The Resume

(2000- )
Born in Portland, Oregon
Members:
Colin Meloy, lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and harmonica
Chris Funk, lead guitar
Nate Query, bass guitar
Jenny Conlee, keyboards and accordion
John Moen, drums (since 2005)
Recorded the albums ‘Castaways and Cutouts’ (2002), ‘Her Majesty the Decemberists’ (2003), ‘Picaresque’ (2005), ‘The Crane Wife’ (2006), ‘The Hazards of Love’ (2008), ‘The King Is Dead’ (2011), ‘What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World’ (2015), and ‘I’ll Be Your Girl’ (2018)
Recorded the singles ‘The Perfect Crime #2’ (2006), ‘Down by the Water’ (2010), ‘This Is Why We Fight’ (2011), ‘Calamity Song’ (2012), ‘Make You Better’ (2014), ‘Severed’ (2018), and ‘Sucker’s Prayer’ (2018)

Why they might be annoying:

The A.V. Club described them as ‘notoriously idiosyncratic.’
Meloy described himself as ‘slavishly devoted’ to Morrissey and got a tattoo of the singer.
They originally considered presenting ‘The Hazards of Love’ as a musical before deciding it was ‘unstageable.’
The biography on their webpage claimed that they met in a Turkish bath and ‘travel exclusively by Dr. Herring’s Brand dirigible balloons.’

Why they might not be annoying:

After their equipment trailer was stolen, they received aid from the Shins, the Dandy Warhols, and fans who organized a fundraiser (2005).
’The Crane Wife’ was voted favorite album of the year by NPR listeners.
They staged a mock feud with Stephen Colbert that ended with a guitar challenge between Funk and Colbert – who faked a hand injury and brought in Peter Frampton to take over (and win).
They encourage audience participation during their live shows.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 81]
• Guest Voices on the Simpsons
• I Recorded a Concept Album
• Look at My Flame
• Metacritic's 30 Best Reviewed Albums [2006] (Ranked: 19)
• My Album Hit #1 on Billboard's US Album Chart [2010's] (Ranked: 2011)
• Names that are Dates
• Paste Magazine's 10 Best Albums [2009] (Ranked: 7)
• Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Albums of the Decades First Half [2005] (Ranked: 96)
• Profiles 51251-51500 (Ranked: 51383)
• Rolling Stone's Top 30 Singles of 2011 (Ranked: 10)
• Rolling Stone's Top 40 Albums of 2011 (Ranked: 7)
• Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2006 (Ranked: 23)
• Spin's 40 Best Albums of 2006 [Performers] (Ranked: 11)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying