The Decemberists & Gillian Welch: "Down By The Water"

Portland's The Decemberists will release their new record The King Is Dead (a nod to The Smiths?) on 11 January 2011 via Capitol Records. They provided a sneak preview the other night on Conan along with the fine Gillian Welch. "Down By The Water" is a departure from the prog-heavy The Hazards of Love; it will be interesting to listen to the full album and learn the group's set list for their tour which begins on 25 January in New York City, extends across the US and then over the pond to Europe.

Here's the list of dates revealed thusfar:

January 25, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY* SOLD OUT
January 26, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 28, House of Blues, Boston, MA* (onsale Saturday 10AM ET)
January 29, House of Blues, Boston, MA* (onsale Saturday 10AM ET)
January 31, Olympia De Montreal, Montreal, Canada*
February 1, Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada*
February 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI* (onsale today 5PM ET)
Feburary 4, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL* (onsale Saturday 12PM CT)
February 5, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI#
February 6, State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN# (onsale Saturday 12PM CT)
February 7, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO# (onsale Saturday 10AM CT)
February 9, Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO#
February 10, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO# (onsale Saturday 10AM MT)
February 12, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA#
February 13, House of Blues-San Diego, San Diego, CA# (onsale today 12PM PT)
February 14, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA# (onsale Sunday 10AM PT)
February 18, Paramount Ballroom, Seattle, WA# (onsale Saturday 10AM PT)
February 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR# (onsale Saturday 10AM PT)

* with Wye Oak
# with Mountain Man

March 4, Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
March 5, ABC, Glasgow, UK
March 7, Birmingham Institute, Birmingham, UK
March 8, Bristol Academy, Bristol, UK
March 10, Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK
March 11, Leeds Academy, Leeds, UK
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK

The Decemberists Recording Album #6

This e-mail from The Decemberists arrived in TNOP's in-box late yesterday. Always nice of Colin and the gang to remember to write.

Let me, the disembodied voice with which your brain voices everything you read, be the first to welcome you to this moment, this day, this glorious first day of June. In fact, I would appreciate it if you allowed this selfsame disembodied voice to take on the lilting cadence of an Italian shepherdess, speaking in a charmingly clumsy patois as you both lay supine under a Florentine sun -- you can do that for me, can't you?

Good.

***********

In other Decemberist news, you might be pleased to know that we are currently recording what will no doubt become our SIXTH record at a barn in an undisclosed location near Portland. Our esteemed management has suggested that you might appreciate a photo documentation of this endeavor, so I conclude by attaching the following snapshot above.

Yours truly,

The Decemberists

Spanning The Globe . . .

. . . to bring you the constant variety of music, TNOP brings you the latest news.

We've been an occasional user of the music service Lala over the years as a convenient service to stream albums new and old. Apple bought out Lala last year for $89 million. Now, Apple will shut down Lala on 31 May. Go figure. Pop & Hiss discusses.

Veteran rock crit David Fricke makes the case for reissue of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Axis: Bold As Love. Better than Are You Experienced? and Electric Ladyland. Um, well . . .

Rick Mason of the City Pages interviews legendary keyboardist Al Kooper about his extraordinary career. And according to Kooper, The Mighty Max Weinberg won't be joining Conan O'Brien on TBS.

Greil Marcus' new book is When That Rough God Goes Riding: Listening to Van Morrison. He talks about that and much, much more in a frank, fascinating, extended talk with PopMatters.

Yeasayer brought their tour to Metro in Chicago the other night. Greg Kot was there.

The anticipation is high for the 14 May release from The National, High Violet. Nicholas Dawidoff writes an in depth profile of the band and the painstaking process of the making of the record for the New York Times Magazine.

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists tried out a couple of new tunes at PDX Pop Now! in Portland. Stereogum has the video.

It appears Neil Young is holed up in the studio with uber-producer Daniel Lanois making a new album. At least according to David Crosby. We believe him. But if this was twenty years ago . . .

The Belfast Telegraph reports Paul Hewson met with President Obama at the White House Friday to discuss development in Africa.

Josh Ritter's busy. A new album, a novel and an extensive tour of Ireland. The Irish Times fills us in.

Patron Saint vs. Poet Laureate? TNOP has no comment. But this column by Tony Norman in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is well-researched and very thoughtful about the recent comments attributed to Joni Mitchell about Bob Dylan.

Nialler9 gets Jim Carroll to sit down and write about his Top 5 Irish Acts right now. We dig Villagers too. And Celtic Ray suggests you check out The Cast of Cheers and download their album Chariot for free.

The Queen of Soul abruptly cancelled her scheduled appearance for Friday night at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. While that seems to be the way of the world (Aretha stood the festival up last year as well), the mighty, mighty Earth, Wind & Fire was nearby and stepped in to pinch hit. NOLA.com gives them some deserved love. And so does TNOP, as we bid you adieu from the news desk good ladies and gentlemen . . .

TNOP's Best Albums of 2009

10. ST. VINCENT - Actor

After a so-so album debut a couple of years ago and the timid performance we witnessed as an opening act in 2007, this fine effort came out of the blue. Annie Clark a/k/a St. Vincent finds her voice on Actor, adapting a number of personalities in a varied collection of songs. And don't let the sweet voice fool you.

