DECEMBERISTS

The Decemberists have announced the they will be releasing a series of singles in the coming months (watch out Joseph Arthur).The series will be called Always a Bridesmaid: A Singles Series and will come in three volumes. Volume I, to be released October 14th, will include the song "Valerie Plame". Volume II comes out on November 4th featuring "Days of Elaine" and "I'm Sticking With You" (Velvet U

Due to what apprears to be a serious illness with one of the band members the Decemberists have canceled all of their remaining tour dates which include several European and North American cities and, sadly, the three-night tour wrap-up at the Crystal Ballroom here in Portland. A message on their web site includes the following… It saddens us to disappoint our fans. We hope everybody understands it is only because of an extreme situation that we had to cancel a tour we’ve all been excited about doing since the idea was originally hatched. Our deepest apologies but at this time no plans are being made to reschedule the dates. Ticket holders should seek refunds at point of purchase. Yours, The Decemberists

Let the pointless speculation begin. There will be no songs played tonight in Boston. No matter the actual reason why, the Decemberists have canceled the remainder of their booked solid 2007 tour on the eve of two-night stand here in Boston. I got the sad news first from the Boston Globe via their Sound Effects Blog. My worst fears were confirmed just minutes later by my contact with Filter Magazine (online). So sad! For those of you unaware, the band got fans very excited with their media blitz on "The Long and Short of It" tour. (Two shows in each city. One night fewer, long epic Decemberists songs; second night: a few more, shorter more pop songs by the Decemberists.) It was daring fare and dynamic and a kind of social experiment. Now it has been reduced to mere speculation.The Tour Has Been Canceled. The Decemberists dropped the bombshell the day before two Boston shows at the Orpheum.The Crane Wife Album - RSL Album of the Year 2006The office story line is that someone in the ban

The Decemberists have announced three theme night shows at the Crystal Ballroom on December 5th,6th and 7th. Cumulatively entitled The long and the short of it, the 5th will feature the long of it focusing on the band’s epic, progressive compositions, the 6th dubbed the Short of it will highlight their more succinct, pop-leaning material and finally the 7th will be a Request night that will allow the audience to help decide which Decemberists songs will be in the set. Click here for more info.

Anyone slightly familiar with the Decemberists' music has probably made the comment at one time or another that the band has a penchant for both the short, talent-laden but accessible short songs but hasn't yet lost the drive to complete those long, progressive rock grinders.... They appear side-by-side on each of the albums. This juxtaposition of the band's own creativity has never been made so clear as it was recently with the commercial success of the Crane Wife album, and specifically of the track "O Valencia!" As a result, the Decemberists fans will have options this year of how to take their music....The Decemberists' Great Experiment -Two Tours in One: "The Long and The Short of It"Two Shows in each City - You Have Got To Love It America! The Decemberists were drafting out their next tour and it came to them (like a lightning bolt or a diamond bullet in the mind's eye) - we can be everything to everyone! - The Short of It and the Long of It tour concept was born. As Filter

Despues de bastante tiempo se cambia el disco, y que estamos escuchando ahora, pues el Castaways And Cutouts de The Decemberists un disco que me tiene alucinado por lo piola que esta, y sin mas palabras, por que asi es la musica, no para criticarla y na ni na, hay que escuchar no mas, abrir las barreras del sonido y escuchar de todo, mientras sea buena musica, bienvenida sea. pa ustedes este disquito, ponganle atencion y disfrutenlo, y esta vez hay solo una parte de un video correspondiente al disco, una version que nunca salio oficial ya que estos cabros no son muy buenos para los videos, creo que tienen conplejo de radiohead para sus cosas. de todos modos aqui esta. A Cautionary Song (The Decemberists) link: thedecemberists.com

If we agree The Decemberists are one of the main features on the current music scene, mostly thanks to their last album, Her Majesty The Decemberists and to the reediting in Kill Rock Stars of their debut album, Castaways And Cutouts, it comes as no surprise that one of their next releases is this 2004 EP for Acuarela. This fascinating and creative Portland (Oregon)-based pop-art group that is reputed not only for its music, but also for the romantic and epic spirit in the best sense, has recently handed us its 18-minutes long release titled The Tain, whose cornerstone, according to leader Colin Meloy, is a cycle of Celtic mythology under the same name, and is basically a conceptual work, a song divided into five parts. Recorded with producer Chris Walla in Seattle, one of its fragments marks the first time that group drummer, Rachel, puts her voice and literary talent into a record

Failing students have had such an influential role in shaping rock & roll that it's easy to give the bookworm segment short shrift. Witness the vital contributions from the likes of Ray Davies, the Zombies, and Neutral Milk Hotels Jeff Magnum--the kind of smartypants songwriters with whom the Decemberists' Colin Meloy is often compared. The second full-length CD from Portland, Oregon's Decemberists certainly posits Meloy near the top of the current crop of literate indie rockers. Meloy is the brother of author Maile Meloy and a fellow whom one concludes has his own well-worn library card. Eschewing conventional pop-song subject matter, he delves deep into the past for his narratives and even his lexicon, witness "Shanty for the Arethusa," the high-seas opener, and "The Chimbley Sweep," which recalls the Zombies' similarly dark-hued "Butcher's Tale." Though the subject matter is frequently dire and the approach is lyrically erudite, one shouldn't conclude that listening to Her Maj

I've always enjoyed music that evokes feelings of lukewarm summer evenings. Cold wintry days always seem to bring me down to a level I quickly want to be removed from. Instead, I take pleasure in evenings where the sun seems to never want to hide itself behind the horizon. The kind of evening that just doesn't seem to come around too often in my neck of the woods. Coming from the Midwest, I've always had the ability to take long drives down the highways and countryside simply for the sake of my own enjoyment. The Decemberists are a band that incorporates images of all these feelings. If you've read any of my music reviews in the past, you know that although I'm not the biggest fan of country music, per se, I am a true believer in the steel guitar. I'll even take it in the format of a pedal steel if that's all I can get. The steel guitar has just always had the ability to express true heartfelt sorrow and beauty to me.With their Five Songs EP, The Decemberists have showcased stee

While McMenamins Edgefield has not officially added Menomena to their web site, Menomena’s MySpace page indicates that they will be sharing the bill with the Decemberists on July 22nd. Menomena has had an amazing year since the release of their new CD friend and foe. The band was in New York earlier this month and perfomed in Jaun’s Basement for Plum TV in Brooklyn, NY.

The Decemberists are the perfect indie pop band for the bookish, proper, symphony-going set, what with their long, complicated songs in iambic pentameter telling fantastical stories with a hint of myth and parable, often featuring interesting instrumentation and delightful melodies. According to NME, the band will tour behind brand new orchestral arrangements of their songs composed by Sean O’Loughlin.

After the much publicized "green-screen challenge" with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central, we are happy to say it has been put to rest. Or has it? Regardless, The Decemberists gained a lot of new... Check the website for more links, updates, photos and more!