Pitchfork

THIS JUST IN, straight from the desk of the Decemberists:

Stephen Colbert, IT'S ON.

In an exclusive e-mail to Pitchfork, Decemberists ringleader Colin Meloy and his merry bandmates revealed that they aren't going to take this Colbert business sitting down.

In a particularly saucy move, our folk-prog monsterpiecers have issued not one, but two Colbert counterchallenges!! Read it and weep, Stevie:

"It seems Mr. Stephen Colbert of 'The Colbert Report' fame has taken it upon himself to use our 'Re-Animate the Decemberists' contest as a call to arms.

"It has come to the attention of Decemberists HQ that Mr. Colbert has a new segment in his show called 'Who's Riding My Coat Tails Now?' It was during this segment that we were openly taunted, accused of theft and then challenged! That's right-- The Decemberists have been directly challenged by the conservative right!

"It seems that previously 'The Colbert Report' had decided to do something 'edgy' with Stephen in front of a green screen wielding a light saber:

http://colboard.com/cn/greenscreen.php

"Mr. Colbert, assuming that we watch his show (ok, we do), went on to suggest that we had stolen his idea, calling us 'a bunch of coat tail riding jerks!' Who's riding on whose coat tails, sir?

"We already played out the light saber thing months earlier, live and on stage-- sans animation, stunt double and fancy green screen-- with pure rock, sweat and C batteries:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51fCwGAue5Q

"So now, threatened by our video contest and in fear of losing both the House and Senate, Stephen Colbert is offering up his 'Second Green Screen Challenge':

http://www.colbertnation.com/

"We are asking our fans to help us win this epic battle. That's right, we want you to help us defeat Stephen Colbert in our video! Show us how you would 'Mulch' him, take him down to the banks of the Ohio, put a cap in his Dockers. Send them to him here:

http://www.colboard.com/cn/challenge.php

"and send them to us here:

http://www.mtvu.com/reanimatethedecemberists/

"Furthermore, we'd like to announce the very first 'Decemberists vs Stephen Colbert Guitar Solo Challenge'. Put down the pen, Colbert, and pick up the axe! Let's see what kind of a man you really are-- let's SHRED. Let truth and good music prevail!!!"

Your move, Colbert.