Indie Music Blog, Live Sessions, and Daily MP3 Downloads.
The Decemberists have been kind enough to offer us a giveaway. If you’d like to win, email us at freeshit@hearya.com with “The Decemberists Giveaway” in the subject line and your name and mailing address in the body of your email.
One winner will get a Vinyl copy of The Decemberists new (amazing) album, The King Is Dead. You’ll also get a CD copy of the album and a DVD documenting the making of the album, called Pendarvia: A Film by Aaron Rose.
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This is an actual conversation between The Decemberists’ front man Colin Melloy and Americana/Bluegrass songstress Gillian Welch:
Gillian Welch: Hello
Colin Meloy: Hi Gillian. Its Colin.
GW: Ummmm
CM: Meloy. You know from The Decemberists.
GW: Oh hey, how are you?
CM: Good thanks. Hey wanted to see if you wanted to do some guest vocals on our new album.
GW: That is very flattering but I don’t think I could hit some of those notes that Becky and Shara did. That was a great album you guys put out but I don’t think prog rock is my thing.
CM: No, no. We’re going in a completely different direction this time.
GW: Really? Like what.
CM: We’re going to put out an Americana album. Its going to be awesome. We even got the old guy from R.E.M.; Peter Buck. We just need some female vocals. I thought of you and Carrie Underwood. Chris said you’d be better.
GW: OK, I’m in. Wait, did you just say Carrie …
CM: Sounds good. Talk to you soon.
I loved The Decemberists’ previous album, a concept piece called Hazards of Love, more than most. It was an ambitious release that worked, but ambition can be exhausting. It’s refreshing to hear the band regroup and follow up with a straight-forward, twangy Americana album. I almost wept after I heard the lead track “Down By The Water” on the radio. Then I visited their website and saw a picture of them sitting in a field wearing flannel shirts. I think one of them had a piece of grass in their mouth. I was flat out giddy.
The album has lived up to expectations set forth by that picture. The lead track opens with a harmonica and just ambles about. After the first chorus, Gillian joins in and the tune takes on an uplifting feel. I still smile every time when I hear Meloy and Welch hit the following chorus:
And nobody, nobody knows
Let the yolk fall from our shoulders
Don’t carry it all, don’t carry it all
We are all our hands and holders
Beneath this bold and brilliant sun
A couple of songs later, Peter Buck from R.E.M. plays on “Calamity Song” and his jangly guitar is as recognizable as any trademark voice you’d hear. Buck’s guitar sounds wonderful and Meloy even does a nice Michael Stipe impression at 1:45. And lest I forgot, the back-to-back hymns of January and June. They are both gorgeous and really show the band stripped down, letting their immense talent shine without any fuss. With the shitty winter many of us have had, the opening verses of January Hymn really hit home:
On a winter’s Sunday I go
To clear away the snow
And green the ground belowApril all an ocean away
Is this the better way to spend the day?
Keeping the winter at bay
I was a little late to The Decemberists, joining the hype machine after Picaresque was released. I’ve since become enamored in their ability to push boundaries and reinvent themselves with a variety of creative motifs for us to enjoy. And as much as I would love for them to make Gillian a permanent member of the band and continue to crank out acoustic Americana, I think I’d be cheating them and more importantly myself. As a fan, they continue to challenge me. That’s right, its all about me.
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Image courtesy of BeauHoward.com.
Last month, I again found myself in Atlanta and made it to a great venue called The Tabernacle. One of my favorite bands, Blind Pilot, was opening for The Decemberists and rental car trouble started things off on the wrong foot. My front bumper dropped off the car on the interstate and dragged along the ground all the way through downtown, past throngs of on-lookers with no inhibitions about pointing and laughing.
I stepped inside the The Tabernacle, an old church cathedral with pews still visible in some areas, to see Blind Pilot starting things off. They had a great crowd, but as I listened to side conversations at the back bar, I soon realized that many people had never heard of them. You’d hear comments like “This is Blind who?” during “Go On, Say It” and then “Shit, these guys are good. Who are they?” around the time “One Red Thread” was kicking into gear. I then understood the importance of pairing up with the right headliner if you’re just getting your start. I’m sure this tour will grow Blind Pilot’s audience in big ways.
Between sets, National Car Rental was nice enough to drop off a new car with all parts intact.
Then The Decemberists took the stage. Their latest album, Hazards of Love, was still sinking in with me but the live performance pushed a couple songs up to the top of my playlists, most notably “The Rake’s Song” and “The Wanting Comes In Waves.” I noticed five drum kits set up on stage prior to “The Rake’s Song” and I was intrigued. Then Colin Meloy played first acoustic guitar chords and the lights went dim. Only his face was lit up until the thunderous drums started kicking in from all five locations on the stage. Lights flashed and chills were sent down my spine. The entire venue (me excluded) knew every word and the Tabernacle walls were echoing with the shouts of fans. The fan video below will give you a taste:
Video: The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song (Live in Atlanta)
Another highlight of the night was “The Wanting Comes In Waves” which I’d seen on Letterman a few weeks earlier. In my post about the Letterman performance, a reader pointed out my indie ignorance by explaining that Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond/Sufjan Stevens is performing with The Decemberists. Well Shara stole the show. She has the best voice I’ve ever heard in person and a stage presence to match. A second video clip from the same fan.
Video: The Decemberists – “The Wanting Comes In Waves” (Live in Atlanta)
The Tabernacle’s temperature got up to about 108 degrees with 200% humidity so I left. I could taste the sweat of others around me.‚ Despite the rental car and clammy venue, the night was great.‚ I was always on the fence with Colin Meloy and friends, but after this night, it’s safe to say that I’m officially a fan of The Decemberists.
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The Decemberists recently released their first single as a free download from their website. It was one of those painfully cumbersome downloads where you were required to enter your email address and they’d email you the link to download. I opted in and never got the email, but fortunately Rock Insider posted it for us. Here’s the track, courtesy of Jax.
The Decemberists’ new album Hazards of Love will be released on March 24th.
The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song
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