresque.:happy:

[Rogue Synapse]

I just discovered the Decemberists last week. I like Castaways and Cutouts better than Picaresque, but overall, this band is amazing. I mean, it will never approach Muse-ness, but it's still a great band. I highly recommend.

[dwama]

The Decemberists always manage to put me in a cheerful mood, I have a friend who listens to them and often lets me listen at lunchtime on her i-pod.

[designer amnesiac]

I only know a few songs but what I've heard was pretty good

[glasskite]

I utterly adore Picaresque. I've not heard enough of The Crane Wife to decide properly, so far, its not bad.

[lindavondoll]

they were talking abuot the decemberists over on weezernation.com but ive never heard of them :p

i'll go check them out i suppose.

:)

[Wowee Zowee]

I love The Crane Wife. What a great album!

[Meep]

They're in the UK this October but I don't know where I'll be around then! Damn Uni :indiff:

Might get tickets for Leeds since it's a Saturday anyway ..

[Bradass]

I got bored of these really fast.
Meloy has a really, really boring voice.

[Mneme]

They're in the UK this October but I don't know where I'll be around then! Damn Uni :indiff:


This group looks fascinating...they're currently on tour in the States and are coming to Merriwether Post (outside Washington) in July--accompanied by a symphony orchestra! :p

Are they anything like the Moody Blues? Remember 'Nights in White Satin' with the London Festival Orchestra!

[new born muser]

No! They're not!
Think Sea Shanty ballads with a modern twist .. and remarkable lyrics!:D
Nu - folk, you might call them.;)

The Crane Wife is a wonderful album, even better than Picaresque I think.
Some songs in there are remarkable.
Favourites: the very dark and brooding The Island, the 70's oddity The Perfect Crime, the strangely cheerful but nostalgic Summersong, the chilly and beautiful Shankill Butchers - Don't miss them!

I've missed them in Glasgow this year ... but it seems that their London concert was very much an interactive affair!:D
I would have loved to have been there!

[Mneme]

Hmmm....most intriguing! I may just catch this show--they sound like nothing I've ever heard of before! Sea shanties...nu-folk? Something about that makes me think of Richard Thompson! And their name--weren't the Decemberists a radical Russian political faction in the 19th century?

Thanks for the taste--I will check them out on myspace! Cheers! :)

[GorkerMorker]

I've bought their album two years ago, and i absolutely love them.

[boab]

No! They're not!
Think Sea Shanty ballads with a modern twist .. and remarkable lyrics!:D
Nu - folk, you might call them.;)

The Crane Wife is a wonderful album, even better than Picaresque I think.
Some songs in there are remarkable.
Favourites: the very dark and brooding The Island, the 70's oddity The Perfect Crime, the strangely cheerful but nostalgic Summersong, the chilly and beautiful Shankill Butchers - Don't miss them!

I've missed them in Glasgow this year ... but it seems that their London concert was very much an interactive affair!:D
I would have loved to have been there!

Yep, the Glasgow show was a very interactive affair also, best live show I've ever seen.

[new born muser]

Grr .. Grr .. It makes me doubly sore to have missed them ..:(

[Ghosty Ghost]

Thoughts on the new album anyone? I'm still not sure but it's growing on me. One thing is certain - Shara Worden is so damn amazing. She fucking brings it on Repaid. Awesome.

[Max]

I had a listen this afternoon. Some of it is great but it feels they're trying to do too much in the running time.

[Davy]

The Bagman's Gambit is one of the best songs ever written.

[ScarredEyes]

I've just had a listen to "Colin Meloy sings Morrissey". It's awful. Beyond awful, it's shite.

[GorkerMorker]

Hazards of Love is amazing at the first listen and then it goes downhill very, very fast, like watching a movie or reading a book repeatedly. That's NOT how an album should work.

I think they went wrong in trying to write it like some kind of musical or something.

[Miran-duh]

a friend sent me 'we both go down together' a few years ago. because she always thought of me when she heard it :chuckle:. i love songs with my name in them! its how i got into the mars volta too =]

[ʘ]

They are great.

And Hazards of Love is a brilliant album. One of my favourites for 09 or 08 or whenever it came out.

[ʘ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFUHgDo4-Lg

[Exo-Daniel]

saw em at big day out this year, was fun.

[HappyDancer]

I like them. Not a big fan of HOL but Crane Wife and Her Majesty are great!

[TaB]

I love the D's. I flew out to Seattle in early 2008 to see them play two nights in a row at the Moore Theater. It was awesome. Here are some vids I took for those who are interested, perfect sound quality:

"Here I Dreamt I was an Architect" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNoHUwooOw

Part of "The Island": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B80P3L-q44

Also, only got a bit of it, but they did a hilarious 80's jam session: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W2xNkV2eSU

[MattXXI]

New album to be released on Tuesday. I'm pretty stoked, and I didn't even know they were coming out with new material.

[ʘ]

This should be good :happy:

[sprocketeer]

If you can't wait a few more days, the album has been streaming on NPR the past two weeks and is still available:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/16/132436422/first-listen-the-decemberists-the-king-is-dead

[Max]

I love The King Is Dead. It's the record that they needed to make after Hazards Of Love. I can understand why some people might think that it's ordinary but Meloy's songwriting is ace.

[sebby aka pup]

Just got this album a few days ago. I loved The Crane Wife and Hazards of Love as they were really adventurous and over the top. The King is Dead didn't really make an impression on me on first listen but after a few more spins I think it's definately a grower. I now really like Don't Carry it All and Down by the Water.

I just hope they go back to their more ambitious sound on the next as I think it really has produced some amazing songs...

Hope They tour Australia soon as well, Big Day Out was awesome, so I assume their own show will be unbelievable.

[ChrisAbbott22]

my two favorites of theirs

(this one the first song only... california one)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ez0KA2aA8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q3gO4LSPxk

[95CobraR]

Just got this album a few days ago. I loved The Crane Wife and Hazards of Love as they were really adventurous and over the top. The King is Dead didn't really make an impression on me on first listen but after a few more spins I think it's definately a grower. I now really like Don't Carry it All and Down by the Water.
I agree.

I still think Hazards of Love is their best album.