The Decemberists review – having a whale of a time
The Portland hipsters have been forging a direct new electronic sound, but still treat a boisterous crowd to their beloved storytelling hits – and a monster surprise
July 2017
Offa Rex: Queen of Hearts review – folk-rock that's full of heart, soul and sunlight
Offa Rex: The Queen of Hearts review – Olivia Chaney and the Decembrists rock
May 2016
Readers recommend
Readers recommend playlist: songs about spying
There’s a sinister subterfuge running through the playlist this week, with artists from Bauhaus to King Creosote collected by a reader on a mission
February 2016
Readers recommend
Readers recommend: songs about knives results playlist
RR regular Shoegazer has picked this week’s playlist, which you can read about and listen to here as we continue our slightly tweaked format
May 2015
Reading American cities
Books about Portland: readers' picks
The Pacific Northwestern city offers a range of reads, from jazz era tales to bleak portrayals of modern American life. Here are some of our readers’ favourites
February 2015
The Decemberists review – pleasing variety and declamatory forcefulness
Choirmaster Colin Meloy leads fevered audience participation as the polite Oregon quintet bring their broad, hook-filled folk-influenced indie to Britain
January 2015
Songs for swinging authors: can novelists write good lyrics?
Listen up
Five new albums to try this week: Sleater-Kinney, Mark Ronson and more
The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World review – an irrepressible return
The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World review – huge choruses in heartfelt songs
Album streams
The Decemberists – What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World: Album stream
The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy on chart success and chicken feed
September 2011
Rerecording artists: the strange pop habit of covering an entire album
From Dub Side of the Moon to Dave Depper's Ram Project, the heroically pointless act of covering an entire album is one of pop's odder habits. Peter Paphides tries to rationalise it
May 2011
After the goldrush: rock posters fetching silly sums
From Dylan to the Decemberists, here are some of the most sought-after vintage posters
March 2011
This week's new singles
The Decemberists – review
January 2011
The Decemberists: The King Is Dead – review
The Decemberists have come out of their prog phase and got straight back into country-tinged, pastoral brilliance for The King Is Dead, says Hermione Hoby
The Decemberists: The King Is Dead – review
The Decemberists have forsaken rock operas for pop songs. Michael Hann is impressed
The Guardian's Music Podcast
Music Weekly: Go! Team and Kompakt
We get the lo-fi lowdown on Go! Team, sample the beautiful techno of Kompakt, and lift the lid on tracks by the Decemberists, Adele and Brother
