The Decemberists

Latest Articles

By | January 01, 0001

The Phoenix's Greatest Hits of 2011

Self-Aggrandizement Dept.
We have to admit it: we're a little bit awesome. It's true.
By PHOENIX STAFF | December 21, 2011

Photos: Tegan and Sara + Mavis Staples + The Decemberists at Newport Folk Festival

Quad Stage + Fort Stage | July 30, 2011
Tegan and Sara, Mavis Staples, and The Decemberists perform at the Newport Folk Festival on July 30, 2011.
By JANICE CHECCHIO | August 01, 2011

Newport Folk Festival expands its scope

Plugged into 2011
Indeed much has changed since the historic and genre-defining Newport Folk Festival resumed in 1986 after a 15-year hiatus.
By JONATHAN DONALDSON | August 01, 2011

Playing pretty at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Anthems and praise songs
An accordion blasted a few bars of a two-step and then stopped. "That's the only Cajun music you'll hear on this stage," said Colin Meloy. The Decemberists were making their New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival debut on the Fais Do-Do stage, which is typically reserved for Cajun, zydeco, and other indigenous Louisiana music.
By JON GARELICK | May 12, 2011

Does this book make me look smart?

Somervillian mocks the cult of David Foster Wallace with Tumblr-tastic 'People Holding Infinite Jest'
The first and only complete passage of Infinite Jest Chris Braiotta ever read was tattooed on somebody's calf.
By EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | April 13, 2011

Mean Creek lead a rocking Allston block party

Out: Choose your own adventure
"Hey, it's my birthday, and I got too drunk," announced Mean Creek's Chris Keene midway through their set before a sizable and affable crowd Saturday at the Brighton Music Hall. "You may remember me from such hits as 'Fucking Up the First Song.' "
By MICHAEL MAROTTA | February 01, 2011

Photos: The Decemberists at the House of Blues

The Decemberists | House of Blues | January 29, 2011
The Decemberists play an acoustic set at the Foundation Room at the House of Blues on January 29, 2011.
By STEPHANIE ROSE | January 31, 2011

The Big Hurt: A Swift descent into Cake, Broadcasting death, and Steven Tyler's Idol

Music News in Brief
It was a minor tragedy when blameless young TAYLOR SWIFT scored the worst-selling #1 album in recorded chart history. But the humiliation didn't end there: the poor kid's record was shattered only a week later by quasi-novelty dorks CAKE , who managed to knock her off the top spot with an even weaker chart debut.
By DAVID THORPE | January 26, 2011

How the Decemberists ruined indie rock

Colin Meloy's crew have much to answer for
If you're a regular reader of the Phoenix's music section, you'll have noticed a decided uptick in the space devoted to electronic music here lately: electro, laptop lo-fi, chillwave, superstar DJs, and whatever other bullshit genre we're about to hype next week. There's a reason for that: all the writers here (myself especially) have horrible taste.
By LUKE O'NEIL | January 26, 2011

The Decemberists | The King Is Dead

Capitol (2011)
It may be called The King Is Dead , but the latest Decemberists album screams "rodeo" rather than "royalty."
By MIRIAM LAMEY | January 11, 2011

Black Prairie | Feast Of The Hunter’s Moon

Sugar Hill (2010)
Admire the Decemberists’ meticulous sea-shanty soundscapes but can’t stand Colin Meloy’s word-nerd volubility?
By MIKAEL WOOD | April 07, 2010

Getting to know Audrey Ryan

We know, we know
Though she's primarily Boston-based at this point, Audrey Ryan grew up on Mount Desert Island and he's clearly retained some of that rough-and-tumble independence streak.
By SAM PFEIFLE | January 13, 2010

2009: The top 10 in pop music

Music you need to own
Hmm, lots of women, a few old dudes, and some African banjo (not to be confused with Steve Martin's Hollywood banjo).
By JIM MACNIE | December 22, 2009

Bring the trauma

Fanfarlo adjust to the road
Even with the new order completely renovating the rock biz, some things have to be done the old-fashioned way. And after having their asses duly kicked by the old-fashioned way this past month, the five-piece London orchestral-pop combo known as Fanfarlo are eager to be done with this, their first US tour (which comes to T.T. the Bear's this Thursday). It's been a doozy.
By MICHAEL BRODEUR | December 15, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

Covering the bottom end - and the bottom line

Newport Jazz comes back with a bang
The biggest news made by the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals the past two weekends was that they happened at all.
By JON GARELICK | August 14, 2009

Photos: George Wein's Folk Festival 2009

Photos of Deer Tick, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins and more at the Newport folk festival
Photos from George Wein's 50th annual Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park, Newport.
By RICHARD MCCAFFREY | August 04, 2009

Making waves

Six Star General invade Newport
A packed weekend begins THURSDAY (the 30th) when the ladies take over at the Hi-Hat, with MELISSA FERRICK and locals Seriously Fierce (aka Heather Rose and Keturah) opening, call 401.453.6500.
By PROVIDENCE PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | July 29, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

Photos: Bonnaroo 2009

Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Elvis Costello, and more at Bonnaroo 2009
Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Elvis Costello, and more at Bonnaroo 2009 in Manchester, Tennessee
By LEXY WINTER | June 17, 2009

Trail of tunes

Music al fresco at summer fests
The best summer music festivals take something from the season: the smell of the surf, the sight of the mountains, fireworks, lawn seating — or, at least, fried dough.
By CLEA SIMON | June 09, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

Marianne Faithfull | Easy Come Easy Go

Decca (2009)
The CD cover is deceptively retro Sinatra: here's Marianne encased in a lady's tux in front of a vintage microphone with "Easy" twice on the title and the subtitle "12 Songs for Music Lovers."
By GUSTAVO TURNER | March 23, 2009

Sincerely yours,

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's new homonymous album is filled with well-worn lyrics.
There is a surge in polyglot music, but despite its force, a strain of conservatism (one that has always run through indie rock) is keeping pace.
By DEVIN KING | March 12, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

The electric company

The Builders and the Butchers plug in, take off
We all know how in 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, the previously all-acoustic Bob Dylan took the stage with an electric guitar, plugged in, enraged fans, and destroyed the folk-music scene forever.
By MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG | February 02, 2009

A real cut-up

An interview with Robert Pollard on the occasion of the landing of Boston Spaceships
Robert Pollard is a Renaissance man.
By MIKE MILIARD | September 23, 2008