The Stand Ins

Last updated
The Stand Ins
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins cover.jpg
Cover Art by William Schaff [1]
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 9, 2008
Genre Indie rock
Length40:12
Label Jagjaguwar
Producer Brian Beattie [2]
Okkervil River chronology
Golden Opportunities Mixtape
(2007)
The Stand Ins
(2008)
I Am Very Far
(2011)

The Stand Ins is the fifth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on September 9, 2008. [3] The album is the second half of The Stage Names , a planned double album. The title comes from the term 'stand-in', a person who substitutes for the actor before filming for technical purposes. If the cover art for The Stage Names is placed above that of The Stand-Ins, a complete picture is formed. [3] The album charted at #42 with 11,000 copies sold, according to the Billboard 200. [4]

Contents

Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and guitarist Charles Bissell of The Wrens contributed to the album. [3]

Overview

Conceived as a companion piece to The Stage Names , The Stand Ins continued the band's preoccupation with pop culture, celebrity suicide, and life as a musician. The track "Lost Coastlines", which features a duet with Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg, deals with trying to keep the band together despite the band's constant touring. [5] "Starry Stairs" depicts the life and suicide of porn star Shannon Wilsey. [6] The final track on The Stand Ins, "Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979," details the career and disillusionment of glam rock musician Bruce Wayne Campbell (better known as Jobriath). [6] [7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 78/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [10]
Entertainment Weekly A [11]
Pitchfork Media 8.0/10 [12]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]

The Stand Ins has received positive reviews. The album currently has a score of 78 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

PopMatters' Joseph Carver praised the album's narrative, writing "Once again, a record made up of relatively unlikeable characters becomes a fixture in your psyche thanks to Will Sheff's ability to find the humanity in their stories." [5] Pitchfork Media also praised the album's lyrics, with reviewer Stephen Deusner calling Sheff "...one of the best lyric-writers going in indie rock." Deusner continued: "Song for song, he can jerk a tear with a carefully observed detail or turn of phrase... but it's the way those songs talk to one another that makes Okkeril River albums so durable and fascinating." [12]

In a less positive review, Melanie Haupt of The Austin Chronicle criticized the album for being unpolished and unfocused, writing "The Stand Ins doesn't really figure out what it wants to be until its second half." [16] In another mixed review, Magnet's Chris Barton also criticized the album for being unfocused, writing "Okkervil River can deliver terrific songs when ambitions are kept in balance, but this uneven record is in dire need of an editor." [17]

Track list

All tracks are written by Will Sheff

No.TitleLength
1."Stand Ins, One"0:47
2."Lost Coastlines"5:31
3."Singer Songwriter"3:49
4."Starry Stairs"4:01
5."Blue Tulip"6:18
6."Stand Ins, Two"0:31
7."Pop Lie"3:12
8."On Tour with Zykos"4:54
9."Calling and Not Calling My Ex"4:21
10."Stand Ins, Three"0:54
11."Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979"5:54

Personnel

The following people contributed to The Stand Ins: [1]

Charts

Chart (2007)Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [18] 23
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [19] 57
US Billboard 200 [20] 42
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [21] 5
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [22] 9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [23] 14
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [24] 3

Related Research Articles

<i>The Photo Album</i> 2001 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

The Photo Album is the third studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 9, 2001 on Barsuk Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okkervil River</span> American rock band

Okkervil River is an American rock band led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff. Formed in Austin, Texas, in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya set on the river Okkervil in Saint Petersburg. They began as a trio made up of Sheff and friends he had met in his native state of New Hampshire but, over time, have gone through many lineups.

<i>Dont Fall in Love with Everyone You See</i> 2002 studio album by Okkervil River

Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See is the first full-length studio album from alternative folk-rock group, Okkervil River. Released on January 22, 2002 on the label Jagjaguwar, it contains the single, "Kansas City". Artist William Schaff, not to be confused with lead singer Will Sheff, designed the cover art. The album features an array of instruments including violin, pedal steel, mellotron, banjo, string and horn sections.

<i>Black Sheep Boy</i> 2005 studio album by Okkervil River

Black Sheep Boy is the third studio album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on April 5, 2005. The title is inspired by the song "Black Sheep Boy" by 1960s folk singer Tim Hardin. The album deals with Hardin's struggle with heroin addiction and Okkervil River lead singer Will Sheff's failed relationships and heartbreaks. The album cover features the work of Providence artist William Schaff.

Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shearwater (band)</span> American indie rock band

Shearwater is an American indie rock band from Austin, Texas, led by multi-instrumentalist and lead singer Jonathan Meiburg, a singer-songwriter. The band's music is notable for its imagery based in nature, cerebral yet intimate melodic songs, as well as Meiburg's vocals.

<i>Black Sheep Boy Appendix</i> 2005 EP by Okkervil River

Black Sheep Boy Appendix is the fourth EP by indie band Okkervil River, released on November 22, 2005. This mini-album is a continuation of their 2005 release, Black Sheep Boy and is a compilation of unfinished and reworked songs from that album. The disc also includes "Another Radio Song," a re-recorded and lyrically altered version of "For the Captain," a song featured on the band's 1999 debut release, Stars Too Small to Use. "Black Sheep Boy #4" is a re-recorded and lyrically altered version of "Disfigured Cowboy," originally released on the Comes With a Smile issue #11 CD sampler, and was played on an episode of Cold Case.

