The Stills at WinterCity Fest 2009

I haven't found the time to write this until now, so my apologies for the delay.


The Stills have always been one of those bands on my peripheral. Knew about them , listened to an album or two, but I never really gave them much of a second glance. I mean, the Still in Love Song, and Lola Stars and Stripes have been on my regular rotation for a long while now, but other than those two tracks, there wasn't much there that kept my attention. However, after seeing them play live at Nathan Phillips Square just last week, I decided that I should start paying some attention.

I love it when a band suddenly commands my respect after a live performance. The boys were energetic, and playful with their banter. Their tunes were good, and their presence was great.

They dedicated Snakecharming the Masses to Mr. Stephen Harper. Haha, so cheeky. And right outside City Hall too. Tim Fletcher eventually decided to turn his heat lamp toward us in the audience, telling us that he want to share it, or at least, if we were cold, he would be cold with us. Aww. Olivier Corbeil seemed to have a bit too much saliva though. He kept spitting into that space between the stage and the barrier. For once, I was glad there was a barrier. Nonetheless, he was such a rockstar that when he tossed his cigarette but into that same space, I wanted to catch the embers and indulge in its burn marks.

Now here, take a listen for yourself. I took some videos, and there are plenty more on my youtube channel.

The Stills - Lola Stars and Stripes (mp3) (Amazon) (iTunes)



The Stills - Don't Talk Down (mp3) (Amazon) (iTunes)



After the show and encore, Tim and Olivier came out left of the stage to greet the fans. Those are some very cool guys. I didn't end up staying long enough to see if Olivier actually won a figure skating competition at the ice rink like he promised he would during their set. But I have complete confidence in him. I'm sure he did spectacularly.

Oceans will Rise

Everytime I hear the first strains of guitar in the "Still in Love Song", it reminds me of when I was young, optimistic and still believed I could change the world for the better. I remember that during that year or so, which was maybe 2003, when the Stills came onto the scene, that something great in music was about to happen. Now whether or not there was a renaissance in indie rock is debatable, but I still associate the Stills with this promise.

I loved this kind of music: melodic, moody, somewhat 80s-ish, and every so often, there was a hint of optimism. And I still love the phrase, Logic will break your heart. It's probably the most accurate description of life ever (apologies to all the philosophers out there).

And then their second album came out. It was rootsier and blues-ier and a radical departure from before. I couldn't comprehend it. Where were the Stills I loved?

They brought back the sonic atmospheres and themes of Logic on Oceans Will Rise, but the latter's got more weight to it. It's less self indulgent, more confident and more aware. The dreamlike quality and self-loathing whines of earlier tracks have been toned down. And while it's obvious that after x number of years, a band should evolve and mature, but here it seems as seems more important. It's like learning to life out your dream, but with healthy dose of reality.

The Stills - Snake Charming (mp3)(buy)

The Stills - Statues of Sirens (mp3) (buy)