Okkervil River Pictures

Rook by Shearwater

The Austin-based band cofounded by Okkervil River's Jonathan Meiburg releases its fifth album. [Rock, Indie]

Published: 2008-06-10 Provider: Metacritic

Norah Jones Enlists Ryan Adams, Tom Waits’ Band For New Album

Photo: Jennings/WireImage Norah Jones has recruited Ryan Adams, Okkervil River’s Will Sheff and some of the vital members of Tom Waits’ Mule Variations band for her upcoming fourth studio album, due out in November. The LP will be Jones’ first since 2007’s Not Too Late. Both Adams and Sheff are listed among the songwriter collaborators, as well as Jessie Harris, who penned Jones’ Grammy-winning 2002 hit “Don’t Know Why.” Jones’ upcoming album also finds the songstress teaming with producer Jacq

Published: 2009-08-21 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

On the Breaking Blog: Hype Monitor Featuring Army Navy

Photo:Travis Schneider Each week on the Breaking blog, Hype Monitor drills into the arctic tundra that is the Internet in search of the oil deposits that represent the finest in buzzworthy bands. Click below for this week’s column, which includes Seattle’s Army Navy, whose shiny happy power pop tunes evoke classic Britpop. • Hype Monitor: Army Navy, Tough Alliance and Related Stories: • Hype Monitor Featuring Okkervil River • Hype Monitor Featuring Theresa Andersson • Hype Monitor Featuring Burial

Published: 2008-09-18 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Breaking

The Stand Ins by Okkervil River

The indie rock band releases its latest album produced by Brian Beattie. [Rock, Indie]

Published: 2008-09-10 Provider: Metacritic

Metallica Deny Lawsuit Rumor, UGK Top Billboard Chart, Radiohead Push New LP to 2008

Contrary to reports they were returning to their lawsuit-happy, Napster-killing ways, Metallica are not suing the video games “Guitar Hero 3” and “Rock Band” for featuring their …And Justice For All song “One.” A spokesperson for the band tells us that the band has licensed the song to the game makers and look forward to it appearing in both titles. Houston rap duo UGK’s Underground Kingz debuted atop the Billboard charts, as their first album since 2001 sold 160,000 copies. On the strength of the single “Shawnty,” Plies’ Real Testament entered the chart at number two. On the indie front, Okkervil River made their Billboard 200 debut at number 62 with The Stage Names. Radiohead will not be putting out a new album this year; the band’s PR firm says signing to a new label and properly promoting the album will push the release date to 2008. Michael Jackson is being sued to the tune of $113,000 for not paying one of the law firms that helped him out when he battled child-molestation allegations. With the money they’re saving after canceling John From Cincinnati, HBO will release a soundtrack for their meandering comedy series Entourage. Cold War Kids, Gnarls Barkley and series star Saigon are among the artists on the tracklist, which mysteriously snubs the show’s theme song, Jane’s Addiction’s “Superhero.”

Published: 2007-08-16 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Afternoon News Roundup

The Stage Names by Okkervil River

The fourth studio album from the Austin, Texas-based band mixes it up with the help of Jim Eno of Spoon. [Indie, Rock]

Published: 2007-08-08 Provider: Metacritic

Akon Might Have Made Plies' Song Into A Hit — Without Him — But There's No Beef

Plies still collaborates with Akon, even though the producer turned "I Wanna Love You" into a hit — without him.

Published: 2007-08-07 Provider: VH1 Keywords: Testament, Artist, Album, Plies, Real, The, VH1, <i&gt;Kingz<i&gt;, Releases<i&gt;, Okkervil, <i&gt;New, Movies, Public, Quest;, Enemy, River, More, News, Park, Plus, Rock, UGKs, 106, And, A-Z, In, on, TV, &amp;,

This Week’s New Reviews: Joan Baez, Jessica Simpson and More

Joan Baez’s 24th album leads this week’s new releases. Day After Tomorrow sees Baez collaborate with Steve Earle for a set of tunes that draw from tough minded blues and Appalachian bluegrass. “Best of all is the title track, Tom Waits’ heartbreaking Iraq War ballad, sung in the voice of a frightened GI: ‘What I miss you won’t believe/Shoveling snow and raking leaves.’ Delivered by Baez with dusky restraint, it proves an old protest-music lesson too often unheeded: When it comes to prophesying, stories work better than slogans,” writes Rolling Stone’s Jody Rosen. Click below for the full review, plus reviews of new albums from Jessica Simpson, Gym Class Heroes and more. • Album Review: Joan Baez, Day After Tomorrow (3 stars) • Album Review: Jessica Simpson, Do You Know (3 stars) • Album Review: Gym Class Heroes, The Quilt (2.5 stars) • Album Review: Tricky, Knowle West Boy, (3.5 stars) • Album Review: Okkervil River, The Stand Ins, (3 stars)

Published: 2008-09-09 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein Explore Bands, Food Allergies on a First Date: A ThunderAnt Original

Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (of the on-hiatus Sleater-Kinney) are ThunderAnt, the comedic duo responsible for the webisode hilarity of “Feminist Bookstore” (check it out here). When the two swung by the Rolling Stone offices recently, they offered to demonstrate their first-date skills by grilling each other on musical preferences (Les Savy Fav and Okkervil River get name-checked), food allergies and more, and marked the close of their encounter with a creepy cell-phone wipe-out. Click above to watch the clip, and here to see the pair singing an ode to Random Notes and other RS staples. And check back tomorrow for our third and final ThunderAnt exclusive.

