Picaresque is great. I've gotten all three albums in the last month or so and love each one. They're playing in Dallas one week from today. I wondered if anyone has seen them live and how they were?
i like them, they sound like pirates.
I like them too. Though I've only really listened to their new album. I like what's happening in the Canadian music scene.
i haven't seen them live either, but have heard great things from my friends who have caught a show.
I really love these guys. I have tickets to their Boston show which is in May, and I am pretty excited.
yay Boston.
the show was pretty good. they reproduce the records pretty much note for note. they played all of Picaresque except for Eli i believe. they played both the Mariner's Revenge Song and The Tain, so that was pretty cool. i hadn't heard the Tain before that, so that was a neat way to hear it. i bought the vinyl with 5 Songs/The Tain. now i'm wishing i had the Tain on CD though. since i own an actual recording i guess that entitles me to download mp3's legally, but unfortunately SoulSeek has changed up or something.
This comes out tomorrow, no?
Quote from: deathnotronicThis comes out tomorrow, no?
if you're referring to Picaresque, it came out two weeks ago or so in the US.
Wow, was I off.
Has anyone heard Colin Meloy's old band, Tarkio?
I just got an album of theirs tonight... it's really good.
i like this album. except for the 2 most piratey sounding songs (The Infanta and Mariners Revenge Song), which i usually have to skip. the rest of it is good though. my cousin had told me about them a few years ago and i think i downloaded a few songs off of Her Majesty and just could not get into it mostly because i couldnt stand the singers voice. but i think the songs are strong enough for most of the new record that it doesnt bother me, and i guess i've also been listening to weirder stuff lately making this seem.... not so weird anymore. my girlfriend remarked as the the REM similarities.
I just adore these guys. I actually first heards of them through the Now Playing thread in Real-Life Soundtracks. Few bands have won me over as quick as the Decemberists. No one has mentioned their lyrics, and to ignore them would be a crime. Only Meloy could write a love song piratey, and a pirate song like a love song. Initially I was a tad dissapointed in Picaresque. It grew on me fast, but I'd still range both Castaways & Cutouts and Her Majesty over it.
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I've hung out with them, they are gimicky as fuck. Turn off to the extreme.
My friend made me listen to every lyric of some song about two mariners trapped in a whale (reading this thread, I'm assuming it's Mariners Revenge Song) and man, that song was amazing. modage, how can you skip it? The story is just amazing, and it's a brilliantly written song (I want to say score, it's like they just scored the lyrics).
yeah, it's really good live.
if you like long epic songs, now you need to get a copy of The Tain.
it's a 15 minute song with 5 parts.
i love any band that makes several barely-masked references to Dylan Thomas.
and they sound awesome.
I saw them live here at the Avalon in Boston a few nights ago - it was a really great show. Halfway through 'The Chimbley Sweep' they all switched instruments and started playing 'Hava Nagila' - then they switched back and returned to the song. At one point Colin Meloy had everyone in the Avalon crouched down. I love this band.
all of my friends got to see them when i was stuck in NY. i'm seriously addicted to this band.
their lyrics are better than pretty much anything out there, their sound is relatively original, and their songs are epic.
picaresque is easily one of the best put together albums that i've ever heard.
infanta, 16 military wives, mariners revenge, and billy liar are usually in my head at the same time. god, i love this band.
there is that weird r thing, but i think it adds to the band's style.
gonna go see them dec 5th in nyc.
edit:
i was on crack. i don't know waht the hell december 5th is, but i saw them some time earlier this month.
I saw them live at the Intonation Music Festival in Chicago and they did the whole thing with The Chimbley Sweep and having everyone crouch down also. In The Mariner's Revenge Song they did a signal of waving their arms in a chomping motion to represent a whale (I don't know how else to describe it) and everyone had to scream. It was thousands of people there for the last set of the festival. It was amazing.
the thing they do at the beginning of Chimbley Sweep is a reference to the beginning of Under Milk Wood, by Dylan Thomas
all around an amazing show.
highlights were Picaresque opening and then some tracks off of the new EP, On The Bus Mall, Eli the Barrow Boy, and of course Mariner's Revenge.
they encored with Mr. Blue Sky by ELO
i shook colin's hand and the guitarist laughed at me and nodded when i yelled "elo rocks my body"
Quote from: Reinhold Messner
they encored with Mr. Blue Sky by ELO
Too fucking cool.
I just saw them again on Sunday night. The show ended up being kind of lame, but I think that was mostly from who I ended up seeing there (friends I really didn't want to see right then). They had a really cool introduction where they played whale sounds and came out on stage hitting all this shit, and they played two unreleased tracks. I didn't like their set list as much, though, and there were no surprises. I think I probably just expected too much. I did get to scream and lose my voice again with The Mariner's Revenge Song, though, and that was awesome.
I saw them on Columbus Day here is Boston, again. Awesome show - they covered 'I'm Sticking With You' by the Velvet Underground (not as cool as ELO), and they played the Tain - all around awesome. Chris Funk also came into the crowd and did a handstand during 'A Cautionary Tale.'
remember what she does when you're asleep
Quote from: A Matter Of Chancethey covered 'I'm Sticking With You' by the Velvet Underground (not as cool as ELO), and they played the Tain - all around awesome. Chris Funk also came into the crowd and did a handstand during 'A Cautionary Tale.'