William J. Schaff Jr. is an American artist and musician based in Warren, Rhode Island and Oakland, California. He is known for artwork for the bands Okkervil River, Songs: Ohia, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Sheff</span> American musician

Will Robinson Sheff is the frontman for the Austin, Texas-based indie band Okkervil River (1998–present). Originally from Meriden, New Hampshire, he is also a founding member and co-songwriter for Shearwater (2001–2009), another Austin band. Sheff writes and performs many songs as a solo artist while juggling his commitments to Okkervil River and Shearwater, and has released one album as a solo artist. As well as writing and singing songs, he plays guitar, piano, banjo, and harmonica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Meiburg</span> American musician and writer (born 1976)

Jonathan Albert Meiburg is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead singer and songwriter for Shearwater.

<i>The Stage Names</i> 2007 studio album by Okkervil River

The Stage Names is the fourth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on August 7, 2007. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, with longtime Okkervil producer Brian Beattie, and with mixing from Spoon drummer and producer Jim Eno. Like other Okkervil River albums, the accompanying artwork is the work of artist William Schaff. The cover refers to a line from "Unless It's Kicks". The record was also released as a limited-edition 2-CD set that included a second disc of solo acoustic demos. A newly recorded version of "Love to a Monster", which appeared in rough demo form on the band's tour EP, Overboard and Down, was originally intended to appear on the album, but didn't make it on, and appears as a bonus track when the album is purchased through eMusic. "Shannon Wilsey on the Starry Stairs", described by lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff as "kind of a sequel to 'Savannah Smiles' and kind of a sister song to "John Allyn Smith Sails'", is included as a bonus track when the album is purchased through iTunes.

<i>Golden Opportunities Mixtape</i> 2007 studio album by Okkervil River

The Golden Opportunities Mixtape is a free downloadable album by indie rock band Okkervil River. It contains eight covers and one live version of an original. It was released without any press as a free download from the band's website on December 12, 2007. It was listed as a Must Have Download in the 1044th Issue of Rolling Stone.

<i>Rook</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Shearwater

Rook is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Shearwater. It was released on June 3, 2008, on the Matador Records label. The track "Rooks" was the first single from the album. The album was previewed on May 5, 2008 and May 29, 2008, at two special concerts in Manhattan and Austin, Texas. The band toured in support of the album later in 2008. The album gained the band a spot on Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" on May 28.

<i>A New Tide</i> 2009 studio album by Gomez

A New Tide is the sixth studio album by the English indie rock band Gomez released on 30 March 2009 by ATO Records. The album was produced by the band as well as Brian Deck and received average reviews from music critics.

<i>True Love Cast Out All Evil</i> 2010 album by Roky Erickson

True Love Cast Out All Evil is a 2010 album by Roky Erickson, his first album of new material in 14 years. Produced by Okkervil River's Will Sheff, the album also features the members of Okkervil River on most songs as Erickson's backing band. The album also includes field recordings of songs from Erickson's time in a Texas insane asylum. It was released by ANTI- in America and by Chemikal Underground in Europe.

<i>I Am Very Far</i> 2011 studio album by Okkervil River

I Am Very Far is the sixth album by Okkervil River, released on May 10, 2011. It was produced primarily in Austin, Connecticut and Brooklyn by lead singer Will Sheff with John Congleton and Phil Palazzolo.

<i>The Silver Gymnasium</i> 2013 studio album by Okkervil River

The Silver Gymnasium is the seventh album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on September 3, 2013. It is the band's first release after signing to ATO Records, and their first album not released through Jagjaguwar.

<i>Jet Plane and Oxbow</i> 2016 studio album by Shearwater

Jet Plane and Oxbow is a studio album by the Austin, Texas, band Shearwater. It was released on January 22, 2016, under the Sub Pop label. Jonathan Meiburg has said that he wanted to "...try and make a protest record that wasn't dumb or preachy."

<i>Away</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Okkervil River

Away is the eighth studio album by American rock band Okkervil River, released on September 9, 2016. This album is the band's second release on ATO Records, following their previous studio album The Silver Gymnasium.

<i>In the Rainbow Rain</i> 2018 studio album by Okkervil River

In the Rainbow Rain is the ninth studio album by American indie band Okkervil River. The album was released on ATO Records on April 27, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 The Stand Ins - Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 20 June 2011
  2. Jagjaguwar press release
  3. 1 2 3 Okkervil River Reveal Full Details of The Stand Ins Archived 2008-06-01 at the Wayback Machine (Pitchfork Media)
  4. "Metallica Scores Fifth Straight No. 1 Album". Billboard . 2008-09-17.
  5. 1 2 3 Carver, Joseph (September 8, 2008). "Okkervil River: The Stand Ins". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Howe, Sean. The Stand Ins Review. Entertainment Weekly. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2011
  7. Monger, James. The Stand Ins - Okkervil River. Allmusic. Retrieved 20 June 2011
  8. "Reviews for The Stand Ins by Okkervil River". Metacritic . Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  9. The Stand Ins at AllMusic
  10. "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  11. Entertainment Weekly review
  12. 1 2 Deusner, Stephen M. (September 8, 2008). "Okkervil River: The Stand Ins Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  13. Robert Christgau review
  14. Rolling Stone review
  15. Critic Reviews for The Stand Ins. Metacritic. Retrieved 20 June 2011
  16. Haupt, Melanie. ACL Fest Sunday Reviews: Okkervil River. The Austin Chronicle.
  17. Barton, Chris. OKKERVIL RIVER: The Stand Ins. Magnet. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2011
  18. "Norwegiancharts.com – Okkervil River – The Stand Ins". Hung Medien.
  19. "Swedishcharts.com – Okkervil River – The Stand Ins". Hung Medien.
  20. "Okkervil River Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  21. "Okkervil River Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  22. "Okkervil River Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
  23. "Okkervil River Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  24. "Okkervil River Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.