Which indie rock band from Portland released the 2005 album 'Picaresque'?

The Decemberists, the indie rock band from Portland, released the 2005 album 'Picaresque'. It is the group's third studio album and blends indie rock, folk rock, and baroque pop with the band's characteristically literary storytelling.

The album was recorded in 2004 at the Prescott Church in northeast Portland, which the band rented for a month. That setting helped give the record a distinctive atmosphere, while producer Chris Walla worked with the band on its detailed arrangements and layered sound.

'Picaresque' was released in the United States on March 22, 2005, through Kill Rock Stars. Its songs often feature historical settings, eccentric characters, and darkly comic narratives, making the album feel closer to a collection of theatrical stories than a conventional rock record.

The title is itself a literary reference. “Picaresque” describes a satirical prose tradition that follows a low-born rogue navigating a corrupt society. That meaning fits the album's wandering characters and episodic storytelling. Portland is an especially useful clue because The Decemberists formed there in the early 2000s.