O Valencia!
Encyclopedia
"O Valencia!" is the fifth single by indie rock
band The Decemberists, and the first released from 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. The singer falls in love with a person who belongs to an opposing gang. 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 the bullet intended for the singer.
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 wife, Carson Ellis
).
The video is somewhat influenced by the distinct style and themes of director Wes Anderson
, with bold fonts being used to introduce characters and groups on the bottom of the screen (much like in the film The Royal Tenenbaums
). The band had previously (and more explicitly) drawn influence from Anderson's Rushmore
in their video for "Sixteen Military Wives." The layout of the hotel is also similar to the one used in Bottle Rocket
.
Kurt Nishimura was chosen as the winner by mtvU
for his video that depicted a love affair between a woman and her television, with the TV containing the green-screened Decemberists video footage.http://www.mtvu.com/reanimatethedecemberists/
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band The Decemberists, and the first released from their fourth studio album, The Crane Wife
The Crane Wife
The Crane Wife is an album by The Decemberists, released in 2006. It was produced by Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, and is the band's first album on the Capitol Records label. The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and centers on two song cycles, The Crane Wife and The Island, the latter...
.
The music was written by The Decemberists and the lyrics by Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.-Early life...
. It tells a story of two star-crossed lovers. The singer falls in love with a person who belongs to an opposing gang. 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 the bullet intended for the singer.
Track listing
The 7" single sold in the UK was mispressed, featuring "Culling of the Fold" as the b-side despite the artwork and record label listing "After the Bombs" as the b-side.Music videos
For the "O Valencia!" music video, The Decemberists filmed themselves in front of a green screenGreen Screen
The Green Screen international wildlife film festival is held annually in Eckernförde, Germany. The festival shows full-length and short nature documentaries about animals in their natural habitat. It is the only festival of its kind in Germany...
and asked fans to complete it by digitally adding in background images or footage. Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
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
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
. The video follows a character played by Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.-Early life...
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
Chris Funk
Christopher Lyman Funk is a multi-instrumentalist and member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band The Decemberists. He is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana where he worked at Front Porch Music which inspired his love of American Folk Music. He plays guitar, pedal steel, piano, violin,...
, tells him to hide in the "Valencia" hotel (the Super Value Inn on North Interstate Avenue in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
) 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 wife, Carson Ellis
Carson Ellis
Carson Friedman Ellis is an artist living in Portland, Oregon. She is best known for her children's book illustrations and her album art.- Career :...
).
The video is somewhat influenced by the distinct style and themes of director Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
, with bold fonts being used to introduce characters and groups on the bottom of the screen (much like in the film The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. The film stars Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston, with Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson....
). The band had previously (and more explicitly) drawn influence from Anderson's Rushmore
Rushmore (film)
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
in their video for "Sixteen Military Wives." The layout of the hotel is also similar to the one used in Bottle Rocket
Bottle Rocket
Bottle Rocket is a 1996 comedy film directed by Wes Anderson. It was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. As well as being Wes Anderson's directorial debut, Bottle Rocket was the debut feature for brothers Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson, who co-starred with James Caan and Robert Musgrave.The film...
.
Kurt Nishimura was chosen as the winner by mtvU
MtvU
mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...
for his video that depicted a love affair between a woman and her television, with the TV containing the green-screened Decemberists video footage.http://www.mtvu.com/reanimatethedecemberists/