Okkervil River

[barlowdog]

Has anyone else heard this band? I've only taken a couple listens to their latest album, Black Sheep Boy, and I think I'm falling in love. The song "For Real" is absolutely magnificent.

 

[barlowdog]

I got an email from Charles Bissell (of the Wrens) saying how fantastic this band is live. Naturally, he's opening a few dates for them. Philly in November!!


Okkervil River Announce Extensive World Tour

David Nadelle reports:
It's only been a few months since Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy appeared on the scene like an uninvited guest at a party. But instead of drinking all your beer, trying to get it on with your girlfriend, and passing out in your bed, this newcomer regales your regular idiot acquaintances with tales of wonder and woe (in a wonderful glass-gargling tenor) as you consider offering up the spare sofa in hopes of a prolonged visit. Not content to rest on their much-lauded laurels for Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River will be hitting the road something fierce in support of their Tim Hardin-esque album, taking in two arduous back-to-back tours of Europe and North America. And why not? Certainly everyone deserves the chance to rejoice and singalong with Will Sheff upon hearing this stunning part-concept, all-fantastic album played live, no? Don't be late scrambling onto this high-speed bandwagon:

09-13 Austin, TX - The Parish
09-24 Utrecht, Netherlands - Ekko
09-25 Brighton, England - The Hanbury Ballroom
09-26 Manchester, England - Night & Day
09-27 Nottingham, England - The Social
09-28 London, England - Water Rats
09-29 Paris, France - La Guinguette Pirate
09-30 Munich, Germany - Zerwick
10-01 Linz, Austria - Kapu
10-02 Wien, Austria - Chelsea
10-03 Zagreb, Croatia - KSET
10-04 Ravenna, Italy - Charles Bronson
10-05 Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
10-06 Bologna, Italy - Covo
10-07 Milan, Italy - Jail
10-08 Zofingen, Switzerland - Oxx
10-09 Dresden, Germany - Star Club
10-10 Berlin, Germany - Cafe Zapata
10-11 Hamburg, Germany - Weltbuhne
10-12 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Rotown
10-13 Zichem, Belgium - Den Hemel
10-14 Brussels, Belgium
10-15 Amsterdam, Nethlands - Paradiso
10-19 Marfa, TX - The Ballroom
10-20 Tucson, AZ - Plush #
10-21 San Diego, CA - The Casbah #
10-22 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo #
10-23 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord #
10-24 Redding, CA - Serendipity Coffee House #
10-25 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge #
10-27 Vancouver, British Columbia - Media Club #
10-28 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe #
10-29 Boise, ID - Neurolux
10-31 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
11-02 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon +
11-03 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground +
11-04 Ames, IA - The Maintenance Shop +
11-05 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar +
11-06 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub +
11-07 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace +
11-08 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa +
11-10 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bears $
11-11 New York, NY - Knitting Factory $
11-12 Brooklyn, NY - Northsix %
11-13 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber ^
11-15 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 %
11-17 Tallahasse, FL - FSU, Club Downunder &
11-19 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon &
11-20 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington &

# with Band of Horses
+ with Minus Story
$ with Minus Story & Charles Bissell
% with Man Man & Charles Bissell
^ with Charles Bissell
& with Man Man

Those who loved the "big idea" behind Black Sheep Boy will be ecstatic wiith the upcoming November release of an EP entitled, incredibly enough, Black Sheep Boy Appendix. This new compendium collects new tracks and some unused, reworked "big idea" songs from the album's sessions that were absent from the final tracklist selection.

01 Missing Children
02 No Key, No Plan
03 A Garden
04 Black Sheep Boy #4
05 Another Radio Song
06 A Forest
07 Last Love Song for Now

 

[got_edge]

I got my hands on a few songs available on their website aaaaaaand a live version of 'A Stone'

 

[IWasBored]

their name is not clever (and this is what has been keeping me from checking out their music). is it trying to be, or is that actually a real river?

wishka!

