i liked these guys a lot, then i didn't like them as much, and now i like them again

I have yet to hit my "didn't like them as much" phase. What was that like?

it's kind of like the phase that most people are going through with pearl jam right now, except that it wasn't nearly as reasonable

The only way out is through, my friend. I'm glad you're standing on the other side.

let's fuck bro

Worth even if you're not a Decemberists fan. Hilarious. I love Nick Fucking Offerman.

i'm happy that offerman is showing up in wilco and decemberists videos. all he has to do next is cameo in a wu-tang video, and he steals my heart forever.

"Make you butter." I'll be laughing at that all fucking weekend.

clown melody, you must always enjoy the yellow mustard. i love this so much. we actually have
a show called rockpalast which makes this even funnier to me.


i'm on a huge decemberists trip right now discovering all the albums i haven't listened to that much in the past. excited for the new album.

I like that Colin Meloy and Chris Funk seem to be slowly morphing into the same person.

wut

The Rake's Song is so excellent. Glorious songcraft.

"The Rake's Song" would be my least favorite song in the Decemberists catalog, but for "Shankill Butchers." Dull, monotonous song with transparently provocative lyrics -- if the plot of the musical made anything more than vague sense to me I am sure this song would afford me sufficient dislike of the rake character, but as it is it just sounds like Colin indulging his inner Quentin Tarantino (or perhaps more accurately, that guy who made "The Human Centipede"). Not a fan.

Cool, cool. I still think it is excellent though.

I am a big fan of the album overall, but that song and the one with the kids chorus are stinkers for me.

Kevin Davis and I don't often disagree. But when we do it's all the way, man.

The Decemberists are one of those bands where I absolutely love about 85% of everything they've done, but the remaining 15% I just unrepentantly hate. Very little middle ground. Can't really come up with a good explanation for why, except to surmise that maybe the theatrical nature of their songs comes across as precious and annoying if the songs don't work for me on some other level. Thankfully that theatricality seems to be dwindling away a bit -- "King is Dead" had an "everyday listening" vibe to it whose plainness was a welcome break from the typical "alternate Decemberists universe" of rogues and pirates and outdated words from the 18th century. Judging from what I've heard the new material tends that direction as well, though I hope we see more electric guitar and less harmonica this time out.

I've never listened to this band, but what you just described sounds like indie hell.

Yeah. The songwriting is unmatched though.