Published: 2007-10-23 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Videos

"The Stage Names" by Okkervil River

Okkervil River's fourth album, The Stage Names, takes a long step away from its acclaimed predecessor, Black Sheep Boy. Some of the rough angles and emotional gravitas have been tabled in favor of good-spirited rock 'n roll and lyrical levity (as on the proudly music-geeked "Plus Ones"). Correspondingly, there's more warmth, immediacy and universal appeal—and fewer emotional socks to the gut. Longtime listeners may yearn for a few more cracked wails from songwriter extraordinaire Will Sheff, but the tradeoff mostly plays out effectively, and should build the band's momentum as one of indie rock's leading lights There are still somber set pieces, like the twinkling "Savannah Smiles," detailing an unfortunate run-in with a daughter's diary, and the elegant "A Girl in Port." But the album lives to kick up its heels and spin a good tale, as on "A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene" and "You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man." Sheff's literary flourishes

Published: 2007-08-03 Provider: Artist Direct

On the Charts: Metallica Dominate, Jessica Simpson Debuts Strong

Photo: Getty The Big News: Metallica only needed four days to storm to the top of the charts, as the current cover boys sold 490,000 copies since its Friday release. While the shortened week prevented the band from setting a personal one-week sales record, they did manage to sell 400,000 more copies than the number two record, Young Jeezy’s The Recession. Kid Rock’s Rock N’ Roll Jesus stayed embedded at three, while Jessica Simpson’s country music crossover Do You Know scored fourth with 65,000 copies sold. Slipknot’s All Hope Is Gone rounded out our top five. Debuts: LL Cool J’s Exit 13 led the second wave of debuts, coming in at nine with 44,000 copies, or a third of the copies LL’s Todd Smith sold in its first week in 2006. Supertramp-samplers Gym Class Heroes only managed to muster the 14 spot with their new album The Quilt. Comedian Mitch Hedburg’s posthumous Do You Believe In Gosh? charted at 18, Kardinal Offishall’s Not 4 Sale claimed 40 and Okkervil River’s The Stand-Ins placed at 42. Last Week’s Heroes: Outside of the debuts, this week’s top ten shared a striking resemblance with last week’s with one notable exception: Lil Wayne cashed in on his VMA and SNL performances as Tha Carter III bumped up from 10 to eight thanks to a 2% sales increase. The biggest loser had to be the New Kids on the Block, as their The Block spiraled from two down to 16 thanks to a 72% sales decrease. Related Stories: • New Reviews: Metallica, Ne-Yo, Nelly • Metallica Stir Up Mosh Pit At BBC Radio Death Magnetic Show • Metallica’s New Single: The First Review

Published: 2008-09-17 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Chart Roundup

Tour Tracker: Lil Wayne, Liz Phair and Okkervil River

Albums rule the day as Lil Wayne previews Tha Carter III, Liz Phair resurrects Exile in Guyville and Okkervil River preps The Stand-Ins. All the dates are available after the jump. Lil Wayne May 30 - Providence, RI @ Dunkin’ Donuts Center May 31 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center June 1 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium June 8 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues June 10 - Baltimore, MD @ Venue to be announced June 11 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues June 12 - Indianapolis, IN @ Venue to be announced June 20 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion June 27 - Lafayette, LA @ Cajundome June 28 - Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center August 10 - Baltimore, MD @ Pimlico Race Course Liz Phair June 23 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore June 24 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre June 25 - New York, NY @ Hiro Ballroom June 26 - New York, NY @ Hiro Ballroom Okkervil River June 26-28 - Calgary, ALB @ Sled Island Festival August 1-3 - Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza September 12 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck September 13 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown September 14 - Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theater September 15 - Fargo, ND @ Aquarium September 17 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox September 18 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards September 19 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom September 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Festival September 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre September 24 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern September 26 - El Paso, TX @ The Blue Iguana September 26-28 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival September 30 - New Orleans, LA @ The Republic October 1 - Birmingham, AL @ Matthew’s Bar & Grill October 2 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club October 4 - Richmond, VA @ The National October 6 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall October 7 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall October 8 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Nightclub October 9 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre October 10 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall October 11 - Montreal, QC @ Les Saints October 12 - Toronto, ON @

Published: 2008-05-30 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, On Tour