 

[barlowdog]

their name is not clever (and this is what has been keeping me from checking out their music). is it trying to be, or is that actually a real river?

wishka!

According to their website, Okkervil is a real river just outside St. Petersburg.

I don't think their name is clever either, nor do I think they're trying to be clever. Radiohead, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, The Smiths; some of the greatest bands in music history don't have clever band names (although The Smiths actually might be quite clever). Check out the tunes: A Glow, So Come Back I Am Waiting, For Real, Get Big, Black. It's good stuff (and no I don't work for the band or their label).

p.s. someone should start a thread about the most clever or interesting band names.

 

[got_edge]

Check out the tunes: A Glow, So Come Back I Am Waiting, For Real, Get Big, Black. It's good stuff

'For Real' ( ) and 'Black' are both available on their website if anyone wants to check those out. [link]

 

[barlowdog]

'For Real' ( ) and 'Black' are both available on their website if anyone wants to check those out. [link]

Got edge

Are you familiar with their older material? I've been thinking of purchasing some, but don't know how it measures up with Black Sheep Boy.

 

[got_edge]

That's a negative.

The 'older' material that I have is

• Red
  Westfall
  Auntie Alice
  It Ends With A Fall
  The War Criminal Rises and Speaks
  The Velocity of Saul at the Time of His Conversion

and I haven't really heard any of it yet

 

[IWasBored]

According to their website, Okkervil is a real river just outside St. Petersburg.

I don't think their name is clever either, nor do I think they're trying to be clever. Radiohead, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, The Smiths; some of the greatest bands in music history don't have clever band names (although The Smiths actually might be quite clever). Check out the tunes: A Glow, So Come Back I Am Waiting, For Real, Get Big, Black. It's good stuff (and no I don't work for the band or their label).

p.s. someone should start a thread about the most clever or interesting band names.

if it's an actual place, i don't really care, and you can forget i said anything. it's just so close to "overkill" that i thought they were trying to be funny, and failing miserably. if they meant it as a reverse letter thing to weed out pretentious fans who like to throw indie band names around in conversation, it could easily be designed to trip people up. that's what i thought was going on here.

 

[zoney!]

I thought it was about the music...not a friggin band name.

I would like to take a listen, barlow!

AND...there is another Georgia Southern Alum here at Interf....

 

[barlowdog]

I thought it was about the music...not a friggin band name.

I would like to take a listen, barlow!

AND...there is another Georgia Southern Alum here at Interf....

I'll burn you some Okkervil River. Please fill me in on the other GSU alum here next time we talk. When's that U2 cover band coming to town?

 

[IWasBored]

I thought it was about the music...not a friggin band name.

I would like to take a listen, barlow!

AND...there is another Georgia Southern Alum here at Interf....

just trying to out-indie people like you

 

[got_edge]

just trying to out-indie people like you

You can never out-indie me!!

EVAR!

 

[IWasBored]

You can never out-indie me!!

EVAR!

PHOAR!!


i tried to find something incriminating on audiosccrobbler to make fun of you, but wouldn't you know it, they're updating their server or rather :wilson:

 

[got_edge]

PHOAR!!

What?

i tried to find something incriminating on audiosccrobbler to make fun of you, but wouldn't you know it, they're updating their server

Har! Good thing Daddy Yankee is no longer my #1 on the AS charts

:wilson:

 

[IWasBored]

i think it's like phearth3drag0n or some other kind of geek-speak. i probably spelled it wrong or something. i'm sure zoney will know.



daddy yankee? isn't he the one with that song that sounds like giant singing gorillas or something? ooh-haah! ooh-haah! daddy yankee say ooh-haah!

kind of hard to mock online...i think my sister likes that


pfffffffffffff, u2 is your number 1 by almost 1000 listens!

although i like where the clash are on that list.

 

[got_edge]

All of a sudden, I can't stop listening to "West Falls"

 

[IWasBored]

and i still haven't checked them out.

thanks for the reminder, though.

 

[barlowdog]

Just ordered their first two LP's. I don't think I'll be disappointed, but will likely post a full report in a few weeks.

