The Decemberists were utterly captivating to say the least. Their newest cd The Hazards of Love tells a story about a woman named Margaret, her shape-shifting lover William, his forest queen mother and a cold-blooded rake (also known as a douche bag). All the songs on their cd flow together as if it is one musical piece. There really are no words to describe this band or this cd. Their larger than life story-telling lyrics combined with real folk instruments, like the amazing accordian, leave you intrigued to the very last song. They are really only a 5 person band, but they brought in other extremely talented musicians to play/sing the characters in their story. Shara Worden who plays the forest queen and Becky Stark who plays Margaret  were so fun to watch because their voices portrayed their characters perfectly, one innocent and one ominous. It really was more like watching a rock opera than a concert and that is way more than I asked or hoped for. I immediately fell in love with not just the band, but an epic story. I will forever be thankful to them for making such picturesque music.

The Decemberists play at the University of Kentucky in October.

To watch a snippet of their Lollapalooza performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw2jg7r5VtU

www.decemberists.com

Download on iTunes

If you are in Chicago August 7th, 8th or 9th check them out at Lollapalooza. I’ll see you there!

www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra

www.themanchesterorchestra.com/us/home

Download on iTunes

I CAN FEEL A HOT ONE – Manchester Orchestra

I could feel a hot one taking me down
For a moment, I could feel the force
Fainted to the point of tears
And you were holding on to make a point
What’s the point?

I’m but a clean man, stable and alone man
Make it so I won’t have to try
The faces always stay the same
So I face the fact that I’m just fine
I said that I’m just fine

I remember, head down,
After you had found out
Manna is a hell of a drug
And I need a little more, I think
Because enough is never quite enough
What’s enough?

I took it like a grown man crying on the pavement
Hoping you would show your face
But I haven’t heard a thing you’ve said
In at least a couple hundred days
What’d you say?

I was in the front seat, shaking it out
And I was asking if you felt alright
I never want to hear the truth
I want to hear your voice, it sounded fine
My voice, it sounded fine

I could feel my heartbeat taking me down
And for the moment, I would sleep alright
Invading with a selfish fear
To keep me up another restless night
Another restless night

The blood was dry, it was sober
The feeling of audible cracks
And I could tell it was over
From the curtains that hung from your neck

And I realized that then you were perfect
And my teeth ripping out of my head
And it looked like a painting I once knew
Back when my thoughts weren’t entirely intact

To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach

And I felt love again

*Heard on One Tree Hill (as always)