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Decemberists
The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy ( lead vocals, guitar, principal songwriter), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion), Nate Query ( bass), and John Moen ( drums). Their debut EP, '' 5 Songs'', was self-released in 2001. Their eighth and latest full-length album ''I'll Be Your Girl'' was released on March 16, 2018, by Capitol Records, and is the band's fifth record with the label. In addition to their lyrics, which often focus on historical incidents and/or folklore, the Decemberists are also well known for their eclectic live shows. Audience participation is a part of each performance, typically during encores. The band stages whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acts out songs with members of the crowd. In 2011, the track " Down by the Water" from the album '' The King Is Dead'' was n ...
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The King Is Dead (album)
''The King Is Dead'' is the sixth studio album by The Decemberists, released on Capitol Records on January 14, 2011. Described as the "most pastoral, rustic record they've ever made" by Douglas Wolk of ''Rolling Stone'', the album reached No. 1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart for the week ending February 5, 2011. The song "This Is Why We Fight" reached number 19 on the U.S Alternative Songs Chart, while the song " Down by the Water" also charted in the United States. In November 2011, the band released an EP of album out-takes, entitled '' Long Live the King''. Prior to the album's release, frontman Colin Meloy stated: "If there's anything academic about this record, or me trying to force myself in a direction, it was realising that the last three records were really influenced by the British folk revival ..this whole world that I was discovering, that I was poring over, learning inside-out. It was a wanting to get away from that. And looking back into more American tradition ...
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5 Songs (The Decemberists EP)
''5 Songs'' is a six-track EP by The Decemberists initially self-released in 2001. It is the first record the band released. The misleading title owes to the fact that the final track, "Apology Song" (originally sung by frontman Colin Meloy into the answering machine of a friend named Steven as a legitimate apology for the loss of a beloved bicycle named Madeline), was written after the original self-produced CD was released. Meloy liked it so much that it was added to the album when it was re-released by Hush Records in 2003. The album cover was designed by the Portland artist Carson Ellis, the long-time girlfriend (and now wife) of Meloy, who has created artwork for each of the band's albums. Background Fresh off a creative writing degree at the University of Montana, this debut album comes after Meloy made a decision to split up with his college band Tarkio and move to Portland, Oregon to reach a wider audience in a competitive music scene. It was there when he met his bas ...
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Down By The Water (The Decemberists Song)
Down by the Water is a song on the American indie rock band The Decemberists' sixth album, '' The King is Dead''. It was released as a single in 2010. Lyrics and music "Down By the Water" includes Peter Buck and singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, who contribute 12-string guitar and vocal harmonies, respectively. It also features accordion riffs and heavy harmonica reminiscent of Neil Young; particularly the song " Heart of Gold". "Down By the Water" has been compared to the music of Bruce Springsteen. It was featured for free download on November 2, 2010, on their official website. Meloy has said that ''The King Is Dead'' is more straightforward and heavily influenced by R.E.M., and "Down By the Water" is a prime example. Meloy himself has said that the song "started out as more of a paean to R.E.M. than I think any of us really wanted it to be". Lyrically, "Down By the Water" is vaguely mournful. It has been described as "folksy", "uptempo", and "country-esque", and the chorus as ...
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I'll Be Your Girl
''I'll Be Your Girl'' is the eighth studio album by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on March 16, 2018 on Capitol and Rough Trade. Produced by John Congleton, the band experimented with new instrumentation during the album's recording sessions, including several synth-based compositions inspired by New Order and Depeche Mode. The album was preceded by the singles, "Severed" and "Once in My Life". Writing and composition The album's lyrical content was, in part, influenced by the 2016 presidential election and its immediate aftermath. Vocalist and guitarist Colin Meloy noted: " 'I'll Be Your Girl''celebrates the absurdity of our current predicaments. I think it really is a reflection of my outlook immediately post the 2016 election, where there was immediately this onset of despair. Like real despair. Real depression, and then sort of climbing out of it. Seeing other people feeling the same way, similarly climbing out of their hole and just witnessing eve ...
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Colin Meloy
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy (born October 5, 1974) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and author best known as the frontman of the Portland, Oregon, indie folk rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica and percussion instruments. Early life and education Meloy was born in Helena, Montana. He attended the University of Oregon in Eugene for two years, studying English and theatre. He then returned to Montana and studied creative writing at the University of Montana in Missoula, graduating in 1998.Schweber, Nate"The Making of Meloy", ''The Montanan'', Winter, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2011. Musical career While in high school, Meloy was in the band Happy Cactus, and when in college, in Missoula, he was the lead singer and songwriter for Tarkio. Both were indie/folk/alternative country bands. Soon after graduation, he left Tarkio and moved to Portland with the hope ...