You lucky bastard.
Okay, I just listened to one of the best albums I've heard in a long time.
Yes, I'm talking about the new concept story album from the Decemberists. I could go on and on about how great it is, but it's probably best to just download it (http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4760046/The_Decemberists_-_Hazards_of_Love.4760046.TPB.torrent) and and enjoy it while reading the lyrics (http://lyricwiki.org/The_Decemberists:The_Hazards_Of_Love_%282009%29).
I haven't read any criticism of it yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's already being called a masterpiece. It's certainly better than anything the Decemberists have ever done.
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Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on March 15, 2009, 09:33:49 PM
Okay, I just listened to one of the best albums I've heard in a long time.
Yes, I'm talking about the new concept story album from the Decemberists. I could go on and on about how great it is, but it's probably best to just download it (http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4760046/The_Decemberists_-_Hazards_of_Love.4760046.TPB.torrent) and and enjoy it while reading the lyrics (http://lyricwiki.org/The_Decemberists:The_Hazards_Of_Love_%282009%29).
I haven't read any criticism of it yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's already being called a masterpiece. It's certainly better than anything the Decemberists have ever done.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pastemagazine.com%2Farticles%2F2009%2F02%2F10%2Fdecemberists_hazards.jpg&hash=ee699a1b8c8ad0f4cdab04eb2b9e23d3bdef2cc8)
This is the best news I've gotten all weekend. And it's been a good weekend.
I have yet to hear anything from the new album. I was kinda thrown off by their last album, which wasn't bad, but just seemed too much of the same I guess. Also the multiple super long songs made it a hard listen for me.
I still like them enough to pick this up when it comes out though.
I know a week or two ago they sent an e-mail saying the first "x" number of people to order the album through them would get it signed and I couldn't even get through to the merch portion of the site for hours after.
Not too crazy about the album cover.
I've never liked anything they've done. Maybe I'll give this new one a spin.
Colin Meloy should shut his stupid fucking face. As long as The Soft Boys/RH albums still exist, there is no reason for The Decemberists to exist. Boring and pretentious... and, if you're gonna be pretentious, at least don't be boring.
Faux-rock isn't rock.
Is it true that he has an album where he covers Sam Cooke songs or is that just a joke because his voice isn't very good and Sam Cooke's was one of the best voices of all-time?
Quote from: bigideas on March 16, 2009, 11:23:15 AM
Also the multiple super long songs made it a hard listen for me.
You might not like this too much, then. It's basically what they were doing with "The Island" on Crane Wife, extended out to an entire album. It's a pretty impressive piece of work, but I can't imagine myself listening to it on a regular basis.
Quote from: Stefen on March 16, 2009, 04:44:54 PM
Is it true that he has an album where he covers Sam Cooke songs or is that just a joke because his voice isn't very good and Sam Cooke's was one of the best voices of all-time?
According to Wikipedia, yes.
That's the kinda thing that would be a Mad TV sketch if Mad TV had better references... or writers... or was still on the air.
Were ya'll hurt by a girl who loved this band or something?
Goodness.
I only date girls who listen to gangsta rap.
Yeah... the backlash this is getting in this thread is just a little confounding. And for the record, I was not impressed with the Decemberists' previous work (though honestly I'll probably have to revisit it now) except for a few songs here and there. I found it mostly plain, and, yes, sometimes pretentious. But I dunno, the live clips I've seen of Colin Meloy (including on-stage banter, etc.) communicate anything but pretentiousness. Is he a little over-educated? Sure. Is his voice an acquired taste? Yeah. But I got used to it. Unlike the band's other stuff, this album just clicked with me. It clicked like few albums ever have. I'm not sure I can explain it, but I think this is nearly perfect.
Damn, this slipped my mind. Can't wait to get it when I get home.
No backlash from me, after an initial curiosity based on a friend's recommendation, and their allegiances to Robyn Hitchcock/Sean Nelson/Peter Buck, I was really excited to hear them... and immediately turned off by what I heard.
However, not to shit on everything and hoping not to be an entirely cynical bastard, I drove around listening to Hazards of Love last night. It's not going to convert me.... and it's not going to make me recant any previous sentiment... BUT... I can see why some people respond so affectionately to this band. There were a few really exciting moments scattered on an otherwise bloated album... but at least it was attempting something, and at least those moments were aiming for a height a lot of bands are to demure to attempt. So, yeah, it still isn't my style... but there are a lot more detrimental things for the indie kids to obsesses over (I'm looking at you, MGMT)
I listened to it, too after hearing a feature on it on NPR.
It's good. I like it and I'm glad I gave it a chance, but it is very pretentious. It' reminds me of an indier version of something The Mars Volta would do. Corny as fuck, but fun at times. I can't imagine myself listening to the whole thing more than the one time I did, but it's got some stuff I'll go back to.
I just saw that it is streaming on imeem.
I seem to be reading that this one is 'prog-y?'
(I would guess with lots of 70's keyboards?)
Have they given up the sea chant-y vibe?
Saw them tonight! Review here:
http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=6755.msg277722#msg277722
Listening to The Hazards of Love for the first time in a long time. Immediately got chills, and it just won't stop. This thing is a miracle. Holding strong as my #2 favorite album.
FYI, you must read the lyrics while listening along. One time should do it, and then you'll know what's going on. The story and characters are essential.