The Decemberists are a rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (hammond organ, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards), Nate Query (bass guitar, string bass), and John Moen (drums, backing vocals, melodica). The band's debut EP, 5 Songs, was self-released in 2001. Their fifth full-length album, The Hazards of Love, was released on March 24, 2009 by Capitol Records, and is the band's second record with the label.
"O Valencia!" is The Decemberists' fifth single, and the first released off of their fourth studio album, The Crane Wife.
The music was written by The Decemberists and the lyrics by Colin Meloy. It tells a story of two star-crossed lovers, similar to that of Romeo and Juliet (or the modern, urban retelling of Romeo and Juliet, in the famous musical West Side Story). The singer falls in love with a person who belongs to a gang which is opposed to one he is in. At the end of the song, the singer's lover jumps in to defend the singer, who is confronting his lover's brother (the singer's "sworn enemy") and is killed by a stray bullet.
For the music video of this song, The Decemberists filmed themselves in front of a green screen and asked fans to complete it by digitally adding in background images or footage. Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report, having recently asked fans to do the same with a video of him with a light saber in front of a green screen, brought up The Decemberists on his segment "Look Who's Riding on My Coattails Now" and accused the band of stealing the idea. The Decemberists' response was to challenge Stephen Colbert to a guitar solo showdown on December 20, 2006 on The Colbert Report.
On January 19, 2007, The Decemberists premiered an alternate music video of "O Valencia!", directed by Aaron Stewart-Ahn, on MTV2. The video follows a character played by Colin Meloy as he and his love Francesca (Lisa Molinaro), daughter of "the Boss" plan an escape to an unknown location. A man in a suit, portrayed by band member Chris Funk, tells him to hide in the "Valencia" hotel (the Super Value Inn on North Interstate Avenue in Portland, Oregon) while he gets them the necessary documentation to escape. Above the name of the Hotel, there is a neon sign that reads "Office." The letters have all burnt out except for the "O", creating the title of the song. The video then introduces other characters - various assassination teams - who sit in different rooms of the hotel waiting for the chance to catch the two lovers. Most are portrayed by other members of the band (along with Colin Meloy's long time girlfriend, Carson Ellis).
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