History:

Guitarist/Singer Colin Meloy was originally in the band “Tarkio”. In 2000, he left that band and moved to Oregon. He then formed The Decemberists with Chris Funk (multi-instrumentalist), Nate Query (basses), Jenny Conlee (multi-instrumentalist), and Ezra Holbrook (drummer). After Castaways, the drummer was changed many times, and is currently John Moen.

Why you should listen to this:
This review has been sitting in my computer for many moons, with nothing written in this section. I don’t know why, but I’ve had trouble writing down why you should listen to The Decemberists. But, if you like anything folk-rock related, you should like The Decemberists. I can assure you that much. Just take my word for it this time… Please?

“Leslie Anne Levine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml0VI8VZO2U

Favorite Song:
“California One/Youth And Beauty Brigade”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ez0KA2aA8

Rating:
Should Listen!

Links:
http://www.decemberists.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thedecemberists

History:
Once again I have nothing here.

Why you should listen to this:
I’ll admit, the first time I listened to Snowing (their “Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit” demo), I didn’t like them. I couldn’t get past the guys voice. He’s clearly not the best singer, though he does try. A few months later, I got into them, and after hearing their album, I was hooked. The whole band has an incredible mix of strange riffs and perfect melodies. Chill or rough and raw, Snowing will do it. After a few fun listens which made me feel happy and pumped, I decided to look up the lyrics. This brought a whole new perspective on the songs, because these lyrics are, for the most part, pure sadness. Topics include ex-girlfriends (“Malk It”), a father dying (“Memo Yeah That’s Fine Man”), and suicide (“Could Be Better Forever”). In a way, most songs can work for any mood you’re in. And if it doesn’t, you still have to appreciate the songs and their punk/early emo riffs. My only real complaint about the album is that the bass is nearly inaudible. C’mon guys, bass is cool too!

Favorite Song:
“Why Am I Not Going Underwater?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hgpN28I8tk

Rating:
Must Listen!

Links:
http://snowingtheband.com/
http://www.cylsrecords.com/free-snowing-download <-download the album free
http://www.myspace.com/snowingtheband

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3sXVxqDbFk

Let it be a good one filled with great music!

History:
Once again, I’m at a loss of words here.

Why You should listen to this:
I don’t often go for electronic instrumental music, but sometimes it will be too good to resist. This is one of those times. The music is upbeat and catchy, while being extremely relaxing. While a lot may be going as all the synths are playing, they are playing in perfect harmony and create a mesh of perfect tunes to chill out to. None of the synths are too intruding on your ears, which makes all the sounds consistently pleasant and easy to listen to. There are a few times where some audio of people (sometimes in a somewhat crowded room) having a conversation. I don’t think this is really for listening to, only to set the mood even more. No matter the chaos going on the world, you can find the calm within this music.

Favorite Song:
“The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog”. Only partially my favorite due to the name. Otherwise simply because it’s a great song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04AG4VDlRSQ

Rating:
Must Listen!

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/robotscience
http://robotscience.bandcamp.com/ <- listen to/buy the album

To all those hit by the snow, have fun! But don’t go too far!

History:
Covered here.

Why you should listen to this:
I’m a sucker for almost anything Said The Whale related. I’ve liked nearly everything they’ve done, except their Christmas EPs. Each year they put one out for free download, and while I really like the idea, I could never get into the songs. This is the year that changed that. There are only two songs, and they’re both really short, but they’re gold. On one hand, the first song, “24 Days of Xmas”, is fast paced and catchy. On the other hand, the second song, “Brightest On My Street”, is slow and sad. I like to think of the first song as the lead up to Christmas and then the second is the night of Christmas when you’re ready to go to bed. Overall, the two songs make for a great little present if you think you didn’t get enough this year.

Slightly preferred song:
I suppose “Brightest On My Street” right now, but only because it happens to be after Christmas now.

Links:
http://www.saidthewhale.com/
http://www.saidthewhale.com/xmas10 – Download the EP free