Drawing from literature of the past proves a recipe for success for The Decemberists

So the headline reads for a brief interview with Colin Meloy of The Decemberists (my favorite band) in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

From the story:
Meloy has found fulfillment penning songs that draw on 19th-century literature -- musical tales of dastardly deeds, maidens in distress and Civil War-era romance. The Portland indie-rock band even looks the part in vintage costumes fit for a Victorian parlor.

"I've always been fascinated with Victorian, 19th-century, turn-of-the-century, early 20th-century stuff," Meloy said.

Their best album they've thus far created is The Crane Wife. You owe it to yourself to give it a listen. The title song is based on a Japanese folk tale about a man who marries a magical bird. Meloy discovered the story while working at a bookstore in Portland (where he currently lives).

"I flipped through it during an idle moment, and it struck me as a really beautiful story." Beautiful it is.