UNLESS IT'S KICKS
Combining folk-rock inspirations and alternative rock sways, Okkervil River creates a particular visionary sound, strongly founded on dark and profound lyrics and on chaotic visions of patterned sound compounds.
Okkervil River started as a mutual project of Will Sheff (vocals, guitar), and Seth Warren (drums). In 1998, the group offered their first and self-released disc, the EP Bedroom, followed a year later by Stars Too Small to Use, the band's debut album.
Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See, the group's second album, showed up in 2002, followed by Down the River of Golden Dreams in 2003, reaffirming the band's cult all over the Texas music scene.
The band found success outside of their home state with 2005's Black Sheep Boy and Black Sheep Boy Appendix EP. Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy was one of the most acclaimed releases of 2005. Kelefa Sanneh wrote in the New York Times that "Will Sheff, leader of the Austin indie-rock band Okkervil River, writes like a novelist."
With their newest release, The Stage Names, Okkervil River dynamite the walls of Black Sheep Boy's gothic, moss-walled castle from the inside to let in the glaring sun. Reverberant with echoes of Motown snap and girl-group pop, redolent with ripe whiffs of dirty rock 'n' roll, shining with the shimmy of Bo Diddley, with the shimmer of the Velvets, with the swagger of the Faces, and with a glittery sprinkling of cheap perfume over the top of it all to disguise the stink, The Stage Names is a relentlessly-paced and ruthlessly thrilling journey.
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