So ask me, I won't say no, how could I?
February 10, 2010 1:01 PM Subscribe
Doesn't count the leadins to some of their songs that they do. . . Specifically Black Water--- >16 Military Wives.
I am sure that there are others.
posted by Danf at 1:05 PM on February 10, 2010
I am sure that there are others.
posted by Danf at 1:05 PM on February 10, 2010
Thanks! This is great! "The Mariner's Revenge Song" made it onto my last MeFi mix exchange disc, and I've been on a Decemberists kick ever since.
posted by Shepherd at 1:06 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Shepherd at 1:06 PM on February 10, 2010
Holy crap - this is fantastic. He's got some great cover choices here - lots to check out tonight. I could have sworn that youaintnopicasso went away. At some point I pulled it from bookmarks. Looks like I have some catching up to do.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 1:13 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 1:13 PM on February 10, 2010
What everyone else said. Thanks, this is awesome.
posted by thebergfather at 1:16 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by thebergfather at 1:16 PM on February 10, 2010
God I feel like such a hipster for drooling over this. But thanks Boo.
posted by Brodiggitty at 1:21 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Brodiggitty at 1:21 PM on February 10, 2010
I only knew about a handful of these. This is a great find...thanks.
posted by rocket88 at 1:22 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by rocket88 at 1:22 PM on February 10, 2010
Fantastic! What an eclectic mix.
I couldn't believe when they busted out the "Crazy on You" cover when I saw them this summer. Such an awesome band.
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 1:27 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I couldn't believe when they busted out the "Crazy on You" cover when I saw them this summer. Such an awesome band.
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 1:27 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
They did the Crazy On You for most of the stops, I think - they must have done it on a lark once and realized how awesome it was!
posted by Solon and Thanks at 1:30 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Solon and Thanks at 1:30 PM on February 10, 2010
I'm enjoying these. I always put The Decemberists in the category of "a band those kids like that I'm too lazy too learn about." I just read a little about them and will go do some exploring now...
posted by marxchivist at 1:43 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by marxchivist at 1:43 PM on February 10, 2010
Archive.Org has dozens of beautifully recorded FLAC compilations of Decemberists' lives shows, including a ton of covers. Totally a wonderful site.
posted by banannafish at 1:49 PM on February 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by banannafish at 1:49 PM on February 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
Holy shit, this cover of Feel Liking Making Love. Actually I could say that for a lot of what I've listened through. I'm not really a live album sort of dude, but these are pretty well recorded. Plus, they don't play to blow out your ears, so maybe that helps in recording.
posted by boo_radley at 1:52 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by boo_radley at 1:52 PM on February 10, 2010
56 cover songs by the Decemberists, and me snowed in where I can't listen to them. Damn you, Boo Radley!
posted by Toby Dammit X at 1:52 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Toby Dammit X at 1:52 PM on February 10, 2010
Even if you're lukewarm on the Decemberists, if you get a chance to go to a concert you should. I've converted many a friend that way. They're really incredible live.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:03 PM on February 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:03 PM on February 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is the greatest thing to happen to me all day. Thank you.
posted by elsewhen at 2:25 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by elsewhen at 2:25 PM on February 10, 2010
One look at this page reminds me that Morrissey is the best writer of song titles in the business. Each one means a minimum of three different things, depending on your mood at the time. That's accesibility. That's being there for whatever emotional state the listener is in. How the hell can you do that?
posted by Ironmouth at 2:39 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Ironmouth at 2:39 PM on February 10, 2010
btw, here's a pretty good boot of one of the "A Short Fazed Hovel" shows that includes a cleaner version of "Crazy On You"
posted by eyeballkid at 2:40 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by eyeballkid at 2:40 PM on February 10, 2010
Also, the power of a song is measured in its covers. Goodbye Girl with a banjo? The more ways it can be done, the better the song.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:41 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by Ironmouth at 2:41 PM on February 10, 2010
At the last concert I went to they covered Crazy On You, which was really well done. I had no idea they covered other songs.
Also: they decided to re-enact Lawrence of Arabia by having several members of the band go into the crowd with instruments and have the surrounding people interact in some way.
The Decemberists have really good live shows, so if they stop nearby don't hesitate to go.
posted by hellojed at 3:25 PM on February 10, 2010
Also: they decided to re-enact Lawrence of Arabia by having several members of the band go into the crowd with instruments and have the surrounding people interact in some way.
The Decemberists have really good live shows, so if they stop nearby don't hesitate to go.
posted by hellojed at 3:25 PM on February 10, 2010
Ho. Lee. Cow. This covers collection has so many fantastic--not to mention underrated!--songs on it I really wish I liked The Decemberists more. Maybe I should try harder.
posted by applemeat at 3:26 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by applemeat at 3:26 PM on February 10, 2010
I would favorite this twice if I could.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:34 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:34 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Colin's being doing Hitchcock covers for years - his first one in 1990, covering Airscape with his uncle and a few friends.
posted by scruss at 3:39 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by scruss at 3:39 PM on February 10, 2010
Although there are many outstanding covers here, the best in my opinion is "Bridges & Balloons," originally by Joanna Newsom. Fantastic.
Also, for pure entertainment value, Pink Floyd fans should check out Colin's solo take on "Nobody Home".
posted by Ike_Arumba at 4:00 PM on February 10, 2010
Also, for pure entertainment value, Pink Floyd fans should check out Colin's solo take on "Nobody Home".
posted by Ike_Arumba at 4:00 PM on February 10, 2010
The Decemberists have really good live shows, so if they stop nearby don't hesitate to go.
I was lukewarm (relatively lukewarm-- or as lukewarm as I could be about a new Decemberists record) about The Hazards of Love, but then I saw it live
and went
O
That's how this is supposed to sound.
posted by eyeballkid at 4:08 PM on February 10, 2010
I was lukewarm (relatively lukewarm-- or as lukewarm as I could be about a new Decemberists record) about The Hazards of Love, but then I saw it live
and went
O
That's how this is supposed to sound.
posted by eyeballkid at 4:08 PM on February 10, 2010
Oh shit. Dude. Dude. Human Behavior. Dude.
* nods *
posted by boo_radley at 4:50 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
* nods *
posted by boo_radley at 4:50 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I used to volunteer as an usher at the old Loew's theater in Jersey City. This basically meant I got to see whatever band was playing warm up, and then see the show for free in exchange for a small amount of work. When the Decemberists played, they came in early, were incredibly polite to everyone, hauled in all kinds of crazy instruments, and played around on the stage while we were all setting up. They seemed to me to be more like kids with toys who had somehow sneaked into a big theater and were messing around imitating tracks they knew from their parents' record collections. I shirked my popcorn box packing duties and sat in the back row of the empty theater listening to them "warm up" by playing Pink Floyd's The Wall. Damn that was a great afternoon.
posted by tractorfeed at 5:46 PM on February 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by tractorfeed at 5:46 PM on February 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Echoes sounds discombobulating with a 'merkin accent. Nice keyboard sound, though, but the dude doesn't quite have Wright's understanding of the spaces between the notes. Minus points for trying to shoehorn in the cool reverby bit from One Of These Days.
(I have honestly never heard the Decemberists before, though I hear all the cool kids hate them)
posted by Sparx at 6:17 PM on February 10, 2010
(I have honestly never heard the Decemberists before, though I hear all the cool kids hate them)
posted by Sparx at 6:17 PM on February 10, 2010
Sparx: The keyboardist ain't a dude. But I agree about the stylistic comment.
(can't be Wright all the time?)
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 6:45 PM on February 10, 2010
(can't be Wright all the time?)
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 6:45 PM on February 10, 2010
The keyboardist ain't a dude
My bad. While it's hard to tell without video I should not have assumed.
(can't be Wright all the time?)
Not since 2008 at least :-(
posted by Sparx at 7:25 PM on February 10, 2010
My bad. While it's hard to tell without video I should not have assumed.
(can't be Wright all the time?)
Not since 2008 at least :-(
posted by Sparx at 7:25 PM on February 10, 2010
I'm sorry, but is it really that hard to spell "Echoes"?
posted by gern at 10:31 PM on February 10, 2010
posted by gern at 10:31 PM on February 10, 2010
I don't want to be all 'Music Must Be Paid For' about this (because this is the first post I've seen on the blue about the Decemberists that wasn't full of 'your favourite band sucks'), but the first three batches of MP3s - Morrissey, Shirley Collins, Sam Cooke - are rips of Colin Meloy's covers EPs, so posting them here may be a bit dodgy.
I thought the Morrissey covers fell into the "don't do a cover unless it's as good as the original" territory, but the Shirley Collins stuff is excellent.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:57 AM on February 11, 2010
I thought the Morrissey covers fell into the "don't do a cover unless it's as good as the original" territory, but the Shirley Collins stuff is excellent.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:57 AM on February 11, 2010
le morte de bea arthur: "I don't want to be all 'Music Must Be Paid For' about this"
That's a good point, and one I didn't address, so I reveal my shameful secret: Via.
posted by boo_radley at 10:17 AM on February 11, 2010
That's a good point, and one I didn't address, so I reveal my shameful secret: Via.
posted by boo_radley at 10:17 AM on February 11, 2010
Wow, I guess you people like yourselves some Decemberists.
They're really incredible live.
Does the live setting fix his unbearable voice?
posted by ghastlyfop at 12:15 PM on February 11, 2010
They're really incredible live.
Does the live setting fix his unbearable voice?
posted by ghastlyfop at 12:15 PM on February 11, 2010
Does the live setting fix his unbearable voice?
A few years ago, when I used to go to gigs more than I do now, there was this guy who used to go to nearly every gig at this one place I liked. He'd get pretty drunk and talk through all the songs in a real loud stupid voice with his back to the band, then shout 'That was shit!' whenever a song finished. What made it strange was that he presumably paid good money to get in, and the beer wasn't that great. Sometimes the singer in the band was someone who knew how to handle hecklers and said something that made him look small and sad. He'd usually shut up then, but you could guarantee he'd be back the next week, same as before.
Anyway, if that guy was you, I'm sorry about the time my girlfriend punched you in the dick.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:48 AM on February 12, 2010
A few years ago, when I used to go to gigs more than I do now, there was this guy who used to go to nearly every gig at this one place I liked. He'd get pretty drunk and talk through all the songs in a real loud stupid voice with his back to the band, then shout 'That was shit!' whenever a song finished. What made it strange was that he presumably paid good money to get in, and the beer wasn't that great. Sometimes the singer in the band was someone who knew how to handle hecklers and said something that made him look small and sad. He'd usually shut up then, but you could guarantee he'd be back the next week, same as before.
Anyway, if that guy was you, I'm sorry about the time my girlfriend punched you in the dick.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:48 AM on February 12, 2010
Does the live setting fix his unbearable voice?
I'm a fan of Colin Meloy now, but it took a while. As each of the first few Decemberists albums came out people kept recommending them to me, but I couldn't get past his voice. But eventually the music won me over and now I'm comfortable with his voice and don't give it a second thought. The same thing happened with Placebo.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:27 AM on February 13, 2010
I'm a fan of Colin Meloy now, but it took a while. As each of the first few Decemberists albums came out people kept recommending them to me, but I couldn't get past his voice. But eventually the music won me over and now I'm comfortable with his voice and don't give it a second thought. The same thing happened with Placebo.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:27 AM on February 13, 2010
Slack-a-gogo...Exactly. Both Decemberists and Placebo. I couldn't get over this whiny genre of music that was really popular for a while (and still is). I had lumped both those artists in that category. Now that I've had experiences where I. Just. Had. To. Hear. That. Song. Again. And again. I've realized that there's something superordinary about them.
I think it started with Engine Driver and Every Me, Every You, respectively.
posted by iamkimiam at 2:36 PM on February 13, 2010
I think it started with Engine Driver and Every Me, Every You, respectively.
posted by iamkimiam at 2:36 PM on February 13, 2010
I also saw them do the cover of Heart's, "Crazy On You". This recording does not do it justice. Their guest vocalist (Shara Worden) has got some pipes and the audience simply loved it.
posted by jaronson at 4:04 PM on February 13, 2010
posted by jaronson at 4:04 PM on February 13, 2010
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I think I love you.
Signed,
eyeballkid
posted by eyeballkid at 1:03 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]