The Decemberists give us a bit of a history lesson on the menacing and eerie reworking of “Shankill Butchers” that was originally featured on 2006′s “The Crane Wife”. The Shankill Butcher’s were a Northern Ireland Loyalist gang during the 1970′s that were most infamous for their late night abduction, torture and murder of random Catholic Civilians. The Decemberists have turned this horrible recent history event into quite a beautiful song that sounds like something mothers in victorian times would sing to their children as a warning to be good. But similar to “innocent” children’s songs like “Ring around the Rosie” there is a real gruesome story behind the warnings in Colin Meloy’s chilling vocals. The Shankill Butchers tale would be a great creepy story to tell around a campfire that any good roadtrip most certainly would lead to.

Six of the 8 songs on the EP listeners will remember from the band’s 10 year discography, but two they will recall because they are covers. They rock out with the Fruit Bats “When U Love Somebody” and give it a really fast-paced blue-grassy tempo and I was bobbing my head to John Moen’s upbeat drumming. The other is Leonard Cohen’s, “Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye”. The sound is a little more country than the original, especially with the inclusion of Chris Funk’s slide guitar and Nate Query’s fiddle. The band put a bit of twang in it, but they did the adept poetry of Leonard Cohen justice, and I liked listening to the song. Any roadtrip playlist has got to have some twang to it right?

This EP is crisp, full, and well rehearsed, and sounds great as it was recorded live in their L.A. studio. I’ll definitely be playing this on my upcoming Californication roadtrip this September. Won’t you?

@TaCaGo

The Decemberists have announced the release of their exclusive iTunes Session on August 2 with pre-order available today. The 8-song set plays like an informal retrospective with new versions of songs that span The Decemberists’ entire 10 years, from their very first EP 5 Songs (“Shiny”) through their new chart-topping album The King Is Dead (“Calamity Song,” “June Hymn,” “This Is Why We Fight”). The set also includes songs from The Crane Wife (“Shankill Butchers”) and The Hazards Of Love (“The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)”), as well as covers of Leonard Cohen’s “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” and Fruit Bats’ “When U Love Somebody.” The pre-order for the session launched today on the iTunes Store with “June Hymn” available instantly upon purchase.

The iTunes Session also serves as a potent reminder of the band’s strength in a live setting. Recorded live in a Los Angeles studio, singer/guitarist Colin Meloy, guitarist Chris Funk, keyboardist/accordionist Jenny Conlee, bassist Nate Query, and drummer John Moen were joined by touring band member Sara Watkins, who contributes background vocals, fiddle and guitar.

The track listing for the iTunes Session is as follows:

1. Calamity Song

2. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye

3. Shankill Butchers

4. June Hymn

5. This Is Why We Fight

6. Shiny

7. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)

8. When U Love Somebody

# # #

The Decemberists’ The King Is Dead debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in January. The album—a profoundly simple set of 10 concise country-inflected songs produced by Tucker Martine and featuring guests Gillian Welch and Peter Buck—was also recently selected by NPR Music listeners as the #1 album in a poll of the best music of the year (so far). See below for a full list of upcoming tour dates or visit The Decemberists’ website.

TOUR DATES:
July 19, Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville, OR^
July 20, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Boise, ID^
July 21, Twilight Concert Series, Salt Lake City, UT^
July 22, Big Sky Brewery, Missoula, MT^
July 25, Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL~
July 26, Nautica Pavilion, Cleveland, OH~
July 27, Kresge Auditorium, Interlochen, MI~
July 29, Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ~
July 30, Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI
July 31, Mountain Park, Holyoke, MA+
August 1, Artpark, Lewiston, NY~
August 3, nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA~
August 4, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music, Cincinnati, OH~
August 5, The Lawn @ White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN~
August 6, Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN-
August 8, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre, Austin, TX-
August 9, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX
August 11, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ=
August 12, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA*
August 13, Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
August 22, Marymoor Amphitheater, Redmond, WA#
August 23, Malkin Bowl, Vancouver, BC#
August 25, McMenamins Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR%
August 26, McMenamins Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR@

^ with Typhoon
~ with The Head and the Heart
- with Caitlin Rose
+ with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
= with Sara Watkins
* with Wye Oak
# with Okkervil River & Fruit Bats
% with Okkervil River & Point Juncture, WA
@ with Okkervil River & AgesandAges

The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight video

The Newport Folk Festival has announced that The Decemberists will headline the first night of their 2011 festival on Saturday, July 30. General public tickets will go on-sale March 31 at 10:00am ET. The band’s outdoor stage performance on ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! will air on April 5. They have also added an August 12 date at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles to their summer touring schedule. See below for a full list of tour dates or visit The Decemberists’ website.

