Dwellings: Toronto, then NYC, then Montreal
Albums: Nightsongs, Heart, Set Yourself on Fire, In Our Bedroom after the War
Source: Insound
Sounds Like: electropop (depending on the album), hints of the 80's
More: webpage, myspace, amazon, iTunes
Since it's Valentine's Day, let's talk about love. Most every artist can write a song about falling in love or heartbreak. But what about everything in between? What about fearing rejection after sleeping with someone or the ups and downs of on-and-off-again relationships or friendships with benefits? That's where Stars comes in.
Torquil Campbell and Chris Seligman came together to form Stars in 2000 and released two albums before hitting it big with Set Yourself on Fire in 2004. I bought this record on a whim after perusing through Insound's list of recommended albums at the time and didn't stop listening to it all summer. What sets apart Stars from a lot of indie bands are the variety in their sound and their brilliant songwriting. Campbell and Seligman focus on the complexities involved in pursuing and living with real (not ideal) love, but the duo accomplishes this with such accuracy and attention to detail that anyone can identify with their music.
The sound of the band is pop at heart but varies slightly from album to album. For example, Set Yourself on Fire leans towards the electronic side while In Our Bedroom after the War is less electronic and more pop. Co-vocalists Campbell and Amy Millan trade the spotlight on tracks and sometimes share it to create wonderful dialogs that illustrate each sex's side of the story.
To display the variety of Stars, I present you with two excellent songs off of Set Yourself on Fire. Choose your own adventure!
For something cute and happy on Valentine's Day, watch the video below for "Reunion".
For something cold and sad for the anti-Valentine's Day folks, watch the video for "Your Ex-Lover is Dead".
UPDATE: For those wanting a little more, NPR's All Songs Considered did a live recording of a Stars performance at our hometown venue, the 9:30 Club, back in November 2007. Listen to it for free aquí.
3 comments:
No Way! I just started listening to them yesterday and they are awesome. I'm so glad you put them up on your blog world!!
I will spare you any more video analysis besides I'm soo glad they added in the Thriller dance for Reunion.
I didn't think of them as electropop so that was a new viewpoint for me. Thanks! If you are shopping for weird electropop, I don't know if you've checked out Hot Chip. "Playboy" is worth a looksee if for nothing else than fruit used as percussion instruments, menacing fake pandas, and some wicked thumb piano action.
I LOVE Hot Chip! I was debating on whether to post on Hot Chip or Stars yesterday, but ultimately chose Stars since it was V-Day. "Playboy" is great, and I love the video for "Over and Over".
I've really been digging bands with mixed-sex vocals recently (see: Straylight Run, earlier Pretty Girls Make Graves, Rilo Kiley/Postal Service, et cetera), and this fits right in. I never thought I'd take Canadian music seriously again, but these guys have an honest shot at making up for Avril & Co. Nice work.
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