Rock it Out! Blog » The Decemberists

Behold your rock music Grammy nominees

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:02:58 +0000

Well there it is. The Grammy. The award that artists strive to win and the one that bloggers and fans hate. Primarily because, as fans, we feel that OUR favorite bands deserve all the accolades and fuck the rest. But this award ceremony offers us a place to vent our frustrations and reaffirm our hatred for genres and artists we can’t stand. There’s gonna be a lot of hate for one Justin Bieber again…even if he isn’t nominated for anything.

Regardless, it’s my job to make sure all of you freaks know who’s up for the golden gramophone this time around when it comes to our beloved rock and roll. So down below are all the categories that feature rock bands and artists that have been nominated.

The Grammys take place on February 12th at 8pm EST on CBS. Here’s hoping we get another Arcade Fire winning best album of the year moment again.

Album Of The Year:
Adele – 21
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
Bruno Mars – Doo Wops & Hooligans
Rihanna – Loud

Record Of The Year:
Bon Iver – “Holocene”
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
Katy Perry – “Firework”

Song Of The Year:
Kanye West – “All Of The Lights”
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
Bon Iver – “Holocene”
Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”

Best New Artist:
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Best Alternative Music Album:
Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes And Keys
Foster The People – Torches
My Morning Jacket – Circuital

Best Rock Performance:
Coldplay – “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”
Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”
Foo Fighters – “Walk”
The Decemberists – “Down By The Water”
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance:
Dream Theater – “On The Backs Of Angels”
Foo Fighters – “White Limo”
Mastodon – “Curl Of The Burl”
Sum 41 – “Blood In My Eyes”
Megadeth – “Public Enemy No. 1″

Best Rock Song:
Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”
The Decemberists – “Down By The Water”
Foo Fighters – “Walk”
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
Coldplay – “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”

Best Rock Album:
Jeff Beck – Rock N’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Kings Of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You
Wilco – The Whole Love

Watch: The Decemberists – “This is Why We Fight”

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:00:17 +0000

The Decemberists have gone Mad Max but with what looks to be a newer version of the Lost Boys from Never Land in the music video for “This is Why We Fight.” The leader, aka teenager in red jacket, oppresses his people, aka teens that are dirty and hungry. So the people stand up to fight against the leader in red only to have the video end with a cliffhanger that begs to have a second video made to see how the story plays out. Check it out up top.

The Decemberists announce June tour dates, Record Store Day release

admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:43:34 +0000

The Decemberists have added even more tour dates to their already packed schedule and will play more shows after their appearance at the Bonnaroo festival on June 10th.

The new dates include shows in Raleigh, NC; Columbia, MD; Brooklyn, NY; Philadelphia, PA and Telluride, CO. Tickets are currently on sale at the band’s website. Be sure to check out all of their tour dates at the website as well.

Furthermore, the band will release a limited edition seven-track EP, Live At Bull Moose, on Record Store Day which is on April 16th. The EP will consist of live versions of songs from their new album, The King Is Dead, as well as a cover of the Louvin Brothers song, “If I Could Only Win Your Love.” It’ll only be sold at independent record stores so check RecordStoreDay.com to see which indie store near you is participating.

The Decemberists tour dates:
June 11, Raleigh Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC
June 13, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
June 14, Celebrate Brooklyn – Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, NY
June 15, Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
June 16-19, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO

Arcade Fire, The Strokes headlining Bonnaroo

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:15:17 +0000

If you’re heading to Manchester, Tennessee for the Bonnaroo festival, your headliners are the following people: Arcade Fire, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Eminem, Lil’ Wayne, Widespread Panic and The Black Keys.

Oh, but there’s plenty more to see at the 10th anniversary of Bonnaroo. A reunited Buffalo Springfield, featuring Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, will make Bonnaroo their only festival appearance. You’ve also got String Cheese Incident, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, Mumford & Sons, The Decemberists, Florence + The Machine, Girl Talk, Gregg Allman, Robyn, Primus, Alison Krauss & Union Station and Dr. John and Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach performing a “superjam.”

The festival goes down from June 9-12 and tickets are on sale on February 19th at Bonnaroo’s website. The full line up is listed down below.