 

[Elvis Presley]

Okkervil River are brilliant

 

[got_edge]

09/26/05 - Manchesta:

• Down the River of Golden Dreams - It Ends With A Fall - Black - A Stone - Red - Blanket and Crib

 

[barlowdog]

My Okkervil River mix.

For Real
Red
The Velocity of Saul at the Time of His Conversion
Westfall
A Glow
No Key, No Plan
Black
In a Radio Song
It Ends with a Fall
Get Big
The War Criminal Rises and Speaks
A Stone
Last Love Song for Now
Dead Dog Song
So Come Back, I am Waiting

 

[got_edge]

My Okkervil River mix.

For Real
Red
The Velocity of Saul at the Time of His Conversion
Westfall
A Glow
No Key, No Plan
Black
In a Radio Song
It Ends with a Fall
Get Big
The War Criminal Rises and Speaks
A Stone
Last Love Song for Now
Dead Dog Song
So Come Back, I am Waiting

"The War Criminal Rises and Speaks" would probably be up there on my list if it started when they find the war criminal (about halfway through the song).


I recently fell in love with "So Come Back, I am Waiting" after hearing it live.

 

[barlowdog]

I recently fell in love with "So Come Back, I am Waiting" after hearing it live.

"So Come Back, I am Waiting" is my favorite song of theirs right now. I really want to see them play live. I missed a chance back in November due to illness.

 

[Tiger Edge]

They sound excellent on my car stereo.

 

[Elvis Presley]

Got some new Okkervil River news today on ENS....

http://www.eachnotesecure.com/?p=241

 

[barlowdog]

Thanks, Elvis. that's good news. I hope they do some dates in the states before the end of the year.

 

[u2popmofo]

As some of you may or may not know, as I've missed this thread entirely, I'm an enormous fan of Okkervil River (in fanship, not body size). Anyways, they just announced a "tour" and they're not coming here. I am not floating down the river of golden dreams right now.


Here it is:

07-13 New York, NY - Castle Clinton
09-06 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
09-07 Sydney, Australia - Newtown RSL
09-08 Melbourne, Australia - East Brunswick Club
09-09 Adelaide, Australia - Fowler's Live
09-10 Perth, Australia - Rosemount Hotel
10-03 Little Rock, AR - Revolution *
10-04 Columbia, MO - Blue Note *
10-05 Ames, IA - The Maintenance Shop *
10-06 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon *
10-07 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
10-08 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
10-09 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig *
10-11 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's *
10-12 Buffalo, NY - Soundlab *
10-13 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall *
10-16 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *
10-18 Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse *
10-19 Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge *
10-20 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle *
10-21 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone *
10-22 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live *

* with Elvis Perkins



Pitchfork also had this to say, which at least kind of made up for the lack of a show that's even remotely close to here:

As previously reported, Okkervil River are currently working on new material, though whether or not it will amount to a new LP has yet to be seen. In April, Jagjaguwar said that the band recorded 22 brand new, very Dylan-/Stones-esque tracks, "complete with ridiculous lyric matter, genre hopping country and R&B numbers, inspired covers, and easily a half dozen moments of pure genius..."
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/37383/Okkervil_River_Plot_Fall_Tour


Yay for new music, boo for tours that don't even go to the western half of the US (Texas doesn't count.....for anything....)

 

[joyfulgirl]

I haven't been able to get into them as much as everyone else. Everytime I put them on it seems there is always something else I'd rather listen to. But I haven't given up yet.

 

[u2popmofo]

Similar to Sufjan, I didn't like them all that much at first either. I saw them open for The Decemberists and thought they were decently good live, though I didn't take much notice other than to the song Westfall (which can be downloaded for free from their official site, along with tracks from each release). After listening to Westfall a lot and liking it, I started listening to the song Black from Black Sheep Boy and got into it also. Picked up Black Sheep Boy last summer and now I have everything they've ever released in stores.....

The moral of this story, I can sympathize and understand if people don't really go for them all that much at first. I certainly didn't.