Tag Archives: The Decemberists

The Annotated Decemberists No. 8: “Here I Dreamt I was an Architect”

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading

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Rankstravaganza: My 15 favorite albums of 2011

The album is dead. Long live the album. Increasingly, my listening habits tend to revolve around individual tracks, so I tried to adjust my year-end list-making accordingly by making My 30 Favorite Tracks of 2011 the primary entry in this … Continue reading

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Rankstravaganza: My 30 favorite tracks of 2011

I don’t know about you, but for me, 2011 was not a year of discovery. Most of the songs that bubbled their way to the top of my most-played tracks from last year were by bands I already knew and … Continue reading

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10 pleasant surprises hidden in this year’s Grammy nominations

In a category usually dominated by schmaltzy duets, it’s a pleasure to see a stompin’, southern gothic, traditionalist shit-kicker like “Barton Hollow” nominated. Continue reading

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 7: “Leslie Anne Levine”

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 6: “The Apology Song”

The sixth and final entry from The Decemberists’ debut EP, Five Songs. Yes, you read that right. There are six songs on Five Songs. Continue reading

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 5: “I Don’t Mind”

It sure sounds to me like this verse describes an elderly, infirm woman being abandoned in the woods. It also seems reminiscent of a folk tale, though I can’t point to a specific example. Folklore is rife with descriptions of euthanasia and geronticide, however, as this academic review makes clear Continue reading

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 4: “Angel, Won’t You Call Me?”

The narrator’s relationship to this “Angel” is not explained in detail and therefore left open to interpretation, but basically we have a fairly straightforward musical love letter—albeit one couched in plenty of self-deprecation. Continue reading

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Halftime Report: My favorite 15 tracks of 2011 thus far

I realize I may need to turn in my official Snobby Blogger membership card, but the iTunes play-count function doesn’t lie. Continue reading

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 3: “My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist”

As related to Sean Nelson for a detailed article in the Seattle alt-weekly paper The Stranger, “My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist” was inspired by a particularly awful family canoe trip. Continue reading

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