Anyone have the new Okkervil River - The Stage Names?

[Snowbunny]

Sounds good if you put stock in the Pitchfork reviews:

As artistically unsurpassable as Black Sheep Boy seemed in 2005, The Stage Names marks Okkervil River's most emotionally devastating record yet, and without doubt one of the year's best.

I'll be getting it for sure, but it would be nice to hear some feedback from Okkervil fans if anyone has it.

I think I can do it.... a post with no smilies... reaching for the submit button....

[Davey]

I think I can do it.... a post with no smilies... reaching for the submit button....

Hey Snowbuns! Not me, no new Okkervil here, but fans should also check out the latest release from Shearwater called Palo Santo, released last year but then they signed to Matador this year and reissued it in a deluxe 2-CD or 2-LP package with 5 of the songs re-recorded. Very cool record ... they started out kind of an Okkervil side project, but now Sheff is only in the background, and Meiburg is the main guy, and this really is something special.

http://www.treblezine.com/reviews/1992.html

[Snowbunny]

Hey Davey,

Is it true, did Monkey really go to heaven? (Here's where I would normally put a sad face, but I'm in a 12 step program for smilie abusers so I won't.)

Funny, you should mention Shearwater! I was just listening to them on Last.FM since it mentioned they were a band similar to - well Okkervil River obviously! I'm supposed to be able to download some free mp3's but I get an error message.

I did listen on line though, and I will definitely put them on my wish list. Or should I say definately? I notice that most people spell it that way, so I'm starting to think maybe I've been wrong all along. Hehehe.

Any other brilliant new music in your player lately, Davey? I think I'll go snoop on your homepage in case you're holding out. no smiley, no smiley...

Snowie

Hey Snowbuns! Not me, no new Okkervil here, but fans should also check out the latest release from Shearwater called Palo Santo, released last year but then they signed to Matador this year and reissued it in a deluxe 2-CD or 2-LP package with 5 of the songs re-recorded. Very cool record ... they started out kind of an Okkervil side project, but now Sheff is only in the background, and Meiburg is the main guy, and this really is something special.

http://www.treblezine.com/reviews/1992.html

[Davey]

Hey Davey, Is it true, did Monkey really go to heaven?

Yea, sad about the Monkey, and more bad news - underwater guy got squished by 10 million pounds of New York sludge. My homepage is hopelessly out of date too, nothing from this year except a comp. Electrelane, The National, Bird, Blonde Redhead, Spoon, Shearwater, that's about it for me. Richard Buckner "Meadow" from last year is real nice, playing right now, always makes me feel good. Lot's of Morphine too. Kind of old, but Good, Cure for Pain, and Yes are great. Viva Last Blues. There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight. The Blackened Air. Blush Music. Just the usual Davey stuff.

[Snowbunny]

Yea, sad about the Monkey, and more bad news - underwater guy got squished by 10 million pounds of New York sludge. My homepage is hopelessly out of date too, nothing from this year except a comp. Electrelane, The National, Bird, Blonde Redhead, Spoon, Shearwater, that's about it for me. Richard Buckner "Meadow" from last year is real nice, playing right now, always makes me feel good. Lot's of Morphine too. Kind of old, but Good, Cure for Pain, and Yes are great. Viva Last Blues. There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight. The Blackened Air. Blush Music. Just the usual Davey stuff.

Poor Monkeybones! Did you bury him out back under the apple tree? Oh well, as long as Davey is alive and well.

How can your page be hopelessly out of date? That would mean there is no hope of you updating it. What's the matter, Davey? Forgot the password or something? No apologies!

I did skim a little off the surface of your best of lists! I can not believe I don't have the latest Sparklehorse! I take it its good if it made your top 12 list. (Always gotta be unique, dontcha?)

Snowie

[Slosh]

I got it but I haven't listened yet. Lot of good that does you. Want a preview?

[Snowbunny]

I got it but I haven't listened yet. Lot of good that does you. Want a preview?

As if you'd trust me to download it in time. Pshawwww!

That'd be a great big YES PLEASE!

[Slosh]

As if you'd trust me to download it in time. Pshawwww!

That'd be a great big YES PLEASE!

Alright, give me 30 minutes and check your PM

[Snowbunny]

Alright, give me 30 minutes and check your PM

I'm getting a little long in the tooth Sloshy. I don't think I can spare 30 minutes.

[Slosh]

I'm getting a little long in the tooth Sloshy. I don't think I can spare 30 minutes.

I don't like quickies all that much. The whole guilt thing, ya know

So now that you mention it virgin spin:

[tentoze]

Actually, that Gob Iron eluded me altogether until right now- I'm hopelessly out of touch with new releases anymore, it seems. But it looks like something I need.

And, SB, I imagine I'll end up ordering the Okkervil regardless. Sheff would have to take a hard 270 degree turn into Electronica or Death Metal before I'd be ready to give up on him.

[Slosh]

I think I'm gonna try me some Meadow. This will be my first Richard Buckner rec. Good place to jump in? I'm always on the lookout for some quality alt-country.

While I'm at it I may as well try to find that Gob Iron thingie too.

Thread delivers (I hope )

[Davey]

I think I'm gonna try me some Meadow. This will be my first Richard Buckner rec. Good place to jump in? I'm always on the lookout for some quality alt-country.

