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The Decembrists were a disparate group of secret Russian revolutionaries who after the death of Czar Alexander I on November 19th, 1825 took advantage of the following interregnum and conduced the failed uprising on December 26th (December 14 in the old style) against the newly ascended Nicholas I. Most of the rebels were upper class military officers who formerly served in the occupation of France following the Napoleonic Wars. Their tours of duty sparked the attempt to bring Western democracy to their country, but the group itself was greatly fragmented in the kind of representative democracy they wanted established: some wanted a democratic republic, and others a constitutional monarchy. Though some of the moderate members convinced a few regiments in St. Petersburg to refuse to take the loyalty oath to Nicholas and demand that his brother Constantine take his place, when they marched onto Senate Square, they were squashed by artillery fire. A subsequent investigation in which Nicholas personally participated (gee, wonder what the results were) effectively brought about the execution of 5 of the Decembrists, the imprisonment of 51, and the exiling of the rest to Siberia. This impressive event later inspired the coming revolutionaries and dissidents in addition to fueling the increased police terrorism of Czarist Russia. (Bibliography: Columbia Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica).

However, Decemberists front man Colin Meloy insists upon this version:

It is little known that in 1826, shortly before the aforementioned proto-communists hit the global stage, a small group of travelling musicians from the Ukraine chose the name the Decemberists (from the Russian "Dekaberisty," an uncommon pronunciation of the more traditional "Dekabristy," and one that implies, in translation, the inclusion of an extra "e") for their music cum theatre troupe and began touring the burgs of Tsarist Russia. It just so happened on a particularly cold December evening, on the troup's last stop-over in St. Petersburg before a much needed respite among the banyas of Finland, they played before a seething group of proletariat in a then-unnamed square on Nevsky Prospekt. Sergei Petrovich Ivanov, the rakish lead player, had spent most of the day prior back at his rooms at the Petersburg Inn, nurturing his weak constitution after a particularly ambitious lunch by the Winter Palace that consisted of Shaverma, Pelmene, and a decidedly suspicious plate of jellied meats. As a consequence, his performance was hampered by an unruly digestive track that, in the span of a belch, transformed the plainly poetic line "Pies, to undressed lurkers of the girl, all overgrow the plate," to "Rise, you oppressed workers of the world, and overthrow the state." The audience, already in an agitated state of tedium because of the inadequecies of the Tsarist government, the sub-zero temperatures, and that afternoon's rather liberal interpretation of Shakespeare's "King Lear," in which the Fool was played by a cocker spaniel who was trained to bark in response to the actors' lines while a stage hand held up cards that "translated" the mongrel's yapping, took Mr. Ivanov's misspoken words to heart and staged a coup d'etat immediately following the troupe's performance. Borrowing their name from the uprising's instigators (though, tragically misspelling it by adding the extra "e"), these revolutionaries were immediately put down and packed off to Siberia, while their namesake's careers forever floundered." (Source: http://www.citizenrobot.com/musiccentral/indie8.html)

Colin says the name of the band is a tribute to those who like "wintry climes". (Source: The Journal News)

Coincidentally, there was another band by the name of the Decemberists active between 1984-1987. They were from Liverpool and the band's front man was also a Colin, a Colin Pennington. He did vocals, guitar and keys, with Andrew Deevey on vocals and guitar, Andrew Ford on bass, Chris Harrison on drums and Karen Jones doing vocals. This band now goes by another name. (Source: http://www.link2wales.co.uk/lpool/D.htm)

Colin Meloy is originally from Helena, Montana.

He studied acting in college at the University of Oregon in Eugene before transfering back to his home state to the University of Montana at Missoula. He majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing.

Before moving to Portland, OR and forming the Decemberists, Colin was in an alternative country band during college called Tarkio.

Tarkio releases: a self-titled CD, I Guess I Was Hoping For Something More, and Sea Songs for Landlocked Sailors and Live on KBGA.

Drummer Rachel Blumberg is also the drummer of Norfolk and Western.

Rachel went to college in Eugene, Oregon. (Source: http://www.cannedmagazine.com/features/ 04/03/decemberists.html)

Pianist and accordion player Jenny Conlee and bass player Nate Query were also in the band Calobo.

Jenny and guitarist Chris Funk were in the band Ashleigh Flynn. Chris is also a member of Tracker.

Jenny Conlee grew up in Portland and graduated from Oregon State University, majoring in music. (Source: www.musicfeatures.com/highsierra/calobo/info/)

Nate Query also grew up in Portland. He played rock and jazz both at Lincoln High School and then at his alma mater Wesleyan Univsersity. (Source: www.musicfeatures.com/highsierra/calobo/info/)

Chris Funk manages underground hip-hop groups such as Lyrics Born and The Coup.

Chris broke his leg in August 2003 in a motorcycle accident. He has since recovered.

Six degrees of separation: Ron Lewis of the Mines once played in a band with Colin Meloy (Tarkio presumably?). The Mines is closely affiliated with the Downer Trio, both being bands originally from Missoula, MT (as is Tarkio). One of the members of the Downer Trio is Robert Mercer, front man of the band Treasure State (Montana is the "Treasure State"). Robert Mercer also happens to be the brother of James Mercer, front man of the Shins.

Colin Meloy's sister is writer Maile Meloy, author of Half In Love and Liars and Saints.

Colin drives a Subaru. (Source: http://flathat.wm.edu/story.php?issue=2004-04-30&type=4&aid=4)

Shirts (and such) that Colin has worn on stage:

-The Smiths, The Queen is Dead
-Carson Ellis drawing (houses?)
-Alphabet Dress
-California USSSA State Championship Men's Class C
-Blue and red checkered shirt (with white shirt underneath save Bumbershoot)
-olive green knit sweater
-McSweeney's
-Carson Supply

Art imitating art: The Decemberists threw an after party at a night club after the last show of the first leg of the "Never Send To Know With Whom the Van Rolls, It Rolls With Thee" tour in Los Angeles. Outside the club a movie called "Down In The Valley" starring Edward Norton as a cowboy was being filmed.

When doing "The Chimbley Sweep" live, Colin introduces the song with the following lines:

In Pembroke City, when I was young
I lived by the castle keep
and 25 pennies is all I earned
to work as a chimbley sweep.