Following the #1 Billboard debut of their album The King Is Dead on Capitol Records, The Decemberists have notched another career first #1 as the album’s lead single “Down By The Water” ascends this week to the top spot on the Mediabase AAA radio charts. The band also continues to enjoy their biggest Modern Rock radio success to date with “This Is Why We Fight” climbing into the Top 20 at the format.

On April 16, The Decemberists will release Live At Bull Moose, a limited edition EP in conjunction with Record Store Day. The seven-track CD—which will be available exclusively through participating independent record stores—was recorded live at Bull Moose in Scarborough, Maine, and includes songs from The King Is Dead, as well as a cover of the country ballad “If I Could Only Win Your Love” by The Louvin Brothers.

TOUR DATES:
April 16, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO+
April 17, Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha, NE+
April 18, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA+
April 19, Overture Hall, Madison, WI+
April 21, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA+
April 22, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
April 23, The LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH+
April 25, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI+
April 26, Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, KY+
April 27, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO+
April 29, House of Blues, Dallas, TX=
April 30, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre, Austin, TX=
May 1, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
May 2, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA+
May 29, Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR*
May 30, Sasquatch! Music Festival, Quincy, WA
June 10, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN
June 11, Raleigh Amphitheater, 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
July 30, Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI
August 5, The Lawn @ White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN
August 12, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

+ with Justin Townes Earle
= with Other Lives
* with Rodrigo Y Gabriela
# with Best Coast

Following their entirely sold-out first leg of tour dates behind their #1 album The King Is Dead on Capitol Records, The Decemberists have announced a short run of U.S. dates for June including performances at several major summer festivals. After an appearance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in Quincy, Washington (May 30), the band will kick off a run of dates June 10 at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival that also includes shows at the Merriweather Post Pavilion near Baltimore (June 13), Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Prospect Park Bandshell (June 14), Academy of Music in Philadelphia (June 15), and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado (June 16-19). A limited presale of select dates is now underway here. See below for a full list of tour dates or visit The Decemberists’ website.

The band has also announced the April 16 release of Live At Bull Moose, a limited edition EP in conjunction with Record Store Day. The seven-track CD—which will be available exclusively through participating independent record stores—was recorded live at Bull Moose in Scarborough, Maine, and includes songs from The King Is Dead, as well as a cover of the country ballad “If I Could Only Win Your Love” by The Louvin Brothers.

The Decemberists continue to enjoy the biggest radio success story of their career. “Down By the Water” has reached #2 on the AAA radio chart, their highest-ever commercial radio position, while “This Is Why We Fight” has just cracked the Top 25 on the Modern Rock radio chart, with airplay at leading stations in the format including KROQ (Los Angeles), Live 105 (San Francisco), KNDD (Seattle), and WFNX (Boston).

In other Decemberists news, the band has introduced a Create-Your-Own Polaroid Slideshow on Decemberists.com where fans can pick from more than 2,000 of the Polaroids taken by photographer Autumn De Wilde during the recording of The King is Dead and sort them into a custom slideshow set to one of four album tracks.

TOUR DATES:
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 12, De la Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, UK=
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium=
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands=
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK=
April 16, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO+
April 17, Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha, NE+
April 18, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA+
April 19, Overture Hall, Madison, WI+
April 21, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA+
April 22, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
April 23, The LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH+
April 25, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI+
April 26, Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville, KY+
April 27, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO+
April 29, House of Blues, Dallas, TX
April 30, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre, Austin, TX
May 1, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
May 2, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA+
May 29, Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR*
May 30, Sasquatch! Music Festival, Quincy, WA
June 10, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN
June 11, Raleigh Amphitheater, 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

= with Blind Pilot
+ with Justin Townes Earle
* with Rodrigo Y Gabriela
# with Best Coast

The Decemberists have earned the first-ever #1 chart position of their career with the impressive first-week showing of their widely acclaimed new album The King Is Dead, which was released by EMI’s Capitol Records on January 18. The album scanned 93,567 units in the U.S. in its debut week, landing it at the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart, and has also given the band their highest career chart position in territories all over the world. The King Is Dead was released on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe.

