The Decemberists

17 October 2006

The Decemberists are a five-piece indie pop band from Portland, Oregon, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. Their debut EP, 5 Songs, was self-released in 2001. Their fourth full-length album, The Crane Wife, was released on 3 October 2006 by Capitol and is their first appearance on a major label.

Named both in reference to the Russian Decembrist Revolt and the atmosphere associated with the month of December, the Decemberists write songs that range from upbeat pop to instrumentally lush ballads, and often employ instruments like the accordion and upright bass.

In their lyrics, they eschew the angst and introspection common to modern rock, instead favoring a storytelling approach with lines like “My mother was a Chinese trapeze artist / In pre-war Paris / Smuggling bombs for the underground” (from “My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist”, on 5 Songs) and “We are two mariners / Our ships’ sole survivors / In this belly of a whale / Its ribs our ceiling beams / Its guts our carpeting / I guess we have some time to kill” (”The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, from Picaresque). Their songs convey tales ranging from whimsical (”Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect”) to epic (”The Tain”) to truly dark (”Odalisque”). They 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. Since their debut their sound has undergone a consistent evolution, most notably in the direction of progressive rock with a strong folk influence.

Decemberists history

In March 2005, the Decemberists were reportedly the first band to distribute a music video via BitTorrent - the self-produced 16 Military Wives (from Picaresque).

That same month, the band’s equipment trailer was stolen; fans contributed to a replacement fund, and another fund-raiser was organized via an eBay auction, with buyers bidding for copies of Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey and original art work by Carson Ellis. They also received help from Lea Krueger, 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 a trailer in Clackamas, Oregon missing the instruments and equipment, and a great deal of the band’s merchandise.

On their website, The Decemberists claim that their official drink is Orangina, and that bands they “adore” include Norfolk and Western, The Places, The Long Winters, Death Cab for Cutie, Tracker, Sleater-Kinney, Electrelane, Camera Obscura, Clearlake, Tom Heinl, The Thermals, The Swords Project, and Earlimart. Their official biography, keeping up their reputation for intentionally over-the-top grandiloquence, describes how the band’s members met in a Turkish bath. A footnote following the biography claims, “The Decemberists travel exclusively by Dr. Herring’s Brand??? Dirigible Balloons.”

On 12 December 2005, Meloy revealed to Pitchfork Media that they have signed to Capitol Records, and planned to begin recording their major label debut with producers Tucker Martine and Chris Walla in April of 2006.

The Decemberists’ most recent album *The Crane Wife*, their major label debut, was released on 3 October 2006. The release was accompanied by an inspired appearance the same day on the world-wide syndicated TV talk show Late Night with Conan O’Brien when the track “O Valencia!” was performed.

Discography

Albums

* Castaways and Cutouts LP (Hush release 2002, Kill Rock Stars reissue 2003)
* Her Majesty the Decemberists LP (Kill Rock Stars, 2003)
* Picaresque LP (Kill Rock Stars, 22 March 2005)
* The Crane Wife LP (Capitol Records, 3 October 2006)