Okkervil River
Okkervil River is an American indie band. It was founded in Austin, Texas in 1998. Initiator, Head and last remaining founding member of the band is Will Sheff. The music contains elements of country, folk and punk rock.
Biography
The band name comes from a short story of the Russian author Tatyana Tolstaja, Leo Tolstoy's great-grandniece, which was named after a river in Saint Petersburg.
The founding members of the band met in a high school in New Hampshire know. After they had both visited at separate locations from college, they met again to live together in Austin and to start a band. Those were the songwriter Will Sheff, Zach Thomas on bass and mandolin, and Seth Warren on drums. Her first appearance they had in the Steamboat in Austin on January 11, 1999. This year they took with producer Jeff Hoskins a self-production with 7 titles on, Stars Too Small to Use.
In December of the year was Jonathan Meiburg from the band Whu Gnu accordion, piano and organ added. Shortly after they had met, Sheff and Meiburg also founded his own band called Shearwater.
Okkervil River got the chance to perform at the prestigious 2000 SXSW Festival in Austin, this is a talent show at the same time and makes both press and labels attention to new bands. Here they met the producer Brian Beattie, with whom she took up within a year her album Do not Fall In Love With Everyone You See. Warren moved in December of the year in Berkeley California and was with Mark Pedinivon the band Providence Rhode Iceland 's the eyesores replaced.
At SXSW 2001, the band attracted the attention of the independent label Jagjaguwar, which released the album in January 2002.
A year later, the band traveled to San Francisco and played again with Warren to record their third album in a small independent studio Tiny Telephone with producer Scott Solter.
Previously, the band had released a split album with Julie Doiron on the Spanish indie label Acuarela.
Pedinivon left the band to work as a graphic designer. For SXSW 2003 Travis Nelsen joined as the drummer and stayed with the band.
During an extended tour of the keyboard and lap steel guitarist and Howard Draper was added as a fifth member of the band.
The band from August to November 2004 adopted a new album with Brian Beattie on, Black Sheep Boy, which was published in 2005. During this time Jagjaguwar released a 5 - song EP with outtakes, Sleep and Wake-Up Songs. Due to the success of their third album in late 2005 brought another EP on the market, Black Sheep Boy Appendix.
Okkervil River was in different countries of the world, among others with the The Decemberists, Rilo Kiley, Azure Ray, on tour. As models listed several band members Neutral Milk Hotel. Will Sheff also refers to the songwriter Tim Hardin. So the band coverte whose song "Black Sheep Boy", after which they named the album.
In April 2006 licensed Okkervil River / Jagjaguwar the latest album for Europe to the major label Virgin / EMI. The label released Black Sheep Boy and the follow-up single again and sent the band in May of the year on a promotional tour.
In August 2007, appeared initially in the U.S., the fourth album " The Stage Names". It also a limited edition of 1,500 pieces 2CD version was released, containing a bonus disc with solo demos of all the studio tracks. The European release, a month later, was no longer with EMI, which had no more interest in the band and the new album, but again through Jagjaguwar.
The fifth album The Stand In released in the U.S. on September 9, 2008. European release took place on September 12, 2008. 2010 they jointly published with music legend Roky Erickson, a former member of the influential 13th Floor Elevators, an album on which she acted as the backing band. In May 2011, the studio album was released I Am Very Far.
Discography
Albums
- Stars Too Small to Use - 1999 / Jound
- Do not Fall in Love with Everyone You See - 2002 / Jagjaguwar
- Down the River of Golden Dreams - 2003 / Jagjaguwar
- Black Sheep Boy - 2005 / Jagjaguwar
- Black Sheep Boy ( Definitive Edition) - 2006 / Virgin Ger ( EMI) / double album ( also "The Next Four Months" contains the B- side of the single For Real )
- The Stage Names - 2007 / Jagjaguwar
- The Stand Ins - 2008 / Jagjaguwar
- True Love Cast Out All Evil - 2010 / ANTI- Records (along with Roky Erickson )
- I Am Very Far - 2011 / Jagjaguwar
- The Silver School - 2013 / ATO Records
Singles / EPs / Splits
- Bedroom EP - 1998 / Jound / EP
- Kansas City Single - 2000 / Jound / CD single
- South San Gabriel / Okkervil River - Split - 2002 / Tight Spot / 7 "
- Julie Doiron / Okkervil River CD Split - 2003 / Acuarela
- Sham Wedding / Hoax Funeral split CD with Shearwater - 2004 / Jound
- Sleep and Wake-Up Songs EP - 2004 / Jound / EP
- For Real ( There's Nothing Like the Blinding Light ) - 2005 / Jagjaguwar / CD single
- Black Sheep Boy Appendix - 2005 / Jagjaguwar / EP
Compilation posts
- " Omie Wise (live) " - 2000 / Aural Fixation KVRX 91.7FM, Local Live Vol 5
- " Disfigured Cowboy" - 2002 / Comes with a Smile CD
- " Riot Act " - 2003 / Glurp / Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello
- " My Bad Days (Live)" - 2004 / Comes with a Smile CD
- " Nancy (Live)" - 2005 / I Eat Records / Appetizers & Leftovers
- " Westfall (live) " - 2005 / Live Work Play
- "Your Other Man " - 2005 / Summer Steps Records / A Second Tribute to Jandek: Down in a Mirror