The Decemberists

A friend gave me 'Picaresque' for Christmas, and it has to be one of the quirkiest discs I've ever heard. Most of the tunes I adore, but there are a couple that must have been put on the disc as a dare because they are SO out there.

Whaddy'all think?


:hippie:

A good underground band...personally I like Sufjan Stevens myself...

Any band that starts its shows with the old Soviet National Anthem can't be all bad.

Oh yeah...I wouldn't give that disc as a present unless I knew someone's taste REALLY well.

Picaresque was my pick for album of the year. Stunning instrumentation, lyrics that create mood and atmosphere, experimentation with diverse influences, these are not things you see in a lot of bands these days. The two qualities I look for the most in a band (the actual style of their music aside) are bravery and a sense of humor. The Decembrists have both in spades.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

You have excellent taste in music. :D

:toast:

:hi:

I've heard good things.

Good, weird stuff. I don't think it's on that album, though?

Shanty For The Arethusa Lyrics

We set to sail on a packet full of spice, rum and tea-leaves.
We've emptied out all the bars and the bowery hotels.
Tell your daughters do not walk the streets alone tonight
Tell your daughters do not walk the streets alone tonight.

To tell the tale of the jewess and the mandarin chinese boy
He led her down from her gilded canopy of cloth.
And through her blindfold she could make out the figures there before her
And how the air was thick with incense, cardamom and myrrh.

So goodnight, boys, goodnight
Say goodnight, boys, goodnight

We set to sail on the clipper that's bound for South Australia
The weather's warm there, the natives are dark and nubile.
But if you listen, quiet, you can hear the footsteps on the cross-trees
The ghosts of sailors past, their spectral bodies clinging to the shrouds.

So goodnight, boys, goodnight
Say goodnight, boys, goodnight

Which I haven't bought yet. :hi:

I listen to a lot of music at work through Launch (yahoo), which means I'm lucky if I happen to see who/song/album, whatever. But I had a friend introduce me to them, so I added them to my faves online :bounce:

... their tunes are pretty decent.

:hi:

I prefer their first one "Cutouts and Castaways" over "Picaresque", however.

I might actually listen to this right now since my XM signal keeps cutting in and out.

i went to see them with caroline (fricasseed_gourmet_rat) in October. They were fantastic!

... were there costumes and props ? :silly:

they had a giant cardboard shark that was "eating" colin during one of the songs

it was awesome

of their catalogue. There's just something too "clever" about them, too fey and anti-rock.

I am not sure what to make of that group, to be honest. Put me down as "notknowing"

:hi: Did you get the 2006 Bonnaroo email ? 10,000 fewer hippies this year.
That leaves out most of the folks we wanted to invite ....

:hippie:

i love the decemberists :)

KCRW and KEXP.

it's affiliated with 88.5, xpn.org, I think? Or maybe I've got my letters wrong.


:hi:

and that's a good thing.