MrGrunge
Bluelighter
I like the Decemberists, and while I agree that they can come off as douchey and pompous, Collin Meloy is an incredibly gifted songwriter and can tell some pretty great stories. Their new album, while still pretty good, I would rate below all of their others. It's nice to see them take a new direction in their music, but they abandoned a lot of the storytelling aspects that set them apart from the rest of the indie crowd. Their new album sounds like a typical indie-Americana record with a bit of English folk thrown in for melody sake. I still can't help but respect a band whose willing to drastically re-invent their sound even after having so much success with their previous outings. That takes some pretty big cajones.
