Castaways and Cutouts

Neutral Milk Hotel: "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One" (1998) from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Merge)

Meloy: Get out of my house [laughs].

Alicia J. Rose

Colin Meloy, in front, prepares to launch into "Dixie."

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More About

• Colin Meloy
• The Decemberists
• Robyn Hitchcock
• R.E.M.
• Neutral Milk Hotel

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SW: When was the first time that someone said you sound like Neutral Milk Hotel?

Meloy: Someone said that to me when I was in Tarkio [Meloy's band prior to the formation of the Decemberists]. I have a similar voice [to Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum], and I've always had a voice that is kind of reedy and nasally. It's just the way I sing—I try to sing like Michael Stipe. And obviously, he's been influenced by R.E.M. And the songwriting approach—when I first heard this, I immediately thought of Robyn Hitchcock. Whatever. I just think it's lazy journalism when I get pegged with that. But it's my cross to bear, I guess.

info@seattleweekly.com

The Decemberists play the Showbox with Okkervil River at 8 p.m. Fri., March 18. $12 adv./$14.