KEY TRACK: "Actor Out Of Work"
BONUS: "Oh Sister" (cover of Dylan song with Andrew Bird, Providence. RI, October 2009)

9. DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE - A Friend of A Friend

Previously known as the key co-writer and musician on so many fine works by Gillian Welch, out from the shadows steps Dave Rawlings and his superb band. The mix of originals and unique covers, assisted by Welch and proteges The Old Crow Medicine Show, are delivered in grand fashion.

KEY TRACK: "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High") (live at Grimey's Records, Nashville, TN, December 2009)
FURTHER READING: Alec Wilkinson's excellent New Yorker profile of Welch and Rawlings from 2004.

8. NEKO CASE - Middle Cyclone

A wonderful follow-up to Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, Neko Case takes on another natural disaster and triumphs.

KEY TRACK: "People Got A Lotta Nerve"
FURTHER READING: February 2009 profile of Neko Case from The New York Times Magazine.

7. BOB DYLAN - Together Through Life

In which the Patron Saint of TNOP interprets Chess Records blues with a Tex-Mex undertone. And it works, continuing the Bard's late-career renaissance. [Side note to long time fans: it's like Desire, except David Hidalgo's accordion replaces Scarlet Rivera's fiddle.]

KEY TRACK: "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"

FURTHER READING: Bill Flanagan interviews Dylan about the record.

6. DAN AUERBACH - Keep It Hid

First solo effort from The Black Keys' front man allows him to flesh out his sound. The record gets stronger with each listen, and shows that Auerbach is now a major player on the music scene. He's in a prolific stage, as evidenced by the BlakRoc project and the expected new Keys' release in 2010.

KEY TRACK #1: "My Last Mistake"

KEY TRACK #2: "Trouble Weighs A Ton" (with James Quine)

5. THE DECEMBERISTS - The Hazards of Love

America's least-likely rock stars continue their musical ascendancy, using little known folk tales as their narrative compass. We admit it took us a little longer to warm up to this effort than previous favorites like The Crane Wife and Picaresque, but this "Folk Opera" treats the listener to bombastic shapeshifters, ghostly kids and a psychotic queen. Too adventuresome? Pretentious prog rock gone bad? Some thought so. But head man Colin Meloy clearly believes in the album concept, and dares to push back at the iPod singles mentality. And it doesn't hurt that he sure knows how to pen a melody.

KEY TRACK: "The Rake's Song"

KEY TRACK #2: "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid" (with Shara Worden, Los Angeles, CA, May 2009)
FURTHER LISTENING: David Dye of The World Cafe interviews Colin Meloy.

4. U2 - No Line On The Horizon

After two albums of straight ahead rock cementing the familiar "U2 sound," the Dublin lads decide to step out of the box again. The result is their best studio record since Achtung Baby. Their massive stadium tour will continue into 2010, a sign of how much they believe in the new work.

KEY TRACK: "Moment of Surrender"

KEY TRACK #2: "Get On Your Boots" (live at the 2009 Grammy Awards)

FURTHER READING: Producer Brian Eno talks to The Telegraph about the recording of No Line On The Horizon.

3. WILCO - Wilco (The Album)

The top American band hits a solid groove from beginning to end in this self-titled (kind of) CD. Major fans of Wilco's experimental, atmospheric side will be disappointed to an extent, but the album brims with confidence from a line up of musicians who clearly listen to and love all shades of rock and roll - and learn from it.

KEY TRACK: "You Never Know"
KEY TRACK #2: "You And I" (with Leslie Feist on Late Night With David Letterman, July 2009)
KEY TRACK #3: "Wilco (The Song)" (The Colbert Report, October 2008)
FURTHER READING: Time talks to Jeff Tweedy about the album, the passing of Jay Bennett and a fellow Chicagoan.




2. PHOENIX - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Regular readers of TNOP know that we are suckers for the unadulterated joys of pop. After three promising tries, France's Phoenix stormed the U.S. shores this year with its sunny, percussion driven sound. We dare you not to like it.

KEY TRACK: "Lisztomania"
PERFORMANCE: "1901," "Lisztomania/One Time Too Many" and "Long Distance Call" (from La Blogotheque Take Away Show, December 2009)
FURTHER READING: "Phoenix Remains A Band Apart" from September 2009 issue of The Fader.




1. GRIZZLY BEAR - Veckatimest

The Beach Boys-like harmony and hollow bodied guitar sound - with production finished, appropriately enough, in a New York church - made this record by the Brooklyn quartet Grizzly Bear TNOP's most played record in the car and on the stereo and iPod during 2009. Although its production is sparse and tones often hushed, there is an unique and youthful exuberance about this work. It is a record that will be played for many years to come.

KEY TRACK: "Two Weeks"
KEY TRACK #2: "All We Ask" (Blue Ribbon Vision @ Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI, June 2009)

KEY TRACK #3: "While You Wait For The Others" (KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, February 2008)
INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE: Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions, November 2009.

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