Colin Meloy: "We Both Go Down Together"

In high school an old friend sent me a set of mixed CDs filled with stuff I'd never heard before - Death Cab for Cutie, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Ben Kweller, the Dandy Warhols, and the Decemberists, to name a few. She was much cooler than me, so I took the CDs and studied them carefully. The Decemberists immediately stood out; their odd instrumentation (which regularly includes an accordion) coupled with storytelling lyrics and originality hooked me. I was an impressionable youth.

The Decemberists formed in 2001 in Portland and have released five EPs and six albums, all of them awesome. They tell great stories, and use weird instruments, and generally have a great time on stage. I've seen them live more than any other band. Thanks to the power of YouTube, I can now enjoy Colin's weird facial expressions and one-of-a-kind voice within the confines of an elevator.

Dreams really do come true.

Fun fact: Most of the Decemberists' artwork is produced by Meloy's wife, Carson Ellis. She's also done work for Weezer. And it all comes together...

Enjoy.

"We Both Go Down Together," performed by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists.
Original on the Decemberists' "Picaresque" (2005).