While I'm at it I may as well try to find that Gob Iron thingie too.

Thread delivers (I hope )

I have three Buckner records, the first two, and this last one, and like them all a lot. Bloomed and Devotion + Doubt are both great, with maybe that second one getting the nod for the more fleshed out sound. He's put out quite a bit of stuff in between, but Meadow seems to pick up where I left off, and like Rae, I've been playing the crap out of it. Just a really fine CD. Not much country in in, but it rocks pretty good at times, good lyrics, great playing, and that voice. Mastered too loud, but not to the point of wreckage, only to the point of me knowing that it would sound much better if more sense was employed and that great playing was placed better in the mix, and allowed to spread out, instead of being compressed and congested. Same complaint I have about almost all rock, so don't let that deter you. If you find a copy of Bloomed on Glitterhouse without the 5 bonus tracks, the original 1993 release in Europe, not the reissue/remaster, grab it. After he was so critically acclaimed with the second album, I think Ryko picked up the debut in the US since it had fallen oop by the little label it was on here, Deja Disc, and remastered it and dolled it up some with some demo tracks not even from those sessions. Still great stuff, with Lloyd Maines doing the production and playing a lot of the instruments with Buckley, but they did master it pretty loud. I used the remaster on the Decade of Alt-Country comp, and can't remember if I turned it down or not, but remember it being louder than a lot of the stuff on there, but since picked up a used Glitterhouse version, and that's the one for me.

But you can't go wrong with Meadow, easy to find on the cheap too. Love it. You'll want more, cause this thread does deliver, so then you can heed the above

http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p00306.htm

[Slosh]

Thanks for the push, Davey. That Buckner sounds pretty good but yet again I've been sidetracked.

NP:

[Davey]

Thanks for the push, Davey. That Buckner sounds pretty good but yet again I've been sidetracked.

Hey, it's not Sept 11 yet! Looking forward to that one bigtime too, so watch the spoiler talk, buddy

Sept 11 is the new Joe Henry too.

[Slosh]

Hey, it's not Sept 11 yet! Sept 11 is the new Joe Henry too.

pfft!

NP: (and FLAC at that )

[Davey]

I have three Buckner records, the first two, and this last one, and like them all a lot. Bloomed and Devotion + Doubt are both great, with maybe that second one getting the nod for the more fleshed out sound.

I've been listening a bunch to those first two for the last week, hard to listen to anything else once I get started, so thought I'd add a few more words, cause you know I'm usually a man of few words ...

First off, I really didn't do justice to what a fuckin' great CD is that original release of Bloomed! Man, it does sound nice. But just a minor correction, mine is actually the 1995 DejaDisc US release, not the Glitterhouse Euro release, although I imagine they are the same. The Glitterhouse is more readily available now. Favorite song: Wow, that's tough, maybe the "Blue and Wonder" opener, or the "Six Years" I used on the Decade of Alt-Country comp, or "Gauzy Dress in the Sun" which might be the indirect title track. No, probably the beautiful "Mud" with the mandolin and dobro ... "And Christ, how this life from mud to miracle, is just the prettiest little burden, isn't it?"

Second, Devotion + Doubt is almost as good in my mind, his major label debut on MCA, recorded down in Tuscon at Wavelab with Howe Gelb and the Calexico boys, and guitarist extraordinaire Mark Ribot and others. Great record, nice sound. It even opens with a song called "Pull" that sounds kinda like ol' Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand, since they do have a certain sympatico, but then moves off decidedly into more twangy Buckner territory for the next song. Pretty diverse romp through the alt-country backwoods on this one, even one heartfelt a cappela song, just Buckner laid bare. Favorite: A Goodbye Rye

[Snowbunny]

I've been listening a bunch to those first two for the last week, hard to listen to anything else once I get started, so thought I'd add a few more words, cause you know I'm usually a man of few words ...

First off, I really didn't do justice to what a fuckin' great CD is that original release of Bloomed! Man, it does sound nice. But just a minor correction, mine is actually the 1995 DejaDisc US release, not the Glitterhouse Euro release, although I imagine they are the same. The Glitterhouse is more readily available now. Favorite song: Wow, that's tough, maybe the "Blue and Wonder" opener, or the "Six Years" I used on the Decade of Alt-Country comp, or "Gauzy Dress in the Sun" which might be the indirect title track. No, probably the beautiful "Mud" with the mandolin and dobro ... "And Christ, how this life from mud to miracle, is just the prettiest little burden, isn't it?"

Second, Devotion + Doubt is almost as good in my mind, his major label debut on MCA, recorded down in Tuscon at Wavelab with Howe Gelb and the Calexico boys, and guitarist extraordinaire Mark Ribot and others. Great record, nice sound. It even opens with a song called "Pull" that sounds kinda like ol' Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand, since they do have a certain sympatico, but then moves off decidedly into more twangy Buckner territory for the next song. Pretty diverse romp through the alt-country backwoods on this one, even one heartfelt a cappela song, just Buckner laid bare. Favorite: A Goodbye Rye

And this is relevant in an Okkervil River thread how?

[Davey]

And this is relevant in an Okkervil River thread how?

Ah c'mon, your thread obviously needed a boost, I mean you haven't even beat out the Fall Girl's new receiver thread yet! Just doing my little part to keep RR alive