Over the course of 6 albums and 10 years, the Portland, Oregon based band has steadfastly followed their own creative path, from their 2002 debut Castaways and Cutouts and the early critical breakout success of 2005’s Picaresque on Kill Rock Stars, to their even more ambitious efforts for Capitol Records, 2006’s The Crane Wife and 2009’s song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Now with The King Is Dead—a profoundly simple set of 10 concise country-inflected songs produced by Tucker Martine and featuring guests Gillian Welch and Peter Buck—The Decemberists have reached music’s top spot entirely on their own terms.

TIME magazine predicted before the album’s release that “with critical buzz building behind it, The King Is Dead could mark their crossover to the realm of important American rock groups alongside the likes of Wilco and the White Stripes.” Rolling Stone marveled at “how much richness and beauty the group has folded into the 40-minute album,” adding that “For a band able to push the limits of songwriting, it’s a revelation, and a chance to see how deep simplicity goes. Very deep, it turns out.”

The Decemberists play the last of their 3 sold-out shows at New York’s Beacon Theatre tonight, and rave reviews in the New York Times and New York Post give a preview of what fans in the rest of the country have in store for them.

TOUR DATES:
January 26, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY* SOLD OUT
January 28, House of Blues, Boston, MA* SOLD OUT
January 29, House of Blues, Boston, MA* SOLD OUT
January 31, Olympia De Montreal, Montreal, Canada*
February 1, Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada*
February 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI*
February 4, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL* SOLD OUT
February 5, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI# SOLD OUT
February 6, State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN# SOLD OUT
February 7, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO#
February 9, Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO#
February 10, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO# SOLD OUT
February 12, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA# SOLD OUT
February 13, House of Blues-San Diego, San Diego, CA# SOLD OUT
February 14, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA# SOLD OUT
February 18, Paramount Ballroom, Seattle, WA#
February 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR# SOLD OUT
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 12, De la Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, UK
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK

* with Wye Oak
# with Mountain Man

The raves have begun pouring in for The Decemberists’ new album The King Is Dead, with 4-star reviews appearing on both sides of the pond in Rolling Stone, MOJO, and UNCUT. The King Is Dead will be released January 18 on EMI’s Capitol Records in the U.S., and January 17 on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe. NPR Music’s Exclusive First Listen full-album preview quickly became the #1 Most Viewed and #1 Most Recommended story on the entire NPR site last week.

“What’s remarkable is how much richness and beauty the group has folded into the 40-minute album,” wrote Rolling Stone. “For a band able to push the limits of songwriting, it’s a revelation, and a chance to see how deep simplicity goes. Very deep, it turns out.”

UNCUT declared The King Is Dead the band’s “most immediate and outgoing album,” adding that “these performances sweep you up. There’s not much about the album that isn’t glorious, Meloy’s sublime melodic gifts, allowed here to shine, dazzlingly so on tracks like ‘January Hymn’ and it’s companion piece, ‘June Hymn.’”

The Decemberists will be performing the album’s lead single “Down by the Water” on NBC’s “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on January 20. “Down by the Water” has become the band’s highest charting radio single of their career thus far, cracking the top 10 on the AAA radio charts and still climbing. The band will be taking over Sirius XMU this week, introducing their new album, playing songs from their handpicked playlists, and presenting songs from their ten year history. Decemberists Radio will air today through Friday, January 14 from 5:00pm-6:00pm ET with rebroadcasts at 11:00pm ET and 9:00am ET on Sirius XMU, Sirius channel 26 and XM channel 43.

The Decemberists will be launching their world tour with an impressive three-night stand at New York City’s historic Beacon Theater (January 24-26). Vocalist, fiddle player, and Nonesuch recording artist Sara Watkins will be joining the band throughout the tour. Shows in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Portland have already sold out. See a full list of dates below.