Bonnaroo 2011 line up:
Eminem
Arcade Fire
Widespread Panic
The Black Keys
Buffalo Springfield featuring Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale
My Morning Jacket
Lil Wayne
String Cheese Incident
Robert Plant & Band of Joy
Mumford & Sons
The Strokes
The Decemberists
Ray Lamontagne
Bassnectar
Iron & Wine
Girl Talk
Primus
Dr. John and The Original Meters performing Desitively Bonnaroo
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Pretty Lights
Florence + the Machine
SuperJam with Dan Auerbach and Dr. John
Explosions In The Sky
STS9
Gogol Bordello
Beirut
Big Boi
Scissor Sisters
Gregg Allman
Ratatat
Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz
Robyn
Warren Haynes Band
Deerhunter
Opeth
Atmosphere
Old Crow Medicine Show
Bootsy Collins & the Funk University
Wiz Khalifa
Matt & Kim
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
The Del McCoury Band & the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Mavis Staples
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Chiddy Bang
Jovanotti
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
Loretta Lynn
Cold War Kids
The Walkmen
Devotchka
Wanda Jackson
Neon Trees
Portugal. The Man
Sleigh Bells
Amos Lee
Best Coast
Dãm-Funk & Master Blazter
The Sword
The Drums
The Black Angels
School of Seven Bells
J. Cole
Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea
Wavves
!!!
Junip
Freelance Whales
Justin Townes Earle
Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
Deer Tick
Band of Skulls
Sharon Van Etten
Abigail Washburn
Omar Souleyman
Twin Shadow
Kylesa
Man Man
The Low Anthem
Alberta Cross
Railroad Earth
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Smith Westerns
The Head and the Heart
Karen Elson
Beats Antique
22-20s
Phosphorescent
Clare Maguire
Hayes Carll

RiO!B episode – February 11, 2011

admin — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:59:28 +0000

What’s Metallica recording?

The Strokes album cover

Mogwai music video

Decemberists cover R.E.M.

Arcade Fire, The Strokes headlining New Orleans Jazz Festival

admin — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:02:43 +0000

Looks like when one festival reveals their line up, the rest start coming out the woodwork.

Thanks to Consequence of Sound, we now know the line up for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Now, to the uneducated, you’re probably wondering why would we talk about a jazz festival. This is why you’re uneducated. The two weekend fest — April 29-May 1 & May 5-May 8 — will be headlined by the likes of bands including Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Robert Plant & The Band of Joy and even Bon Jovi.

Other bands that’ll head down to NoLa this year include Jeff Beck, The Decemberists, Wilco, Kid Rock, Willie Nelson, Mumford & Sons, Michael Franti & Spearhead, John Mellencamp, Jimmy Buffett and, if you’re feeling a bit daring, Kenny G. In other words, there’s something for everybody…if nothing else, you KNOW the food is going to be amazing.

Tickets for the festival go on sale starting today and you can check out all the ticket packages and prices at their official website. Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler, y’all!

RiO!B episode – January 3, 2011

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:18:43 +0000

Gorillaz live album

A Perfect Circle concert video

Nine Inch Nails live video

Cage The Elephant – “Aberdeen”

Stream The Decemberists’ The King Is Dead

R.E.M. – “Oh My Heart”

Stream The Decemberists The King Is Dead

admin — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:36:31 +0000

Even though the new album from The Decemberists, The King Is Dead, isn’t in stores until January 18th, that doesn’t mean you can’t get an early listen to it.

Head on over to NPR.org to get your first listen of their newest studio album since their epic 2008 album, The Hazards Of Love. Also, if you’re one that enjoys reading album reviews, head over to Antiquiet to check out their in-depth analysis of the LP.

And if you’re really inclined to do so, The Decemberists have announced a North American tour which kicks off on January 24th at New York City’s Beacon Theater. All the dates can be found at their official website.

Listen: The Decemberists – “January Hymn” and “Row Jimmy”

admin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:20:19 +0000

This December, why not become more acquainted with the Decemberists? Yes, I know it was an awful joke but at 7:11 a.m. I find it funny so shut your mouth.

In any case, thanks to my buddies at Consequence of Sound, we got our hands on two new songs from this Northwest based band. First up is “January Hymn,” the new single from their forthcoming album The King Is Dead which is in stores on January 18th. See? You can play Decemberists music in December and the song is called “January Hymn” from an album that comes out in January! Good God, I need to stop this….

ANYWAYS, the other song you can check out below is quite the interesting b-side. Colin Meloy and his merry band tackle the song “Row Jimmy,” a Grateful Dead song from their 1973 album, Wake of the Flood. Have yourself a listen and see if Jerry Garcia would be proud.

The Decemberists – “January Hymn”

The Decemberists – “Row Jimmy”

Decemberists planning on writing musical

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:22:42 +0000

The last album from The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love, played out like a stage show. It had a beginning, a middle and an end and told a compelling story. So it’s not surprising that the band are actually considering writing a Broadway musical.

Frontman Colin Meloy spoke to Billboard.com and said that Michael Mayer, director of Green Day’s musical American Idiot, “is the guy that got me going about doing a musical.” He adds, “We’re still talking and there’s potential for a musical down the line, for sure.”

Meloy says the idea for the show would revolve around a group of miners in Butte, Montana. The inspiration comes from the song “Rox in the Box” which appears on the band’s forthcoming album The King is Dead. “People are constantly asking me to write musicals — it’s the cross that I bear,” Meloy joked. “I grew up doing theater, so in theory, I would love to write a musical. I don’t know if I have the stuff — I always end up just writing little pop songs that stand a better chance on a record than on stage.”

The King is Dead will be in stores on January 18th. R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck appears on three of the tracks playing guitar and mandolin.