The Decemberists
are a rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (hammond organ, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards), Nate Query (bass guitar, string bass), and John Moen (drums, backing vocals, melodica).
The band's debut EP, 5 Songs
, was self-released in 2001. Their fifth full-length album, The Hazards of Love
, was released on March 24, 2009 by Capitol Records, and is the band's second record with the label.
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Musical style
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The band's songs range from upbeat pop to instrumentally lush ballads, and often employ instruments like the
accordion,
Hammond organ,
Wurlitzer organ, and
upright bass. In its lyrics, the band eschews the angst and introspection common to modern rock, instead favoring a
storytelling approach, as evidenced in songs such as "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" from the
5 Songs
EP and "The Mariner's Revenge Song" on
Picaresque
. The band's songs convey tales ranging from whimsical ("
The Sporting Life") to epic ("
The Tain") to dark ("
Odalisque"), and often invoke historical events and themes from around the world. Early in their career, The Decemberists' musical and lyrical aesthetics frequently prompted critics to compare them to
Neutral Milk Hotel.
[1]
History
2000: Formation
The Decemberists formed in 2000 when Colin Meloy left his band
Tarkio in Montana and moved to Portland, Oregon. There he met Nate Query, who introduced Meloy to Jenny Conlee (they had played together in a band previously) and the three scored a silent film together. Playing a solo show prior to meeting Query, Meloy met Chris Funk. Funk was a fan of Tarkio and played pedal steel on the first two Decemberists releases, not "officially" becoming a member until the third effort. The band's first drummer, Ezra Holbrook, was replaced by Rachel Blumberg after
Castaways and Cutouts
. The band's name refers to the
Decembrist revolt, an 1825 revolt in Imperial Russia that Meloy views as an attempted communist revolution.
[2] 5 Songs
, the band's first album, was self-released by the band in 2001. The members at that time played for several hours in McMenamins hotel the night before to raise the money needed to record in the studio the next day. This originally served as a demo tape and the five songs on it (minus "The Apology Song") were recorded in under two hours.
2003-2005: Kill Rock Stars
After releasing its first full record
Castaways and Cutouts
on
Hush Records, the band moved onto the
Kill Rock Stars recording label. After the re-release of
Castaways
,
Her Majesty the Decemberists
was released in 2003. In 2004, the band released "
The Tain," an eighteen-and-a-half minute single track based on the
Irish mythological epic
Táin Bó Cúailnge
. The band's final album with Kill Rock Stars was
Picaresque
, which was recorded in a church.
In March 2005, the band distributed a music video via
BitTorrent, the self-produced "
16 Military Wives" (from
Picaresque
).
[3] In the same month, the band's equipment trailer was stolen;
[4] fans contributed to a replacement fund, and another fundraiser was organized via an
eBay auction, with buyers bidding for copies of
Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey
and original artwork by
Carson Ellis. The band also received help from
Lee Kruger,
the Shins, the
Dandy Warhols, and other musicians. The Martin Guitar Company offered 6- and 12-string guitars on permanent loan. In early April, police discovered the trailer and a portion of the band's merchandise in
Clackamas, Oregon, but the instruments and equipment were not recovered.
[5]
2005: Capitol Records debut
On December 12, 2005, Meloy revealed to
Pitchfork Media that the band had signed to
Capitol Records, and planned to begin recording their major label debut with producers
Tucker Martine and
Chris Walla (of
Death Cab for Cutie) in April 2006.
[6] The band's first album on Capitol,
The Crane Wife
, was released on October 3, 2006. The release was accompanied by an appearance the same day on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, during which the band performed "O Valencia!". The supporting tour (called "The Rout of the Patagons Tour") began on October 17, 2006, at Portland, Oregon's
Crystal Ballroom. The opening act was
Lavender Diamond. Later in the tour,
Alasdair Roberts opened for the band.
NPR listeners voted
The Crane Wife
their favorite album of 2006, as announced on the December 5 episode of
All Songs Considered
.
[7]
2006: Green screen music video
In November 2006, the band encouraged fans to create a music video for the single "
O Valencia!" using footage of the band in front of a green screen. On his
Comedy Central program,
Stephen Colbert started a mock feud with the band, claiming his "green screen challenge" came first;
[8] the band countered that its 2005 on-stage
lightsaber fight in San Francisco preceded Colbert's idea.