# # #

The King Is Dead marks a deliberate turn towards simplicity after the band’s wildly ambitious and widely acclaimed 2009 song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Produced once again by Tucker Martine, the album features Americana luminary Gillian Welch on seven tracks and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on three tracks.

The Decemberists have partnered with The Impossible Project and photographer Autumn de Wilde to create a DELUXE BOX EDITION of The King Is Dead, which is available for preorder exclusively at Decemberists.com. Each of the 2,500 limited edition box sets will be unique, with every one containing a one-of-a-kind original Polaroid photo by de Wilde taken during the album’s recording sessions at Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland, Oregon, and in de Wilde’s hometown of Los Angeles, California. The linen-wrapped clamshell box will have a foil-stamped cover, and will also include the CD, 180-gram white vinyl with an exclusive cover design, the DVD Pendarvia (a 30-minute short film by Aaron Rose documenting the making of the album), a 72-page hardcover book featuring over 250 photos by de Wilde and illustrations by Carson Ellis, and a signed Giclée print of an exclusive illustration by Ellis.

TOUR DATES:
January 24, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 25, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY* SOLD OUT
January 26, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY* SOLD OUT
January 28, House of Blues, Boston, MA*
January 29, House of Blues, Boston, MA* SOLD OUT
January 31, Olympia De Montreal, Montreal, Canada*
February 1, Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada*
February 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI*
February 4, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL* SOLD OUT
February 5, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI#
February 6, State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN#
February 7, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO#
February 9, Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO#
February 10, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO#
February 12, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA# SOLD OUT
February 13, House of Blues-San Diego, San Diego, CA#
February 14, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA# SOLD OUT
February 18, Paramount Ballroom, Seattle, WA#
February 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR# SOLD OUT
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 12, De la Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, UK
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK

* with Wye Oak
# with Mountain Man

The Decemberists have announced the December 14 release of an exclusive limited edition 7” vinyl single in conjunction with Record Store Day organizers. The 7” will feature the track “January Hymn” from their forthcoming album The King Is Dead, with a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Row Jimmy” on the b-side. For a list of participating stores where the single will be available please visit www.recordstoreday.com/Venues.

After selling out their January 25 and 26 shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City, the band has added a third show on January 24 due to overwhelming demand. Tickets are on sale now here. See below for a full list of North American & European tour dates, or visit The Decemberists website.

Check out a new video preview of The King Is Dead here.

The Decemberists – The King Is Dead video

# # #

The King Is Dead will be released January 18 on EMI’s Capitol Records in the U.S., and January 17 on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe. The album marks a deliberate turn towards simplicity after the band’s wildly ambitious and widely acclaimed 2009 song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Produced once again by Tucker Martine, the album features Americana luminary Gillian Welch on seven tracks and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on three tracks. Rolling Stone has already called it “the most pastoral, rustic record they’ve ever made,” declaring it “gorgeous folk rock.” The band performed the album’s lead single “Down by the Water” with Welch on TBS “Conan” last month.

The Decemberists have partnered with The Impossible Project and photographer Autumn de Wilde to create a DELUXE BOX EDITION of The King Is Dead, which is available for preorder exclusively at Decemberists.com. Each of the 2,500 limited edition box sets will be unique, with every one containing a one-of-a-kind original Polaroid photo by de Wilde taken during the album’s recording sessions at Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland, Oregon, and in de Wilde’s hometown of Los Angeles, California. The linen-wrapped clamshell box will have a foil-stamped cover, and will also include the CD, 180-gram white vinyl with an exclusive cover design, the DVD Pendarvia (a 30-minute short film by Aaron Rose documenting the making of the album), a 72-page hardcover book featuring over 250 photos by de Wilde and illustrations by Carson Ellis, and a signed Giclée print of an exclusive illustration by Ellis.

