The Decemberists

http://www.stereogum.com/decemberists.mp3

It's the Decemberists covering Bjork's Human Behaviour. It's quite good.

camisole, petticoat, vagabond, architect, courtesan, odalisque, cul de sac, legionnaire, bagatelle, boulevard, maidenhead, lioness

... what's the deal with Colin Meloy and anapestically-metered words? Am I wrong?

The song itself is a near-perfect shanty melody, and Meloy gets in a few good lines-- especially "let me be the one to lay within your thieving arms tonight," but neither version moves beyond tossed-off trifle, which in its own way is a lot more tiresome than nine-minute maritime epics.

I'm not sure the song qualifies as a shanty, but I really disagree with the last part; Bandit Queen is a nice little ditty, but Mariner's Revenge Song makes me want to kill myself. And I'm a pretty big Decemberists fan.

From pfork's review of Colin Meloy Sings Live:

"The other thing about these solo shows is that they're set up to be like campfire sing-alongs, so you're welcome to sing along as much as you like." The audience hoots and hollers, but judging from the silence surrounding the songs, no one took the offer seriously. Nor did Meloy: "Kumbaya", he says with an audible wink before launching into "The Gymnast, High Above the Ground", putting a knowing spin on what might otherwise be perceived as an earnest gesture. It's as if a bunch of people have gotten together to try and create a communal experience they don't quite believe in.

SEE ALSO: all indie rock shows.

Yes, how embarrassing and uncomfortable. Thanks for pointing that out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/right-wing-obama-critics_n_102868.html

ha ian is so getting made fun of for this thread

this is definitely what could be termed an embarrassing revive

enjoying the decemberist lols on the primary thread

argh new album WOW

WOW

Has it leaked online or have you got an actual copy? I've only heard the song on their website...

Hated it on first listen, but it's growing on me.

hey i got this in my email. should i listen to it? what will it do to me? i've never heard them. they're big, right?

i don't know though, peter buck? gillian welch? i thought they were indie rockers.

don't do it dude

i would read a scott seward liveblog of this record

Fucking appalling band. I'd donate my wages for the next three months towards a fund for stopping them.

i like their gay undertones.

― reo

as much as i know its not a very cool opinion but I don't hate the new album at all. really digging january hymm and the country vibes thrown in and out of this album.

will be hearing this a lot since my wife is a fan. glad it is suppposed to be more songwriter-y and less theatrical.

lol as predicted this new one was playing in the kitchen when i got home today. sounded like some deep REM worship.

i would read a scott seward liveblog of this record

― markers, Tuesday, January 18, 2011 6:03 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark

^^^^
wld also

i remember liking this band

sounded like some deep REM worship.

well, Peter Buck does play guitar on "Calamity" (which sounds EXACTLY like an early R.E.M. tune when he isn't singing) and a couple other tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5ghXdq6Z0

This sounds like it will be a lot less hateful than their previous records.

which one's the song about rape, then

I know the legions of haters here won't be swayed by anything I say about this, but stepping back from the ridiculously overblown concepts and literary aspirations has really done wonders for this band. This is a pretty rustic, laid-back album. All the time spent listening to R.E.M. and recording in a barn seems to help too. I think I really like this.

vocals seemed a lot less annoying as well. some of it (probably due to peter buck's presence) has a kinda robyn hitchcock/egyptians vibe.

I usually live and let live with music I don't like but I used to absolutely hate this band's guts - look at the track titles on Picaresque for pete's sake - and looking back it's because hidden beneath those "ridiculously overblown concepts and literary aspirations" was a group I kind of liked. I don't have a problem with Meloy's vocals and the backing tracks have always been interesting. Now that they are singing about things that aren't maddeningly stupid you can listen closely without wanting to throw the iPod across the room. Very very pleasantly surprised by the new album.

Meloy still throws in a couple of ten-dollar words here and there and his delivery is SO predictable (for example, when I saw "Dear Avery" as a title, I accurately predicted that the first bit would be "Dear Ave-A-ree" in Meloy's pained over-pronunciation), but this is a great turn for the band.

Yay? From their promo person:

The Decemberists have earned the first-ever #1 chart position of their career with the impressive first-week showing of their widely acclaimed new album The King Is Dead, which was released by EMI’s Capitol Records on January 18. The album scanned 93,567 units in the U.S. in its debut week, landing it at the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart, and has also given the band their highest career chart position in territories all over the world.

Etc. etc.

for example, when I saw "Dear Avery" as a title, I accurately predicted that the first bit would be "Dear Ave-A-ree" in Meloy's pained over-pronunciation

oh shit

At least they're bringing Ratboys with them on tour this summer.

Wow, you're right. I used to adore this band when I was just getting into that Pitchfork/indie scene, just after their first LP. Saw them about five times between Her Majesty and Crane Wife, even though this required an hour and a half drive to a college town. The first time was at a venue with a stage small enough that they couldn't leave without disassembling their gear, so they just sat down for ten minutes before the encore and told us to occupy ourselves. I remember downloading mp3s of the live Picaresque tracks before they were recorded and tabbing them out for posting on their forum. I drifted away when it seemed like their quirkiness was being smoothed out, and just because my passion moved on, as it does.

I haven't revisited those LPs since; I'm wary that I'll find it all too cutesy-cringey now. That'd I'd feel faintly embarrassed, like when I find my amateurish attempts at music blogging from back then, or old LiveJournal entries. I'd rather keep the memories as they are. Still, I'm running through "Leslie Anne Levine" in my mind and it still sounds pretty/haunting.

Yeah, I gave "Burial Ground" another listen last night and alpine 100% otm with it sounding like Colin Meloy AI.

My wife and I saw them several times in their early days, when they were a somewhat niche act in small clubs.

I still like the first several records, but haven't kept up and probably won't.

Man, I love "Burial Ground"! Surprised to see so much dumping on it here, it's a total earworm. Basically Decemberists + Shins in a good way (which I wouldn't have predicted at this point). I'm not a huge Decemberists fan, I liked some of their early albums but not super attached to them. I just think this scans as like a good lost Paisley Underground track.

Haven't played this yet, but slightly encouraged by them going all epic again... new 19-minute song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nhLuHWcTdo

Never been a fan of these guys but I'm reading Wildwood with my kid, and it's unsurprisingly excellent.