[10]
The feud culminated in a December 20 guitar solo competition
on Colbert's show, with lead guitarist Funk representing the band. After Colbert feigned a hand injury,
Peter Frampton took over for Colbert and won an audience vote. Show guests got involved, with New York
Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer and Dr.
Henry Kissinger declaring, "Tonight, I think the American people won." The prize for winning the challenge was revealed to be a copy of
The Crane Wife
. According to Meloy, the Colbert challenge was not scripted, though the band was told that Frampton would step in for Colbert.
[11]
2007: "A Bit of Grass-Stain Does Not a Ruined Pair of Jeans Make" tour
In July 2007, the band embarked on a five-date tour with a full orchestral accompaniment. On July 7, the tour put the band on the stage of the historic
Hollywood Bowl for the first time, pairing them with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic.
[12] On July 15, the band performed with The Mann Festival Orchestra at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they debuted a new song.
[13] The band then played a free concert in Chicago at the
Millennium Park with the
Grant Park Symphony Orchestra.
On October 6, 2007, the band announced the cancellation of the remainder of their European tour, citing the ill health of a band member. On November 1, 2007, the band further canceled the remaining 28 shows of their "Long and Short of It" tour.
[14]
2008: Always the Bridesmaid
The members of The Decemberists appeared, individually billed (as "
Colin Meloy,
Chris Funk,
Jenny Conlee,
Nate Query, and
John Moen"), to perform in support of
Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama at a rally at the
Tom McCall Waterfront Park in
Portland, Oregon, on May 18, 2008. On October 14, 2008 the band began releasing a series of singles called
Always the Bridesmaid
; a volume was released every month until the end of the year. The band also took up a limited tour in support of the singles, including an appearance on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
the day before the
2008 U.S. presidential election.
2009: The Hazards of Love
The Decemberists' latest album,
The Hazards of Love
was released on March 24, 2009 on Capitol Records.
[15] It was made available for download on iTunes one week earlier, on March 17, 2009. The track "The Rake's Song" was put up for download on The Decemberists website in advance of the album's release. During Meloy's 2008 U.S. tour, he played several new songs that were included on the album. The album was produced by Tucker Martine.
[16]
In a post on ''
Rolling Stones "Rock 'n' Roll Daily" blog, the band revealed more details about the album. [17] A press release read: "The album began when Meloy – long fascinated by the British folk revival of the 1960s – found a copy of revered vocalist Anne Briggs's 1966 EP, titled The Hazards of Love. Since there was no actual song with the album’s title, he set out to write one, but was soon immersed in something much larger.
The Hazards of Love'' tells the tale of a woman named Margaret; her shape-shifting lover, William; his fey forest queen mother; and a cold-blooded, lascivious
rake, who recounts with spine-tingling ease how he came "to be living so easy and free" in "The Rake's Song".
Lavender Diamond’s
Becky Stark and
My Brightest Diamond’s
Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James,
Robyn Hitchcock and
The Spinanes’ Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. The range of sounds reflects the characters’ arcs, from the accordion’s singsong lilt in “Isn’t it a Lovely Night?” to the heavy metal thunder of 'The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing.'"
On February 9, 2009, the Decemberists announced in a newsletter to fans that they would be embarking on the first leg of the "A Short Fazed Hovel" Tour 2009 starting on May 19 in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palladium. The newsletter included a complete list of dates for the first leg of the tour ending on June 14 at the
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in
Manchester, Tennessee. On Monday April 27, the band performed a shortened version of "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" on
The Colbert Report.
Influences
On their website, the band claims that their official drink is
Orangina, and that they "adore" the bands
Norfolk & Western,
The Places,
The Long Winters,
Death Cab for Cutie,
Dokken,
Tracker,
The Shins,
Sleater-Kinney,
Electrelane,
Camera Obscura,
Clearlake,
Tom Heinl,
The Thermals,
Swords, and
Earlimart. The band's official biography, keeping up their reputation for
grandiloquence, describes how they met in a
Turkish bath. A footnote following the biography claims, "The Decemberists travel exclusively by Dr. Herring's Brand
Dirigible Balloons." Colin Meloy has listed
Anne Briggs,
Nic Jones, and
Shirley Collins – who led the 1960s
British folk revival – as major influences on
The Hazards of Love
. Meloy has also confessed a "slavish love" for
Morrissey, one of his principal influences.
[18]
Artwork
The Decemberists' album and promotional artwork is produced by Meloy's wife, Portland artist
Carson Ellis.
