The Decemberists

In the 2000s, the Decemberists did more than almost any other band to make unabashed geekery cool. The band's singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy, came from Montana, where he fronted a band called Tarkio while studying at The University of Montana. Previous to that, he'd attended The University of Oregon, and after completing his studies in Montana, he returned to Oregon, breaking up Tarkio and starting The Decemberists in Portland in 1996. Bassist Nate Query, keyboardist Jenny Conlee, drummer Ezra Holbrook, and guitarist Chris Funk filled out the first Decemberists lineup. The Decemberists forged a singular style that matched Meloy's brainy, highly literate lyrical sensibility with folk-rock, indie-pop, and prog influences. In 2001 they put out a DIY EP simply entitled 5 Songs, but after being signed to local label Kill Rock Stars, they released their debut album, Castaways and Cutouts, in 2002. The band quickly earned attention in indie-rock circles, and their reputation grew over the course of their next two albums; their third, 2005's Picaresque, marked The Decemberists' first appearance on the U.S. album charts. Their next record, The Crane Wife, marked both a move to a major label (Capitol) and a streamlining of their sound. Unsurprisingly, the 2006 album became the band's biggest success up to that point. By the time of their 2011 album, The King Is Dead, Meloy and company had edged away from the quirkier side of their sound, embracing a more straightforward folk-rock feel, and they earned themselves a No. 1 record and Grammy nomination in the process. After completing the tour for that album, The Decemberists went on a long hiatus during which the members pursued other projects. They came back together for their 2015 album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. "Make You Better" from that record earned the band the No. 1 spot on Adult Album Alternative chart. Following a Fairport Convention-inspired collaboration with British folk singer Olivia Chaney under the project name Offa Rex, The Decemberists returned in early 2018 with I'll Be Your Girl, on which new producer John Congleton added an unexpected layer of 1980s synth pop to the band's familiar folk-rock sound.