The Stage Names
Studio album by Okkervil River
Released	August 7, 2007
Genre	Indie Rock
Label	Jagjaguwar
Producer	Brian Beattie
Professional reviews
Pitchfork (8.7/10) link The Music Nazi link Under the Radar (9/10) Strange Glue (8/10) link New York Times link Stylus magazine link PopMatters (8/10) link
Okkervil River chronology
Overboard and Down (2006) The Stage Names (2007)

The Stage Names is the fourth full-length studio album by indie rockers Okkervil River, released on August 7, 2007. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, with longtime Okkervil producer Brian Beattie. 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" and David Bowie's "Quicksand".^[1][2] 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 a rough demo form on the 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.^[3] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... This article is about the musical band. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Secretly Canadian. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork and occasionally shortened to P4K or pfork,[1] is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Under the Radar is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1998. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... This article is about the online music and film magazine. ... PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism. ... This article is about the musical band. ... Overboard and Down is an EP by indie band Okkervil River for their 2006 Australian tour. ... This article is about the musical band. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Travis County Government  - Mayor Will Wynn Area  - City  296. ... William J. Schaff Jr. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Overboard and Down is an EP by indie band Okkervil River for their 2006 Australian tour. ... eMusic is an online music store that operates by subscription. ... Will Sheff is the frontman for the Austin, Texas-based indie band Okkervil River (1998–present). ... This article is about the iTunes application. ...

Overview

The Stage Names was originally conceived as a double album.^[4] Sheff said about the inspiration for the album,^[5]

An official music video was created for "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" directed by Margaret Brown.^[6]

"Savannah Smiles" is a song that deals with the life and death of Shannon Wilsey, a pornographic actress known by her stage name, Savannah, which was taken from the 1982 film, Savannah Smiles. The bonus track, "(Shannon Wilsey on the) Starry Stairs", is intended to be a sequel to "Savannah Smiles".^[4] Shannon Michelle Wilsey Longoria (October 9, 1970 – July 11, 1994), commonly known by her stage name of Savannah, was an American pornographic actress, starring in more than 100 pornographic films during her career. ... A pornographic actor or a porn star is somebody who appears in pornographic movies, live sex shows or peep shows. ... Savannah Smiles is a 1982 comedy film starring Bridgette Andersen, Donovan Scott, and Mark Miller. ...

"Plus Ones" references several other songs with numerical titles including "96 Tears", "99 Luftballoons", "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", "Eight Miles High" and others, except with one number added (hence the title "Plus Ones"). The term is also used in reference to guest-lists at rock concerts. 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons) is a protest song by Nena that reached number one in Germany in 1983 and in the UK in military. ... 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover is a 1975 hit song by Paul Simon, from his album Still Crazy After All These Years. ... Eight Miles High is a song by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby, first appearing as a single from 1966 by the rock band The Byrds. ...

"You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man" makes a passing reference to The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even by Marcel Duchamp. The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass). ... Marcel Duchamp (pronounced ) (July 28, 1887 – October 2, 1968) was a French artist (he became an American citizen in 1955) whose work and ideas had considerable influence on the development of post-World War II Western art, and whose advice to modern art collectors helped shape the tastes of the...

The song name "Title Track" is an openly self-reflexive gesture. A self-reference is possible when there are two logical levels, a level and a meta-level. ...

"John Allyn Smith Sails" combines the life of confessional poet John Berryman (originally John Allyn Smith) and the infamous boat wreck of the John B. Sloop. The song ends with a cover of The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B".^[5] A confessional poet traffics in intimate, and perhaps derogatory, information about him or herself, in poems about illness, sexuality, despondence and the like. ... John Allyn Berryman (originally John Allyn Smith) (October 25, 1914 – January 7, 1972) was an American poet, born in McAlester, Oklahoma. ... First formed in 1961, The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band that gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of surfing, girls and cars. ... Sloop John B is the seventh track on The Beach Boys Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records. ...

In addition to these specific allusions, several songs on the album have subjects like television, film, and the experience of being in a rock band.

Reception

Reviews have been largely positive with Pitchfork labeling The Stage Names "Okkervil River's most emotionally devastating record yet, and without doubt one of the year's best."^[7] The Stage Names has a Metacritic rating of 83.^[8] The album debuted at number 62 on the Billboard 200 with 10,000 copies sold.^[9] Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork and occasionally shortened to P4K or pfork,[1] is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Will Sheff.

1. "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" – 4:23
2. "Unless It's Kicks" – 4:38
3. "A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene" – 3:59
4. "Savannah Smiles" – 3:38
5. "Plus Ones" – 3:43
6. "A Girl in Port" – 6:36
7. "You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man" – 4:53
8. "Title Track" – 5:22
9. "John Allyn Smith Sails" – 4:33

Bonus tracks

• "(Shannon Wilsey on the) Starry Stairs" – 3:54

Bonus track available on iTunes

• "Love To A Monster" – 4:54

Bonus track available on eMusic

Shannon Michelle Wilsey Longoria (October 9, 1970 – July 11, 1994), commonly known by her stage name of Savannah, was an American pornographic actress, starring in more than 100 pornographic films during her career. ... This article is about the iTunes application. ... eMusic is an online music store that operates by subscription. ...

References

1. ^ The Stage Names overview. Okkervil River (2007-08-07).
2. ^ Exclusive: Okkervil River Adopt Stage Names. Pitchfork Media (2007-05-09).
3. ^ Will Sheff (2007-08-07). The Stage Names. Okkervil River official website: News. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
4. ^ ^{a b} Mike Carriere (2007-08-20). Interview: Okkervil River. PitchforkMedia. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
5. ^ ^{a b} Joseph Coscarelli (27-07-2007). Okkervil River - Sheff & The Stage Names. Wireless Bollinger.
6. ^ Template:Url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92M9Ik8WrdA
7. ^ Okkervil River - The Stage Names. Pitchfork Media (2007-08-06).
8. ^ The Stage Names review. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
9. ^ After Five-Year Absence, UGK Scores First No. 1 Album. Billboard.com (2007-08-15).

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official site with lyrics