Okkervil River Call Up The Stand Ins

06/06/08 4:00pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Okkervil River's The Stage Names was supposed to be a double album, but was released last year as a single disc instead. Now, Will Sheff and company are seeing that creative concept through with the release of The Stage Names' sequel, The Stand Ins.

The 11-track disc is due on Sept. 9 through Jagjaguwar Records. The Stand Ins was recorded in the band's hometown of Austin, Texas and co-produced by the band and their longtime producer of choice, Brian Beattie.

The Stand Ins explores the stories and ideas introduced on The Stage Names in greater depth. It features former Okkervil River guitarist and current Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg on "Lost Coastlines," which is about the difficulties of keeping a band together. The Wrens' Charles Bissell, who's been playing guitar with Okkervil River on tour, also contributed to the album.

The Stand Ins includes "Starry Stairs," the sequel to The Stage Names' "Savannah Smiles," a track about Shannon Wilsey, a porn star and groupie who had relationships with Gregg Allman, Slash and Billy Idol before committing suicide.

Okkervil River self-released their Bedroom debut EP in 1998, while their Stars Too Small To Use full-length followed the next year. They signed with Jagjaguwar for 2002's Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See, and followed that with 2003's Down The River Of Golden Dreams and 2005's Black Sheep Boy before issuing The Stage Names.

Okkervil River recently toured with The New Pornographers and will return to Canada for these dates:

June 26 Calgary, AB @ Central United (Sled Island Festival)
Sept. 18 Vancouver, BC @ Richard's On Richards
Oct. 11 Montreal, QC @ Les Saints
Oct. 12 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

Here are the tracks on The Stand Ins:

"The Stand Ins, One"
"Lost Coastlines"
"Singer Songwriter"
"Starry Stairs"
"Blue Tulip"
"The Stand Ins, Two"
"Pop Lie"
"On Tour With Zykos"
"Calling And Not Calling My Ex"
"The Stand Ins, Three"
"Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed On The Roof Of The Chelsea Hotel, 1979"