20 Years Before the Mast U.S. Tour Dates This Summer
Feb 11, 2020By Christopher Roberts
Ready to feel old indie rock fans? The Decemberists have just announced a 20th anniversary tour. The 20 Years Before the Mast tour dates happen across the U.S. this summer. More
The Decemberists released a new album, I'll Be Your Girl, back in March via Capitol. They are releasing a new EP, Traveling On, on December 14, also via Capitol. More
Plus James Yorkston, Telekinesis, Sneaks, TEEN, TOY, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks' Other Notable New Tracks
Nov 30, 2018By Christopher Roberts
We didn't do a Songs of the Week last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend. Beyond the fact that we were taking a break from work, there simply weren't enough songs released last week to justify a Songs of the Week wrap up. More
Autumn de Wilde Directed the Video and It Stars Her Brother Jacob
Jul 17, 2018By Christopher Roberts
The Decemberists released a new album, I'll Be Your Girl, back in March via Capitol. Now they have shared a video for one of the album's highlights, "Once In My Life." Autumn de Wilde directed the video, which stars her seven-foot-two-inches tall brother Jacob de Wilde as a guardian angel of sorts. More
Support Under the Radar on Patreon to Access Exclusive Content
May 30, 2018By Christopher Roberts
If you support Under the Radar's Patreon page at the minimum contribution of at least $1.00 a month you get access to our Patreon-only feed featuring exclusive content only available to Patreon supporters and you will also help keep one of the last print music magazines strong and vital. More
Issue 63 Also Includes Interviews with MGMT, The Decemberists, Belle & Sebastian, The National, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Fleet Foxes, Parquet Courts, Noel Gallagher, Spoon, and More
Mar 28, 2018By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our Spring 2018 Issue, which is out now digitally via Under the Radar's app and the magazine apps Readly and Zinio. The print version has shipped out to subscribers and stores and will be on all newsstands soon. The issue features Courtney Barnett on the cover. More
The Decemberists released a new album, I'll Be Your Girl, last Friday via Capitol. On Tuesday night the band stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform two songs from the album: "Severed" and "We All Die Young" (which featured a mean sax solo). More
This week we look back on foreign invasions of years gone by, plus Trump turmoil, Russian spies, Neil Young laughing at the NRA, and Conor Oberst in his President Bush bashing days. More
This week's album of the week serves as a follow-up to the most stark, moving and genuinely heartbreaking records of last year, Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked At Me. Charting Phil Elverum's immediate situation and emotional response to the death of his wife Geneviève in 2016, not long after the birth of the couple's only child, a daughter, the album was a brutally honest document of death and grief delivered with remarkable, soft, melodic directness. More
Plus The Beat Escape, The Decemberists, Simian Mobile Disco, JB Dunckel, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Mar 09, 2018By Mark Redfern
After a couple of strong weeks for Songs of the Week, it was more much more of a challenge this week to come up with 10 songs we were truly excited about. But we're really fully passionate about this week's Top 5 and stand behind the rest of the Top 10. More
The Decemberists are releasing a new album, I'll Be Your Girl, on March 16 via Capitol. Previously they shared its first single, "Severed" (it was one of our Songs of the Week). Now they have shared another song from the album, album opener "Once In My Life." More
Plus The Decemberists, Young Fathers, The Sea and Cake, Mouse on Mars, Lucy Dacus, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Jan 19, 2018By Christopher Roberts
2018 is coming on strong with lots of fantastic new tracks this week in our second Songs of the Week post of the year. Like last week, it was definitely a challenge to narrow it down to only 10. Preoccupations, The Spook School, Hinds, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, St. Vincent remixed by Kelly Lee Owens, Eels, and Hinds all could have easily made the Top 10, but it was a competitive week. More
This week we're joined by Nate Lacy from Mimicking Birds who talks the wonders and dangers of nature, plus we have medicals, shutdowns, presidential racism, and a sad loss.More
The Decemberists have announced a new album, I'll Be Your Girl, and shared its first single, "Severed." I'll Be Your Girl is due out March 16 via Capitol. John Congleton produced the album. Below is "Severed," followed by the album's tracklist and cover art. More
The Decemberists have teamed up with Lin-Manuel Miranda for the #HamilDrops project, which will share previously unreleased songs by Miranda related to his hit musical Hamilton. The first offering is "Ben Franklin's Song," which features lyrics by Miranda and music by The Decemberists' frontman Colin Meloy and the band. More
Examining Trump's Response to the White Supremacist Rally and Violence in Charlottesville, Virginia
Aug 18, 2017By Stephen Mayne
With the President outdoing himself in a bid to appear like a terrible human being, there's only really one thing to talk about this week. Still, read on and you might find a few positive developments outside his Charlottesville debacle. More
The Crane Wife 10th Anniversary 5-LP Box Set Due Out December 9 via Capitol/UMe
Nov 18, 2016By Christopher Roberts
The Decemberists are putting out a deluxe 10th anniversary reissue of 2006's The Crane Wifeon December 9 via Capitol/Ume. It includes five red vinyl LPs and features the original album, B-sides, bonus tracks, outtakes, and demos. Now the band has shared a previously unreleased demo of the near 13-minute long "The Crane Wife 1, 2 & 3." More
In Collaboration with Illustrator Carson Ellis and Game Designer Keith Baker
Nov 04, 2016By Christopher Roberts
The Decemberists are releasing a board game named Illimat. As we previously reported, it's been crowd funded on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter campaign just ended and did the band meet their goal? You could say that. In fact they raised nearly 10 times their goal. More
10th Anniversary 5-LP Box Set Due Out December 9 via Capitol/UMe
Oct 24, 2016By Christopher Roberts
The Decemberists have announced a deluxe 10th anniversary of their 2006 album The Crane Wife. The limited edition vinyl box set is due out December 9 via Capitol/Ume. More
In Collaboration with Illustrator Carson Ellis and Game Designer Keith Baker
Oct 04, 2016By Christopher Roberts
The Decemberists are releasing a board game named Illimat. How very Decemberists of them! It's been crowd funded on Kickstarter and has already more than doubled the $42,812 goal (it's at $104,571 as we write this), with 30 days to still go. The game was put together in collaboration with their longtime illustrator Carson Ellis (also frontman Colin Meloy's wife) and game designer Keith Baker. More
The Decemberists have announced a new 5-song EP and shared its first single. The Florasongs EP is due out on October 9 via Capitol. Below you can listen to the first single, "Why Would I." More
Every internet crawler worth his salt knows that nothing good can come from reading the comments. That is, unless you’re a member of The Decemberists. More
What a Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Out Jan 20 on Capital
Dec 16, 2014By Laura Studarus
Today The Decemberists premiered “The Wrong Year,” a cut from their seventh album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, due out Jan 20 on Capital. More
What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Out Jan. 20
Dec 02, 2014By Mike Hilleary
Due to kick off 2015 in style with the release of their newest album What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, The Decemberists have shared an intimate lyric video for the record's included track, "Lake Song." More
Following the release of a teaser last week, The Decemberists have premiered the full music video to "Make You Better," the lead single off their forthcoming album What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World.More
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World Out Jan. 20
Nov 21, 2014By Mike Hilleary
The Decemberists have posted a preview of their upcoming music video for "Make You Better," the lead single off the band's forthcoming LP What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World. More
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World Out Jan. 20
Nov 17, 2014By Mike Hilleary
Poised to release their brand new album What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World on Jan. 20, The Decemberists have announced plans for their first North American tour in over three years. More
Early today, The Decemberists gave us a listen to “Make You Better,” the first track from their forthcoming album What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. Now there's a tracklist to go with that.More
LP Titled What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Oct 24, 2014By Mike Hilleary
The Decemberists have announced the upcoming release of What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, the follow-up to the band's 2011 LP The King Is Dead. More
Releasing his brand new solo LP Beauty & Ruin this week, former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould has teamed up with the folks over at Funny or Die for a music video of his lead single "I Don't Know You Anymore." More
We’re not ones for the summer television hiatus—but forgive us when we say that we wish the season finale of Parks and Recreation would get here now. More
Next week The Decemeberists' Colin Meloy will set off on a new solo tour, bringing with him the latest installment of his Colin Meloy Sings... cover EPs. More
On Dec. 6, the Coen brothers will release their newest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, depicting a week in the life of a young folk singer living in Greenwich Village in the winter of 1961 as he struggles for his big break. More
Joining the ranks of George Harrison, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, U2, and a select number of yellow-ized musical artists, The Decemberists have revealed that they will guest as themselves during the new fall season of The Simpsons. More
As mentioned earlier this year, The Decemberists are among a number of notable musical artists contributing to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games' star-studded film adaptation. More
Just as the Twilight films have done in years past, the upcoming adaptation of The Hunger Games is tapping into its audience's rabid fandom by putting together a soundtrack featuring chart-topping names and high-profile indie artists. More