Members
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thumb
thumb
thumb
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Current
- Colin Meloy (lead singer, songwriter, guitar)
- Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist)
- Jenny Conlee (hammond organ, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards)
- Nate Query (bass guitar, double bass) - except Her Majesty...
and Billy Liar
single
- John Moen (drums, backing vocals, melodica) - The Crane Wife
and The Hazards of Love
Former
- Jesse Emerson (bass guitar) - Her Majesty
- Ezra Holbrook (also of Dr. Theopolis) - 5 Songs
and Castaways and Cutouts
(drums, backing vocals), The Crane Wife
(backing vocals)
- Rachel Blumberg (drums, vocals) - Her Majesty
, Billy Liar
single, The Tain
, and Picaresque
- David Langenes (guitar)
- Petra Haden (violin, vocals) - Picaresque
, daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden, also supporting musician for the Picaresque
tour.
- Lisa Molinaro (viola, guitar, keyboards, vocals) - supporting musician for The Crane Wife
tours
Guests
- Laura Veirs - duet vocals on 'Yankee Bayonet' on The Crane Wife
and The Long and Short of It
Tour
- Shara Worden - duet vocals on 'Yankee Bayonet' for live performances in 2007. Sings vocals as the character of The Forest Queen on The Hazards of Love
and the "A Short Fazed Hovel Tour"
- Becky Stark - vocals as the character of Margaret on The Hazards of Love
and the "A Short Fazed Hovel Tour"
Discography
Studio albums
Title
| Date
| Label
| Peak position (Billboard 200)
|
Castaways and Cutouts
| May 1, 2002
| Hush
|
|
Her Majesty the Decemberists
| September 9, 2003
| Kill Rock Stars
|
|
Picaresque
| March 25, 2005
| Kill Rock Stars
| 135
|
The Crane Wife
| October 3, 2006
| Capitol
| 35
|
The Hazards of Love
| March 24, 2009
| Capitol
| 14
|
EPs
Title
| Date
| Label
|
5 Songs
| 2001
| Independent Release, reissued on Hush Records
|
The Tain
| March 4, 2004
| Acuarela Discos
|
Picaresqueties
| September 13, 2005
| Kill Rock Stars
|
Connect Sets
| November 17, 2006
| Sony Connect Exclusive
|
Live from SoHo
| January 16, 2007
| iTunes exclusive
|
The Perfect Crime #2
| September 26, 2007
| Capitol Records
|
Singles
Title
| Date
| Label
|
"Billy Liar"
| September 14, 2004
| Kill Rock Stars
|
"16 Military Wives"
| November 21, 2005
| Kill Rock Stars
|
"O Valencia!"
| September 19, 2006
| Rough Trade / Capitol
|
"The Perfect Crime #2"
| September 27, 2007
| Capitol Records
|
"Always the Bridesmaid: Volume I"
| October 14, 2008
| Capitol Records
|
"Always the Bridesmaid: Volume II"
| November 4, 2008
| Capitol Records
|
"Always the Bridesmaid: Volume III"
| December 2, 2008
| Capitol Records
|
DVD
- The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook
Kill Rock Stars
March 20, 2007
The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook
includes a full concert (filmed in December 2005) in Portland's Roseland Theater and "Paris, Before the War," a documentary about the history of the band and making of
Picaresque
.
References
- out of the aeroplane into the sea
- On Behalf of Orangina: The Decemberists perform their dramatic, literary alt-rock, with orangina soda in tow
- Rockers Flex BitTorrent's Muscle
- Decemberists Shipwrecked By Pirates
- Hunt, Pete. Thieves Who Took the Decemberists' Gear. Willamette Week, March 23, 2005.
- Exclusive: The Decemberists Sign to Capitol Records. Pitchfork. Retrieved on November 6, 2007.
- [1] NPR.
- Video: Stephen Colbert Vs. The Decemberists
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51fCwGAue5Q Lightsaber fight
- Exclusive: Decemberists Counterchallenge Colbert!!
- Colin Meloy of The Decemberists
- Decemberists Get Orchestra Treatment On Tour
- Decemberists at the Mann Center in Philadelphia- New Song. YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- Decemberists cancel 28 shows due to illness. CNN.com. Retrieved on November 6, 2007.
- http://www.decemberists.com/#
- http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/10/colin-meloy-talks-new-decemberists-album-with-past.htm
- http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/11/18/in-the-studio-the-decemberists-return-wit
- Tasha Robinson, ''AV Club'', "The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy", 31 March 2009