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Jenny Conlee
Jennifer Lynn Conlee-Drizos (born December 12, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the accordionist, pianist, organist, keyboardist, melodica player, and occasional backup singer and harmonicist for the indie rock quintet The Decemberists. Musical career Aside from her work with the Decemberists, Conlee has made guest appearances on several records by other artists, including Hush Records artist Reclinerland, Lewi Longmire, Jerry Joseph, Buoy LaRue and many others. Before the Decemberists, she played piano for the 1990s Portland, Oregon, band Calobo. She is also a member of Portland-based Casey Neill & The Norway Rats where she plays keyboards, accordion, and glockenspiel. Her most recent project is the acoustic band Black Prairie, in which she plays with a number of other Portland artists. She also founded the band KMRIA (Kiss My Royal Irish Arse), a The Pogues cover band. Conlee's accordions include a Paolo Soprani, which was on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...
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Chris Funk
Christopher Funk (born November 28, 1971) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as a member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band The Decemberists. He plays guitar, pedal steel, piano, violin, dobro, hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, saxophone, the theremin and many other instruments. According to Colin Meloy, as stated at the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, TN on September 27, 2015, Funk was originally given the middle name "Ryman" but a clerical error on his birth certificate resulted in his middle name being recorded as "Lyman." Early life Funk attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana. Musical career Funk joined the Decemberists after meeting Colin Meloy at a solo show Meloy was performing. He has been a member of the band since its formation, appearing on every Decemberists record since. Funk most commonly contributes guitar, pedal steel, and mandolin tracks to the band's songs, though he has laid down trac ...
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John Moen
John Moen is a musician and member of The Decemberists, Black Prairie, Boston Spaceships, Eyelids, and Perhapst. Moen has played the drums since he was 15 years old. Prior to joining The Decemberists, Moen played with over 20 bands including singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, Heatmiser, The Jicks, Cavemanish Boys, The Dharma Bums, The Minus 5, and the Maroons. Moen has worked with Decemberists side project Black Prairie. Moen was born in Brainerd, Minnesota and raised in Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river .... He has one child. References External linksJohn Moen interview in Salem Monthly Melodica players Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Musicians from Salem, Oregon The Decemberists members The Minus 5 members Stephen Ma ...
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Nate Query
Nate Query (born September 5, 1973) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the Portland, Oregon indie rock band The Decemberists. He plays electric bass, upright bass, banjo and cello. He makes appearances on many albums by Portland artists, including Laura Gibson, Rebecca Gates, the Minus 5, and Laura Veirs. He is also credited on Michael Zapruder's record. His former bands include Calobo and Everyday Dirt. His most recent project is the acoustic band Black Prairie with a number of other Portland artists. Personal life Query was born in Bellevue Washington. He attended Portland's West Sylvan Middle School and Lincoln High School (Portland, Oregon). He is married and has two children. His favorite book is the Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion d ...
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Rachel Blumberg
Rachel Chaiya Blumberg (born February 10, 1969) is an American musician, artist, and filmmaker, best known for her tenure as the drummer for the indie rock band The Decemberists. Early life Blumberg was born in Portland, Oregon in 1969. She is the daughter of Naomi Blumberg, a Portland cellist and President Emerita of the Oregon Cello Society, and Bernie Blumberg, a professional musician and a public school music teacher, supervisor and principal. Music career In addition to drumming for The Decemberists, Blumberg was a member of many Portland-based indie bands, including Sissyface, Boycrazy, Norfolk & Western, The Minders (briefly) and M. Ward's backing band. She spent most of 2007 lending her drumming and singing talents to the touring Omaha indie band Bright Eyes on the Four Winds and Cassadaga tour. In 2007 and early 2008, she recorded new records with Norfolk & Western, M. Ward, and Jolie Holland. Blumberg has recorded with Providence, RI band The Low Anthem and pe ...
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Petra Haden
Petra Haden (born October 11, 1971) is an American musician and singer. She is the daughter of the jazz bassist Charlie Haden, and is the triplet sister of bassist Rachel Haden (her bandmate in That Dog) and cellist Tanya Haden (married to singer and actor Jack Black); she has performed with her sisters as The Haden Triplets. She's also the sister of bassist-singer Josh Haden, leader of the group Spain. Biography Haden has been a member of That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists. Over the course of her career, Haden has contributed to recordings by Bill Frisell, The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Sun Kil Moon, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Weezer, The Rentals, Victoria Williams, Yuka Honda, The Gutter Twins, Sunn O))), Cornelius and the Nick Haywood Trio. In New York City, in 1996, she released her first album, ''Imaginaryland'', consisting mostly of original a cappella music. In 2000, Petra was struck by a car while crossing a street in Los Angeles; ...
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Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area (MSA), making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area. Named after Portland, Maine, the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1840s, near the end of the Oregon Trail. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the ...
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