Lodestar Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Castaways and Cutouts is one of my all-time fave albums, so I'd start there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiatortunes Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 If your going studio I'd say The Crane Wife album is a good place to start. I'm also a fan of "The Crane Wife". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pillowy star Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Picaresque of course. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 This it a totally arbitrary way of figuring out which songs to look into, but sometimes I'll look up an artist on songmeangings.net and just download the songs with the most comments. With that said, if you are just looking for some songs and not albums I'd check out 16 military wives, the mariner's revenge song, of angels and angles, song for myla goldberg, sons and daughters, when the war came, and the sporting life. From the new album I'm loving the opening track, Don't Carry it All. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brianjeremy Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I really like their second album, Her Majesty, and I think that Picaresque is a close second...Their albums have gotten progressively boring, not worse per se, but still damned boring. Their last one was listened to once, maybe twice, before it was shelved away for an eternity of dust-gathering. Their new one is just what the doctor ordered though: I listened to it today and love it. Really, really like it... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 $7 on cd at best buy this week... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brianjeremy Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 $7 on cd at best buy this week... Yup, and free shipping if you order online. I put my order in yesterday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigideas Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 $7 on cd at best buy this week... I saw this, too, but then I see that there is a CD/DVD version on Amazon for about $10 more that has a 30 min making of documentary. I am a sucker for those type of things, I love them. For some reason the official Decemberists store does not carry the standalone CD/DVD. I wonder if that doc will end up on YouTube anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
borracho Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 $3.99 at amazon mp3 today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jcroach Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 $3.99 at amazon mp3 today. Thank you! Although I still haven't moved completely to digital music files. I still like physical CDs. I keep listening to the stream and every time I hear "Don't Carry It All" I can't help but thinking of Golden Smog's "Fear of Falling". It's uncanny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mardog Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 they are playing it live right now here Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scalzunfield Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I just don't feel this one at all: almost all the songs seem to be your basic 4/4 beat and at the same tempo so it's tough to distinguish between tunes. And that's after Hazards of Love was just a bad album IMO. I'm thinking the next release of theirs is most likely a "preview before buying" album. Sad to move them into that category after all they did up through The Crane Wife. A lot of these songs feel like they'd be fairly comfortable among the first two Decemberists' albums, but the problem is none of the songs on this record touch anything on those two so it feels more like a B-sides collection than anything. I feel like Meloy is similar to Jay Farrar: we've seen all we're going to see out of him and maybe even a little more than that, but it's long behind them now. And for all the little excursions and attempts at other styles, it still all sounds like a re-hash of what they've tried before. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 totally disagree. this is my 3rd or 4th favorite Decemberists album already, and i've been enjoying it more and more with every listen. there's a lot stronger vocal melodies and lyrics that you're giving it credit for. i like that it's way less wordy and "word nerdy" than the first 2 records too. i think he realized he doesn't have to try and wow everyone with his big words and thesaurus. as someone who had basically written this band off the last 3-4 years, i couldn't have asked for anything more myself Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I haven't heard any of the new album yet, but I did catch them on Leno last night and I must say I was a little underwhelmed. They played "Down by the Water". Just OK, but less than I expected. For the record, I think that The Hazards of Love is a fabulous album. Doesn't seem to get a lot of love here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I heard the new album at Lauries the other day and it sounded exactly like The Decemberists.... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
redjim Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I love this album start to finish. Down By the Water, which I like, is my least favorite song on the record. I get a definite Being There vibe on some songs, especially All Arise. I think this album is by far so much more accessible than the last couple, and its nice to take a break from the 12 minute songs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stagerug Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I love this band. Been a fan since the relative beginning, and this is my favorite of their work. This is wonderful music. They cut out a lot of the preciousness (minus a few 25c words that work really well) and still have really solid and moving lyrics. I love this album start to finish... really... every song. I like the June Hymn and February Hymn the most. In fact February has a hint of the original recording a of Bob Dylan's 49th Beard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cgoodwin22 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I love this band. Been a fan since the relative beginning, and this is my favorite of their work. This is wonderful music. They cut out a lot of the preciousness (minus a few 25c words that work really well) and still have really solid and moving lyrics. I love this album start to finish... really... every song. I like the June Hymn and February Hymn the most. In fact February has a hint of the original recording a of Bob Dylan's 49th Beard. Do you mean "January Hymn"? If so...i LOVE it! I picked up the vinyl today and played that to my wife. It's my fav. so far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stagerug Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Do you mean "January Hymn"? If so...i LOVE it! I picked up the vinyl today and played that to my wife. It's my fav. so far. Yeah, my bad... that one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pmancini100 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I really can't stand Colin Meloy. I'm not gonna get into it right now. However, I was thinking about giving them another shot when this came out. Gillian Welch and Peter Buck? Has to be pretty cool. Worth a shot? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I really can't stand Colin Meloy. I'm not gonna get into it right now. However, I was thinking about giving them another shot when this came out. Gillian Welch and Peter Buck? Has to be pretty cool. Worth a shot?Yes, it's good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SeattleC Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 What a nice change in direction, and with Peter, Gillian, and David Rawlings to help! I have been a fan for awhile, but Hazards of Love got no lovin from me. This takes me back to Meloy's Tarkio days, which have always been my favorite songs by him, with the earlier Decemberists albums also well loved. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I think this is a fantastic album, start to finish. F@cking great. Also, no matter what solace says THOL is a staggeringly great record! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I think this is a fantastic album, start to finish. F@cking great. Also, no matter what solace says THOL is a staggeringly great record! eh, i'm hardly the only one who didn't like Hazards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ghost of Electricity Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I like it except for the second track, which is too REMiniscent of "Talk About the Passion" or some other early REM. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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