TOUR DATES:
January 24, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 25, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 26, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 28, House of Blues, Boston, MA*
January 29, House of Blues, Boston, MA*
January 31, Olympia De Montreal, Montreal, Canada*
February 1, Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada*
February 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI*
Feburary 4, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL*
February 5, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI#
February 6, State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN#
February 7, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO#
February 9, Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO#
February 10, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO#
February 12, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA#
February 13, House of Blues-San Diego, San Diego, CA#
February 14, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA#
February 18, Paramount Ballroom, Seattle, WA#
February 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR#
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 12, De la Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, UK
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK

* with Wye Oak
# with Mountain Man

The Decemberists have partnered with The Impossible Project and photographer Autumn de Wilde to create a DELUXE BOX EDITION of The King Is Dead, their forthcoming Capitol Records album which will be released on January 18, 2011. Rough Trade Records will be releasing The King Is Dead in the UK and Europe on January 17. The preorder of the set has launched today exclusively at Decemberists.com.

Each of the 2,500 limited edition box sets will be unique, with every one containing a one-of-a-kind original Polaroid photo by de Wilde. The linen-wrapped clamshell box will have a foil-stamped cover, and will also include the CD, 180-gram white vinyl with an exclusive cover design, the DVD Pendarvia (a 30-minute short film by Aaron Rose documenting the making of the album), a 72-page hardcover book featuring over 250 photos by de Wilde and illustrations by Carson Ellis, and a signed Giclée print of an exclusive illustration by Ellis. A sample of the DELUXE BOX EDITION can be viewed at Decemberists.com.

The project was made possible by Impossible, who provided de Wilde with the vintage Type 100 “peel-apart” Polaroid film necessary to capture the 2,500 individual photos that were taken during the album’s recording sessions at Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland, Oregon, and in de Wilde’s hometown of Los Angeles, California.

THE IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT

Impossible keeps analog instant photography alive by passionately manufacturing various brand new and unique analog instant films for Vintage Polaroid cameras. Other than the highly standardized, traditional Polaroid film, Impossible films push analog instant photography beyond all traditional limits and offer a new, broad range of possibilities, characteristics and results. Therewith Impossible prevents more than 300,000,000 perfectly functioning Polaroid cameras from becoming obsolete, changes the world of photography and keeps variety, tangibility and analog creativity and possibilities alive. Learn more at www.the-impossible-project.com.

AUTUMN DE WILDE

Autumn de Wilde is a Los Angeles based photographer and videographer best known for her portraits of musicians. In addition to The Decemberists, de Wilde has worked with the likes of Arcade Fire, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple, The Flaming Lips, Spoon, The White Stripes, Wilco, and Willie Nelson. Visit her website at www.autumndewilde.com.

THE DECEMBERISTS

The Decemberists are a rock band from Portland, Oregon. The King Is Dead is their third album for EMI’s Capitol Records, and their sixth album overall. It marks a deliberate turn towards simplicity after the band’s wildly ambitious and widely acclaimed 2009 song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Produced by Tucker Martine, the album features Americana luminary Gillian Welch on seven tracks and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on three tracks. Rolling Stone has already called it “the most pastoral, rustic record they’ve ever made,” while SPIN declared it “a bold, straight-up folk-rock record, perhaps their most accessible one yet.”

The Decemberists have announced the first leg of their 2011 North American Tour in support of The King Is Dead, their forthcoming Capitol Records album which will be released January 18. The 16-city run will kick off at New York’s Beacon Theater on January 25, and culminate with a hometown show at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on February 19. A limited presale for all dates is now underway here. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, November 19 at 10am ET.

The band will also embark on a European Tour from March 4-16 that includes shows in Dublin, Glasgow, Amsterdam, and London. Presales for these dates begin November 17 at 9am ET, with tickets going on sale to the public November 19 at 9am ET. The King Is Dead will be released on Rough Trade Records in Europe on January 17.

Gillian Welch has been announced as a special guest joining The Decemberists when they perform the new album’s lead single “Down by the Water” on Conan O’Brien’s newly launched late show “Conan” on TBS this Thursday, November 18. “Down by the Water” will be released digitally tomorrow November 16. A pre-order of The King Is Dead will launch at Decemberists.com beginning November 22.

The King Is Dead marks a deliberate turn towards simplicity after the band’s wildly ambitious and widely acclaimed 2009 song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Produced once again by Tucker Martine, the album features Welch on seven tracks and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on three tracks. Rolling Stone has already called it “the most pastoral, rustic record they’ve ever made,” while SPIN declared it “a bold, straight-up folk-rock record, perhaps their most accessible one yet.” Check out a short video preview of the album here.

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

* with Wye Oak
# with Mountain Man