Plus: Paul Rudd vs. The Divine Comedy, plus interviews with Broadcast, Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, Bat For Lashes, Rilo Kiley, Broken Social Scene, and much more
Oct 19, 2011By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar is excited to announce the release of the indie music and entertainment print magazine’s 10th Anniversary Issue which hits newsstands next week.The extra-sized 10th Anniversary Issue features cover artists Joanna Newsom and Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold together in an exclusive photo shoot and joint interview.Exclusive video taken during the cover shoot of Robin Pecknold and Joanna Newsom arm wrestling can be found here. More
Directed Michael Schur, co-creator of Parks and Recreation
Aug 22, 2011By Mike Hilleary
Still riding high off the success of their latest full-length The King Is Dead, The Decemberists have been unveiled a fitting, word-nerd music video for the track "Calamity Song." More
Rare and Unreleased Songs from Elliott Smith, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, James Mercer, Modest Mouse, Wilco, and much more
Jul 19, 2011By Mark Redfern
Last week Under the Radarpremiered an unreleased Ryan Adams song, "Shine Through the Dark," and now we're pleased to premiere a full stream of the album it's taken from
—the 64-track charity compilation Live From Nowhere Near You: Volume Two, which is out today via Greyday Records. The album features rare and unreleased tracks from the likes of Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes (featuring Spoon's Britt Daniel), The Shins' James Mercer, Modest Mouse, Wilco, Daniel Johnston, The Helio Sequence, Blue Giant (featuring members of Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists, and Viva Voce), and much more. More
Sad news from The Decemberists today. Keyboardist/accordionist Jenny Conlee (a member of the band since day one) has been diagnosed with breast cancer. We have the details. More
The Decemberists have added June dates to their never-ending jaunt in support of new album The King is Dead. We have the dates and info on their Record Store Day exclusives. More
The Decemberists are getting interactive. The band is offering fans a chance to mix up beautiful black and white photos shot by Autumn De Wilde to create the ultimate slideshow/music video.More
Issue Includes Interviews with R.E.M., Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Cut Copy, Jens Lekman, Okkervil River, Panda Bear, Lykke Li, Iron and Wine, Elbow, Duran Duran, Destroyer, and more
While new Decemberists album The King is Dead has listeners flexing their S.A.T. vocab skills, Colin Meloy and the gang are also setting out to teach kids on a new episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. We have the clip. More
Just in time to spruce up your first day back in the office, NPR is offering up a first listen of sixth Decemberists full-length, The King is Dead.More
Collaboration in the Works With American Idiot Director Michael Mayer
Dec 08, 2010By Laura Studarus
The Decemberists have never been ones to shy away from the big expression. Heck, their last full-length The Hazards of Love was a multi-part, rock opera. It doesn’t get bigger than that. Now the expressive Portlanders are taking their theatrics to the stage. More
Last night, The Decemberists took the stage at Conan. With a little help from Gillian Welch, the Portland-based band played “Down by the Water”—a cut from forthcoming album, The King Is Dead. More
Record Features R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, and Presumably Arcane References to Russian Literature
Nov 02, 2010By John Everhart
The Decemberists are set to release their new LP in January 2011. We have the details, along with a widget link to a brand new track from the album. More
“Down by the Water,” “June Hymn,” and “Rise to Me”
Sep 10, 2010By Laura Studarus
Last weekend at Bumbershoot, The Decemberists (who have been in the studio hard at work on follow up to 2009 rock opera, The Hazards of Love) surprised the audience, debuting three new songs “Down by the Water,” “June Hymn,” and “Rise to Me. More
Sad but true, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Well, sad for us that is. Swamped with back issues—which I’m all sure we can agree is a good thing—Under the Radar is passing them on to you with a sale on selected issues. The question is, can you have too much of a good thing? We're offering two dollars off most available back issues! More
Artist Jessica Schleif Able to Pay Medical Bills…With a Little Help From Her Friends
Apr 01, 2010By Laura Studarus
When Oregon-based artist Jessica Schleif was left with a pile of medical bills, her friends The Decemberists came riding to the rescue. On April 30th the band will be playing their only scheduled date this year at the Liberty Theater in Astoria with all proceeds benefiting her recovery. More
Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized Out December 1st
Nov 19, 2009By Laura Studarus
After a cohesive concept album and ambitious stage show, what's left? If you're The Decemberists, why not make a movie? Their effort arrives December 1st. More
Out 12/15: Your Christmas Stocking Just Got Cooler
Oct 14, 2009By Laura Studarus
Still basking in the glow of summer memories of Bonnaroo? How about finding a little bit of that festival cheer in your Christmas stocking? Beginning December 15th, you’ll get your chance to make that dream a reality with a Live From Bonnaroo 2009 DVD. More
