Stars

[jakeisjake]

wow...these guys and gals are good!

kinda like the Sundays...Cranberries...Farfarlo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNRji4YOPCs

[andy_tchp]

I think they received a solitary spin on the National youth broadcaster here late one night, and I happened to be listening:

Stars - Take Me to the Riot

I bought their album 'In Our Bedroom After the War' on the back of that as I loved it. The album is a bit hit and miss though.


Going down the youtoob rabbit hole, this is pretty good too. 2.3 million views so I guess they're fairly well known Stateside?

Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead

[jakeisjake]

i heard them today on CBC radio 2...i had not heard of them previously. i read they had a song or two on US tv shows. but with a few exceptions, most of us yanks don't go for canadian music; so, i don't think they are very popular here...

[thedude99]

They have been quite well known in Canada a long time - probably since the mid 2000’s. They’re also quite well known internationally.

The female vocalist, Amy Milan is also one of the vocalists in Broken Social Scene - and was part of the whole You Forgot It in People explosion that happened (which helped their international profile).

I first saw them opening for Broken Social Scene when nobody knew either band, I thought they sounded like the Beautiful South.

Set Yourself on Fire is an incredible album from start to finish.

[budda12ax7]

kind of cool........

[andy_tchp]

They have been quite well known in Canada a long time - probably since the mid 2000’s. They’re also quite well known internationally.

The female vocalist, Amy Milan is also one of the vocalists in Broken Social Scene - and was part of the whole You Forgot It in People explosion that happened (which helped their international profile).

I first saw them opening for Broken Social Scene when nobody knew either band, I thought they sounded like the Beautiful South.

Set Yourself on Fire is an incredible album from start to finish.

Great podcast about this record and will have me picking up a copy shortly. It sounds a lot more consistent than 'In Our Bedroom after the war':

Life of the Record - the making of Set Yourself on Fire by Stars - featuring Torquil Campbell, Amy Millan, Evan Cranley and Chris Seligman

The Beautiful South comparison is made by Torquil himself

I'm a massive fan of Paul Heaton and The Beautiful South. And, Stars is just a Beautiful South rip off. That's all it is. It's just, I stole everything, all my ideas (laughs), from his band.

[marqueemoon]

I love that podcast and have raved about it here before.

I will usually give the album a listen next if I don’t already know it. This particular one didn’t do a lot for me honestly. I appreciate the ambition of it, but yeah…

[dinosaurkale->]

probably seen Stars 4 or 5x over the years. solid band

[panoramic]

probably seen Stars 4 or 5x over the years. solid band

I saw them twice I guess, once in 2000 and once in 2004. I really liked the earlier material but they fizzle around 2007. They have a good appreciation of britpop and especially new order.

[dinosaurkale->]

relistening to them today thanks to this thread ! good stuff

[cestlamort]

Their early stuff did it the most for me ("this charming man" cover) but I lost the thread a couple of albums in. This was their most popular/successful record I believe.

It all eventually became a 00s Canadian invasion indie rock blur.

Minor highlight to my discography:
we were on a Smiths tribute album's bonus 7" with Stars on the flipside. (Covering Girl Afraid and Asleep, respectively)

[BoringPostcards]

I always preferred Broken Social Scene themselves and other Arts n Crafts bands. Stars are good musicians, but I never got into the music much. My younger sister (RIP) was really into them though.

That whole scene had a lot going on. A lot of bands that shared members. A lot of them were older players, who had been in 90s bands. For example, members of BSS were formally in Len (anyone ever hear “Steal My Sunshine”?)

[andy_tchp]

For example, members of BSS were formally in Len (anyone ever hear “Steal My Sunshine”?)

Oh, wow. Only about a cuntillion times

There's a 'cleanliness' to Torq's voice that can be hard to get past in some of the songs I find.

I'm going to investigate the earlier releases based on the commentary from Pano/cestlamort.

I love that podcast and have raved about it here before.

I'm fairly sure you're the reason I know about it/listen to it.

[BoringPostcards]

For example, members of BSS were formally in Len (anyone ever hear “Steal My Sunshine”?)

Oh, wow. Only about a cuntillion times

I forget that the song went international. There are plenty of songs and bands that only we get subjected to, as Canadians. I thought Len were amongst them.
Sorry you had to hear that.
Nearly all the Australian music I get recommended is amazing. You guys must have some annoying stuff though, I’d imagine.

Oh, and do check out early Stars. I found they got less interesting with time. Maybe you’ll find the same.