The Decemberists

Today's short review is of a big and still rising band: The Decemberists.

Band Members: Frontman Colin Meloy (singer/songwriter), Chris Funk (guitar, many other instruments), Jenny Conlee (piano, melodica, accordion, etc), Nate Query (bass), John Meon (drums, backing vocals).





Who they are: The Decemberists were formed after Colin Meloy left his previous band Tarkio (an "alternative country" band). This indie/folk/baroque rockers started off with a self-released EP 5 Songs and after their first full-length album, they gathered a sizable fan base. Colin Meloy majored in creative writing, and this can be easily heard in his lyrics. Their songs are not just songs, they tell a story and their albums become novel-like with characters, plots, subplots and more. The stories The Decemberists tell range from dark to whimsical, all with a core of indie-rock.

After the release of their album, The Crane Wife (being based on an old Japanese folk tale) they achieved more fame and critical acclaim. Since then they have been on numerous television shows and toured the world. They have even been on the Colbert Report including a "Decemberists vs. Stephen Colbert Guitar Solo Challenge” after a faux-feud that started when Stephen Colbert claimed that the Decemberists had stolen his "green screen challenge" idea.


Why we love them: The Decemberists started to grow on us after seeing them live at the ACL Fest. Colin Meloy's epic narrative folk songs along with their baroque-style including instruments such as accordions, cellos, Wurlitzers, (and other instruments you would never expect at a rock concert) make them stand out. Their approach to music is classic, yet unique.
They have been to the Austin City Limits Music Festival before, but for some reason they are still not one of the headlining band.


Notable Albums/EPs:

• 5 Songs (2001) - originally self-released, their first official EP that started them off as a band.
• The Crane Wife (2006) - to date, one of their biggest albums.
• The Hazards of Love (2009) - their latest album, originally started as just one song but Meloy's creativity took over and ended up being a full-album of a story about love.

Our Recommendations: If you have never heard The Decemberists before, we recommend "The Perfect Crime #2", "The Mariner's Revenge Song", and "The Island". All of these (and more) you can download them here FREE!