But, oh, what providence
What divine intelligence
That you should survive
As well as me
It gives my heart great joy
To see your eyes fill with fear
So lean in close
And I will whisper
The last words you'll hear....
The Decemberists
There are many ways to determine the degree of a band’s creativity and talent, a few being: timbre (use of different instruments and sounds of different pitch/volume), actual instrumental dexterity, ability to create harmony and rhythm, a capacity to dabble in different genres, and lyrical clout. But there is one faculty that is truly impressive and often overlooked, and that is the ability to write music and make up folklore about fictional/historical characters that do not exist in reality. One band that masters this is the Decemberists. According to a story in Unfold Magazine in April 2011, The Decemberists, known for encouraging audience participation, made their audience scream as if they were being eaten by a whale, as the band members pretended to die onstage to their song “The Mariners Revenge.” And while there is something to be said about writing a song about love, your life, or the world, there is also deep creativity that goes into writing a detailed song about a mariner being eaten by a sea creature.
As a side note, it happens to be coincidence that I am featuring another band out of Portland, Oregon, although Portland does churn out great artists. If you have not heard much from The Decemberists, absolutely check them out and have your ears tuned to the sounds of acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, base guitar, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards, harmonica, tambourine, standing base, and whatever myriad instruments they have up there. You never know. But, with The Decemberists, anything goes.
The Mariners Revenge, thanks Alyssa
Rox in the Box
and if you enjoy Salsa, here's some Latin flare I've been enjoying...
Oye Manita
06 Oye Manita by jarconti@gmail.com
