The Hazards of Digital Love: New album from The Decemberists

The Decemberists, a pop indie band from Portland, Ore., released their latest album titled Hazards of Love, last Tuesday.  However, before releasing it on CD, the band's label, EMI's Capitol Records, decided to release the album digitally on Apple's iTunes Store a week earlier than the physical CD.  This strategy proved to be productive for the album's release, with it selling 18,000 downloads that first week and placing the album in the top 20 before it was even out on CD.  They also sold 1,000 vinyl copies the week before the CD release.  Read more about the marketing and release of this album from the LA Times.

Beyond just making lots of sales, the album is actually really good.  Rolling Stone's Will Hermes gave it 4 out of 5 stars.  Hermes describes the music as "strummy British folk rock and heavy-metal thunder, orchestral strings and a children's choir."  He recognizes the resembles to the band's predecessors including Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention.  "From the glacial, droning opening rack to the head-scratcher folk finale," Hermes said, "The Hazards of Love takes its time, inviting you to grab a seat in front of the fire, stoke your Meeschaum pipe and take a trip."  To read Hermes' full review go to this article from the Rolling Stone.  

I have recently heard the band on the local public radio "The Current," but you can obviously listen to them on their Myspace, or check out the official The Decemberists website.