The Decemberists

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"Decemberists" redirects here. For the 1825 Russian uprising, see Decembrist revolt.
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The Decemberists
The Decemberists, playing live at the 2006 Sasquatch! Music Festival.Photo by Chad Riley.
The Decemberists, playing live at the 2006 Sasquatch! Music Festival.
Photo by Chad Riley.
Background information
Origin Portland, Oregon, United States
Genre(s) Indie rock
Indie folk
Baroque pop[1]
Art rock
Years active 2001–present
Label(s) Kill Rock Stars, Capitol
Website Decemberists.com
Members
Colin Meloy
Chris Funk
Jenny Conlee
Nate Query
John Moen

The Decemberists is a rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other current 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). 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 Records, and is the band's first appearance on a major label.

Contents

[edit] Musical style

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 their lyrics, the band eschew 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 truly 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.

[edit] History

[edit] Formation

The Decemberists formed sometime in 2000 when Colin Meloy left his band Tarkio in Montana and moved to Portland, Oregon. There, he met Nate Query through friends. Nate introduced Colin to Jenny Conlee (they had played together in a band previously) and the three scored a silent film together. Upon playing a solo show previous to meeting Nate, Colin met Chris Funk. Chris was a fan of Tarkio, Colin's older band 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 sometime after Castaways and Cutouts. The band's name refers to an 1825 revolt over the Imperial Russian succession (Decembrist revolt) with another 'e' added for flair. 5 Songs, their first album, was self-released by The Decemberists in 2001. The members of the band at that time played for several hours in a 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.

[edit] Kill Rock Stars Era

After releasing their first full record Castaways and Cutouts on Hush Records, the band moved onto the Kill Rock Stars recording label. They re-released Castaways, then released Her Majesty The Decemberists in 2003. In 2004, they released The Tain, an eighteen-and-a-half minute single track based on the Irish mythological epic Táin Bó Cúailnge. Their final album with Kill Rock Stars was Picaresque. Recording the album was the first time The Decemberists had fully been able to explore all options for a record. The band utilized the resources provided by Kill Rock Stars to rent out an old church to record in, giving the album a fuller, more rich sound throughout.

In March 2005, the band was the first to distribute a music video via BitTorrent, the self-produced "16 Military Wives" (from Picaresque).[2] In the same month, the band's equipment trailer was stolen;[3] 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 art work 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 fair amount of the band's merchandise) in Clackamas, Oregon, but the instruments and equipment were not recovered.[4]

[edit] Capitol and Beyond

On 12 December 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 fame) in April 2006.[5] The band's first album on Capitol, The Crane Wife, was released on 3 October 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.[6]

[edit] Future Prospects

In a 2007 interview, Colin Meloy described The Crane Wife as a "massive record... [with] crazy arrangements", and stated that the band is thinking about recording an album with more relaxed folk rock themes.[7] During an interview backstage at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2007, band members John Moen and Chris Funk stated that the band's next album would probably be released in 2009.[8] Bobby Bare Jr. may be producing the band's next album.[9] During his 2008 tour of the United States, Colin Meloy played several new songs which may be included on the next album, while the full band premiered new songs during their performance at an 2008 Barack Obama rally in Portland, in front of 75,000 attendees.

[edit] Touring

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.

[edit] 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;[13] the band countered that its 2005 on-stage lightsaber fight in San Francisco preceded Colbert's idea.[14] The feud culminated in a December 20 guitar solo competition[14] 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 prearranged, and before Funk's appearance, they were only told that Frampton would step in for Colbert.[15]

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

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, Sleater-Kinney, Electrelane, Camera Obscura, Clearlake, Tom Heinl, The Thermals, Swords, and Earlimart. The band's official biography, keeping up their reputation for intentionally over-the-top 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."

[edit] Artwork

The Decemberists' album and promotional artwork is produced by Carson Ellis, a Portland, Oregon artist, who is Meloy's fiancee.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current

[edit] Former

[edit] Guests

  • Laura Veirs - duet vocals on 'Yankee Bayonet' on The Crane Wife and The Long and Short of It Tour
  • Mavis Staples - vocals, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2007 singing 'The Weight'
  • Shara Worden - duet vocals on 'Yankee Bayonet' for live performances on the Spring 2007 tour.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

Title Date Label Peak position (Billboard 200)
Castaways and Cutouts 1 May 2002 Hush
Her Majesty 9 September 2003 Kill Rock Stars
Picaresque 25 March 2005 Kill Rock Stars 135
The Crane Wife 3 October 2006 Capitol 35

[edit] EPs

Title Date Label
5 Songs 2001 Independently Released
The Tain 4 March 2004 Acuarela Discos
Picaresqueties 13 September 2005 Kill Rock Stars
Connect Sets 17 November 2006 Sony Connect Exclusive
Live from SoHo 16 January 2007 iTunes exclusive
The Perfect Crime #2 26 September 2007 Capitol Records

[edit] Singles

Title Date Label
"Billy Liar" 14 September 2004 Kill Rock Stars
"16 Military Wives" 21 November 2005 Kill Rock Stars
"O Valencia!" 19 September 2006 Rough Trade / Capitol
"The Perfect Crime #2" 27 September 2007 Capitol Records

[edit] DVD

"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 the Picaresque album.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Brian Wise. "Segue From ‘Gigi’ to Geek-Chic Indie Rock", The New York Times, 2007-06-24. Retrieved on 2008-02-03. 
  2. ^ "Rockers Flex BitTorrent's Muscle", Wired News, 23 March 2005. 
  3. ^ "Decemberists Shipwrecked By Pirates", CMJ, 22 March 22 2005. 
  4. ^ Hunt, Pete. Thieves Who Took the Decemberists' Gear. Willamette Week, March 23, 2005.
  5. ^ Exclusive: The Decemberists Sign to Capitol Records. Pitchfork. Retrieved on November 6, 2007.
  6. ^ [1] NPR.
  7. ^ Greenwald, David. "Portland Trailblazer", ew.com, 2007-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-18. 
  8. ^ "The Decemberists Backstage at Bonnaroo 07", woxy.com, 2007-07-10. Retrieved on 2007-07-18. 
  9. ^ Weblog of Daniel Tashian. Retrieved on December 9, 2007.
  10. ^ Peters, Mitchell. "Decemberists Get Orchestra Treatment On Tour", Billboard.com, 2007-04-20. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  11. ^ Decemberists at the Mann Center in Philadelphia- New Song. YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  12. ^ Decemberists cancel 28 shows due to illness. CNN.com. Retrieved on November 6, 2007.
  13. ^ Maher, Dave. "Video: Stephen Colbert Vs. The Decemberists", 2006-11-30. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  14. ^ a b Matthew, Solarski. "Exclusive: Decemberists Counterchallenge Colbert!!", Pitchfork Media, 2006-11-30. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  15. ^ "Colin Meloy of The Decemberists", National Public Radio, 2007-01-29. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 

[edit] Εxternal links

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v • d • e
The Decemberists
Jenny Conlee · Chris Funk · Colin Meloy · John Moen · Nate Query
Rachel Blumberg · Jesse Emerson · Petra Haden · Ezra Holbrook · David Langenes · Lisa Molinaro
Studio albums
EPs
Singles