The Decemberists and Andrew Bird played a show in Portland, OR on July 18th. Photographer Michele Yamamoto was there to capture the action. Check out the full gallery of photos of The Decemberists here, and Andrew Bird here. More
Here to usher you into the waning summer months and nearly through the whole of autumn are a slew of recently announced tours from indie luminaries to hip hop incendiaries. Spanning from August to November, east to west, there’s sure to be something near you. New tour dates announced for The Decemberists, Mos Def, The Mars Volta, Ray LaMontagne, Nurses, Bell X1,and Wavves.More
Plus The Decemberists, Beirut, The Streets, Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, Yo La Tengo and Dan Deacon
Jul 13, 2009By Kyle Lemmon
It's official: MGMT and the Flaming Lips will headline the two days of Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment's third annual Treasure Island Music Festival, to be held in the midst of San Francisco's beautiful Indian Summer, Oct. 17-18. Plus The Decemberists, Beirut, The Streets, Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, Yo La Tengo, The Walkmen, Dan Deacon, others set to play. More
Over 130 Acts In 3 Days, including The Dead Weather, Sonic Youth, Grizzly Bear, Lily Allen, and The Decemberists
Apr 28, 2009By Michele Yamamoto
Though the early bird 3-day passes have been sold out since last year, the preliminary lineup for the Austin City Limits Music Festival has only recently been announced. More
A little ways south of his longtime home of Portland, OR, Colin Meloy has spent the past four years living on a five acre farmstead with his wife and two sons. Listed on the historic registry, the property dates all the way back to the mid-19th century. More
Paul Banks, Wayne Coyne, Kevin Drew, Black Francis, Ben Gibbard, Jens Lekman, Murray Lightburn, Colin Meloy, Nina Persson, Laetitia Sadier, and More on Indie Rock's Identity Crisis
Mar 20, 2017By Matt Fink
In 2001, when Under the Radar's first issue was released, the music industry had reached a transitional moment. In January, Apple introduced its iTunes program to the world, laying the groundwork to forever change how listeners interfaced with their music. More
A Discussion with Geoff Barrow, Isaac Brock, Wayne Coyne, Bradford Cox, Black Francis, Scott Kannberg, Jason Lytle, Mac McCaughan, Colin Meloy, and Chris Walla
Nov 10, 2009By Matt Fink
Though it's reputed to be the most widely spoken musical language in the world today, rock and roll was born on the margins. More
Everyone worldwide is looking for new ways of living, being entertained, and entertaining. As usual, The Decemberists are not sitting idle. Instead, they are doing their part to bring a little joy into our pandemic-stressed lives by releasing a series of live recordings, and the first volume in the Live Home Library series, from the band’s own label, was recorded at Royal Oak Music Theatre in Michigan on August 11, 2009 during the Hazards of Love tour. More
The Decemberists' allure has always been their ability to sweep the listener away from the doldrums of everyday life into an enchanting universe where old-world characters merged with new-world musical motifs. More
Ten years ago, Colin Meloy and his merry band of murder balladeers broke out from the indie label circuit with their Capitol Records debut, The Crane Wife. By that point, we all knew The Decemberists as a quirky Portland outfit with a flare for folk-tinged storytelling and a particular appeal to bookish liberal arts majors. More
Terrible World is the band's first studio LP since 2011's The King Is Dead, and it reveals a band older, wiser, and less reliant on the quirks and gimmicks of earlier releases (see: "The Crane Wife" parts 1-3, "The Mariner's Revenge Song,"The Hazards of Love, et al). In place of that are more intricate arrangements, more varied tempos and song structures, and subject matter befitting musicians now firmly in middle age. More
The Decemberists' last album, The King is Dead, was a deliberately ramshackle affair. Inspired by Peter Buck's mandolin and Gillian Welch's off-key harmonizing, the nasal-voiced, hyper-literate Colin Meloy and his band of merry noisemakers stripped their prog-leaning sound way back to an Americana core. More
The Decemberists'2009 album The Hazards of Love now has an animated album-length video companion, one that brings to mind those '60s and '70s rock 'n' roll films that were often watched with chemical enhancement. More
The Decemberists at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles
UCLA's Royce Hall is a beautiful little venue. Ornately decorated, acoustically lush and comfortable in size, the theater lends itself well to all manner of performances. And on October 19th, Portland's The Decemberists brought their fun blur of theater and rock show to the hall. More
The Decemberists at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, CA
As anyone who has been to a Decemberists show can testify, a show is certainly ensured. This year's The Hazards of Love, which acts more like a rock opera than all previous endeavors, was presented last Tuesday night on its own terms. With minimal stagecraft, The Decemberists performed Hazards in its entirety in their first set and a mixed bag in its second. More
If Colin Meloy has, up to this point, written four full albums worth of excellent short stories, The Hazards of Love is his first crack at a novel. More