The Decemberists have launched their ambitious new album 'The Hazards of Love' (Capitol Records) today March 17, 2009 with a weeklong exclusive sale of the digital album through the iTunes Store.

The Decemberists on amazon.com

The Decemberists on amazon.co.uk

The album, which NPR called an "epic adventure," is also being released today as deluxe 180-gram gatefold vinyl through select indie retailers, and will be made available widely through all retail outlets in all formats on March 24th.

The band is heading to Austin, Texas, this week where they will give the highly-anticipated debut live performance of 'The Hazards of Love' when they headline NPR Music's South by Southwest showcase at Stubb's BBQ on Wednesday, March 18th.

The concert will be streamed live, podcast and archived at NPR - SXSW, and will be available for broadcast on NPR Member stations across the country, including KUT Austin, WFUV New York, WXPN Philadelphia, KEXP Seattle and The Current from Minnesota Public Radio.

Capitol Records and imeem recently hosted a contest for fans to try their hand at designing the official poster for the SXSW showcase, and the band has selected Kathryn Rathke's entry as the winner, deeming its surreal depiction of Lyndon Johnson being plucked from the earth by a giant hawk "rad."

View the winning design, runners up on imeem.

Music critics are already weighing in on what is sure to be one of the most intensely debated releases of the year.

Check out what they've been saying so far about 'The Hazards of Love':

"An epic adventure." - NPR

"Musically, Hazards of Love is the Decemberists' full-on classic-rock move, with pretty Zep-style fingerpicking punctuated by crushing stoner-metal lurches." - ROLLING STONE

"Meloy can write the hell out of a melody... some of the snarliest, bluesiest, rockingest moments in the Decemberists' catalog... yields spectacular sparks." - SPIN

"You have to hand it to Colin Meloy and his mob of merry rabble-rousers. Not many bands would event attempt an album this ambitious, and none could pull it off as convincingly as The Decemberists." - FILTER

The Decemberists will kick-off the first leg of their Spring 2009 tour on May 19th at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The 16-date run also includes a June 10th performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York, as well as a set at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee. On tour, the band will play two sets a night, the first a full performance of The Hazards of Love, and the second consisting of their older material. Joining the band on stage will be special guests Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. More upcoming tour dates will be announced shortly.

The Decemberists' confirmed Spring 2009 tour dates are as follows:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

May 19 Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
May 20 Fox Theatre Oakland, CA
May 21 McDonald Theater Eugene, OR
May 23 Sasquatch Festival Quincy, WA
May 24 Wilma Theatre Missoula, MT
May 26 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
May 27 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
May 29 Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
May 31 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
June 1 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
June 3 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
June 4 Memorial Auditorium Raleigh, NC
June 5 The National Richmond, VA
June 6 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
June 8 Merriweather Post Pavilion Baltimore, MD
June 9 Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA
June 10 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
June 11-14 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN
July 18-19 Edgefield Winery Portland, OR (w/ Andrew Bird & Blind Pilot)

The Decemberists Official Website
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