We All Raise Our Voices to the Air! - A Decemberists Thread

[epilogue]

Not that I'm complaining. I loved the show last night. But I was SUPER bummed to see that they played Shiny on Monday night. That's one of my "white whale" songs for them. I know they play it fairly regularly but for some reason, I always miss it.

Some day.

[chewm]

That's a good looking setlist

[epilogue]

That's a good looking setlist

[Kevin Davis]

That does it, I'm listening to "What a Terrible World" while mowing the lawn tonight

[epilogue]

That does it, I'm listening to "What a Terrible World" while mowing the lawn tonight

[epilogue]

We don't have enough Decemberists fans here to do a tournament or anything like that. But, just curious, if any of you guys have any playlists that you love? Preferably a career spanning playlist or even a b-side/outtake heavy playlist?

Anybody got something they love that includes something from all of their albums?

[chewm]

I'm probably too much of a casual fan. I think I'm familiar with most of the catalog, but don't really recognize the names of the majority of their songs.
When I'm in the mood for this band, I usually just play the fuck out of the Crane Wife or maybe Her Majesty.

[Simple Torture]

I'm probably too much of a casual fan. I think I'm familiar with most of the catalog, but don't really recognize the names of the majority of their songs.
When I'm in the mood for this band, I usually just play the fuck out of the Crane Wife or maybe Her Majesty.

I'm sort of in the same boat. I had to check Discogs to figure out how many Decemberist LPs I own (the answer is 6; I probably would've guessed 4). I almost always listen to their albums front-to-back and probably only know the names of 1/2 of them (the songs, that is).

[epilogue]

Her Majesty is probably my all time favorite. Then it gets tricky. Castaways and Cutouts, The Crane Wife and What A Terrible World... are all in contention for #2. Just sort of depends on the day. Recently, I've been really feeling What a Terrible World... That's been the one I've been reaching for the most and really loving.

[chewm]

Im not sure if I like the new one. But I havent listened to it in a while.

[epilogue]

It's pretty different. I totally understand why someone wouldn't dig the new one.

[epilogue]

From Colin Meloy:

The disembodied entity who typically writes these missives is on vacation; this is being written by me, Colin Meloy. And I want to bend your ear about something.

A few years ago, I had a chance to hear a record by a fantastic artist, one Olivia Chaney. She made a record called The Longest River and I was so taken by it, particularly her arrangement of the old folk song “The False Bride.” She seemed to me to be channeling the great female folk singers of the British folk revival: Sandy Denny, Anne Briggs, June Tabor, Norma & Lal Waterson, Shirley Collins and Maddy Prior. We invited her to open a bunch of Decemberists shows in 2015 and afterward I made a pitch to her: let us be the Albion Dance Band to your Shirley Collins. Let’s start a band. Let’s make a record of old folk songs that will be as much about rediscovering ancient songs as it is an homage to that incredible era of British music, the 60s and 70s folk revival.

She, very kindly, agreed.

And so we Decemberists are very proud to announce the arrival of OFFA REX, our collaboration between the band and Olivia Chaney.

We rehearsed and arranged the songs out on my farm outside of Portland last summer; we recorded it with Tucker Martine at Flora Recording & Playback that fall. I sing two songs, Olivia sings eight of ‘em. One of the songs is an instrumental medley of two old Morris dance tunes, arranged by Jenny on accordion. Here’s the track listing:

The Queen of Hearts
Blackleg Miner
The Gardener
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Flash Company
Old Churchyard
Constant Billy (Oddington) / I’ll Go Enlist (Sherborne)
Willie o’ Winsbury
Bonny May
Sheepcrook and Black Dog
To Make You Stay

You can listen to "The Queen of Hearts," a song we learned from Martin Carthy, here. It’s about heartbreak in the face of unrequited love; to my ears it's as fresh today as it was when it was written three hundred years ago. That’s kind of the spirit of the record.

Spoiler: show

[Jorge]

I love Olivia Chaney. Her song "Holiday" is stunning.

[epilogue]

I'd never heard of her until the Decemberists concert last month. She joined them on stage for The Queen of Hearts. Big fan now, though.

[epilogue]

We are as pleased as we possibly could be to announce to you, O gentle mailing list subscriber, that The Decemberists have made a new record. It’s called I’LL BE YOUR GIRL and is set to come out on March 16 on Capitol Records (Rough Trade Records in Europe). We could not be more proud of it.



Track list:

1. Once In My Life
2. Cutting Stone
3. Severed
4. Starwatcher
5. Tripping Along
6. Your Ghost
7. Everything Is Awful
8. Sucker’s Prayer
9. We All Die Young
10. Rusalka, Rusalka / The Wild Rushes
11. I’ll Be Your Girl

[epilogue]

I have pre-ordered both vinyl and cassette tape versions of the album.

[Chris_H_2]

i passed on the pre-sale tickets. they were really expensive. also, they're playing here on a tuesday. meh.

[epilogue]

That new single is so completely different than anything I've ever heard from The Decemberists before. I like it. But I'm also a little worried, if I'm honest. Not that it matters. They already have my money.

[Kevin Davis]

I love the new single -- a long overdue throwing out of the rulebook for these guys. They sound messy and kind of out of their depth, but in a way that feels freeing and open-ended. Also worth pointing out that, while most reviews are focusing on the synths, it's also one of the noisiest songs they've released yet -- a great mix of electro-pulse and big, sloppy guitars.

[epilogue]

I love the new single -- a long overdue throwing out of the rulebook for these guys. They sound messy and kind of out of their depth, but in a way that feels freeing and open-ended. Also worth pointing out that, while most reviews are focusing on the synths, it's also one of the noisiest songs they've released yet -- a great mix of electro-pulse and big, sloppy guitars.

I don't disagree with a thing you've said here, friend. Well put. I'm so excited for the new record. I LOVE when a band changes their sound. The Decemberists have done it a couple of times but this one feels most dramatic.