This is why we fight... okay, not really.

Until recently, I had only heard snippets of the new Decemberists album, The King Is Dead. A preliminary chat with the internet tells me that (a) this album is waaaay better than Hazards of Love, (b) REM's Peter Buck makes a guest appearance on a track, and (c) the entire record has a REM "feel" to it. That said, I've listened to a few songs off of the album and can say that it feels like a throwback to Colin Meloy's Tarkio days, which pleases me greatly.

Simply put: I love this band. I first saw them in 2004 at the Crocodile Cafe with the Long Winters in a double header, two-night extravaganza. They played "The Tain" in its entirety (possibly a bit longer than the original) and it was so, so amazing. Cut to 2010, and the Decemberists are performing at the Paramount Theate -- a great example of local band done good, deserving of all their hard-earned success.

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As most semi-popular music fans know, the two oldest stories in the history of the rock album as "art" is actually the same one from different ends. The grand, ornate, rococo resurrection - and the stripped down, for serious or fun reinvention. Dylan invented all this with his trilogy of amphetamine-fueled apocalypse pop in the mid-60s, and then followed it with LPs where he wore cowboy hats on the cover and tenderly rasped about throwing it all away.

As you may have heard, The Decemberists have kind of done that, too, on recent release The King Is Dead, after one or two double-LP length leviathans of noodly odysseys and noisy oracles, now coming down with some sunny, bittersweet folk-pop, but without leader Colin Meloy having to get all mashed up on a motorbike to do it.

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{Sasquatch photo by asclepius6 from the Imaginary Flickr Photo Pool}

Do you hear that?

It is the sound of folks feverishly tweeting and posting about the amazing #Sasquatch line-up just announced. After weeks (who are we kidding, months!) of mathematically calculating probabilities based on tour schedules and record release dates, we finally have a firm answer of who's going to be at the Gorge this Memorial Day weekend, as well as explanations as to why certain folks don't have a Seattle tour date in the next few months.

Not to sound like everyone else every other year, but this year's line-up has left me speechless. The Sasquatch folks have brought together the best of the best of the best (except Allo Darlin, which I'm guessing will be begged to participate next year) to celebrate their 10th Anniversary.  I mean Wilco, Bright Eyes, Matt & Kim, The Radio Dept., The Thermals, Stornoway, and The Young Evils!?!?!?  You're killing me!!!

Are you headed that way? Who are you most excited about (mine bolded below)? Anyone else you think is going to be added to the bill before we pack up our roadtrip munchies and head Quincy, WA way?

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Another landslide of gorgeous photos from our imaginary weekend at Musicfest Northwest!

The Builders and the Butchers

The Decemberists

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{This is part three in a series of recaps about Musicfest Northwest 2010 -- make sure you check out Thursday's and Friday's coverage too!}

The Builders and the Butchers:

Saturday at MFNW was chock full o' rad, with bands around every corner and all kinds of PDX-style awesomeness abounding. The day started off with an excellent lineup at funeral home-turned-venue the Woods, courtesy of KEXP: The Mynabirds, The Builders and the Butchers, Typhoon, and several other bands took the stage from 1pm on for our listening and viewing pleasure. The station crew did a massive amount of taping and shooting, so keep an eye out for words, video, and stills over at their website -- the BatB set was beyond epic and set up living-room style, almost microphone-free on a rug in the middle of the crowd -- and we're quite sure the fine folks of KEXP captured the performance with excellent result.

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Technically, you can get your Musicfest Northwest (MFNW) on starting tonight -- there will be a few gigs going on around town down in Portland to warm up the masses -- but our imaginary coverage will officially begin tomorrow and we can't hardly wait!  There's quite a few acts and sorta-showcases that we're espcially stoked to see... so without further ado, here are some of our picks for the best-of-the-fest shows for the next four days.

Please note: the approximate start times are listed for the first band only and are subject to change -- always check your internets before heading out!

Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside
Thursday, 10p @ Berbati's Pan

Having seen and heard a lot about these darlings since their 2009 blip on our Seattle radar, it's going to be quite a treat to catch them at a hometown show. Full of good ol' fashioned big-bodied electric sound and a pair of lungs that just won't quit, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside are as swoon-tastic as it gets!

David Bazan + band / Joshua Morrison
Thursday, 9p @ the Doug Fir

Does this even need an explanation? Hot on the heels of two stellar performances at Bumbershoot, David Bazan (along with the current installment of his band) have fine tuned their sound to some true indie rock perfection. Achy and anthematic to the core, we're super-stoked to catch them at a venue like the 'Fir. Add in local favorite-home-safe Joshua Morrison, and you've got a night on your hands to remember.

The Thermals
Thursday, 10:30p @ the Crystal Ballroom

The Thermals killed Bumbershoot, the new album rules, and we'll be there with bells on. 'nuff said.

Okkervil River / Bobby Bare, Jr.
Friday, 10p @ the Crystal Ballroom

One of those lineups that makes you grateful that the bookers are playing close attention: a headlining set with OKR and a warmup by local favorite Bobby Bare, Jr. sounds like the next best thing since sliced bread. The boys of Okkervil have been hard at work, following up their last album with some amazing work next to the great Roky Erickson, and judging by the sound of the twitterverse, on to the next recording of something beautiful.

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While everyone is prefunking Bumbershoot, we'd like to take a moment to officially get the prefunk to the prefunk for Music Fest Northwest going. Starting today.

If you've never been, MFNW is like a crazier, spread-out-ier Bumbershoot -- spanning four days and venues all over town -- or a tinier, cleaner SXSW. Minus the industry hoo-ha and power-showcases and seminars. Beginning on Wednesday, September 8th, our sweet sister-city will be hosting a veritable slew of amazing bands all over town. Acts like Okkervil River, Menomena, the Decemberists, the Cave Singers, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, the Thermals, Dave Bazan, Bobby Bare, Jr., the Walkmen, the National, and the Tallest Man On Earth -- among many, many others -- will be bringing an extended weekend of bliss to Portland for our listening and viewing pleasure.

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Most TIG readers realize that Colin Meloy knows his way with a fetching narrative whether in song (on oodles of albums by his band The Decemberists among others, including under his own name) or in memoir (his superb 33 1/3 book on The Replacements' Let It Be, which has been unfairly lost in the shuffle over time). And now those fans who either dip into children's literature for its affection for good, straightforward storytelling, or wish to get their own kids or others' kids hooked on the book, can get them Meloy's own debut in the field, as part of his new Wildwood series.

A "tale of adventure, magic, and danger," Wildwood is a trilogy in collaboration with fawned-over illustrator Carson Ellis. HarperCollins won the rights to the series after five other publishing houses competed in the auction for the rights. The first novel should be in stores in autumn of 2010.

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at The Gorge

Sasquatch was a doozy. I wrote a lil bit o' news about a few bands I saw each day via my check-in's for days 1, 2 and 3. There were people having sex during the Decemberists right out in front of {supreme being} and everyone, and I met a TON of Canadians "eh". I saw a kid wearing a fleece pajama jumpsuit all three days (shower? yeck) and my toes have never been as dirty as they were after three days of music and camping. Verdict: sunburned, dehydrated, jolly good time. The itsy bitsy press trailer was anything but cush, so I kept my ass out and about amongst the common-folk gorging themselves on the sweet sweet sounds of Sasquatch. Here is what I heard:

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Whether you're a huge fan or not, you have to beam with even a small glimmer of pride to see our very own Pacific Northwest book clubbers, the Decemberists, take over the Colbert Report last night.

Or were you just excited to see what Colin would twitter from backstage? Come to find out, I guess there was a cell phone lock down?

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