Okkervil River: New Record, Treasure Island Festival

You may remember that last fall we had quite an infatuation with Okkervil River's record The Stage Names. Well, the guys are back with a new one this Fall: The Stand Ins was released last week. The record (as many reviews have suggested) is certainly cut from the same cloth as The Stage Names. That being said, it seems to be making a turn for the more country side of the band. Both "Singer Songwriter" and "Calling And Not Calling My Ex" are firmly in traditional country territory. The more "rock" moments on the record, like "Pop Lie" and "Lost Coastlines",also seem more firmly traditional in their execution. The epic garage sound that filled out "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe" and "Unless It's Kicks" on the last record, are sadly absent.

While the new record does seem to be missing some facets of the band that we really enjoy, it's not really enough to make us shy away just yet. In particular, one of the things that got us hooked on the band was their live show at the Independent. It's for exactly that reason that we have high hopes for the band's show this weekend at the Treasure Island Festival. They go on relatively early on Sunday, but we're guessing that they'll really slay the crowd. See you there!

mp3: Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines