The Stand Ins, the upcoming album by Okkervil River to be released in September, has hit the underground internets, and well… First impressions? It’s fantastic. Okkervil River has been smoothly putting out more and more upbeat songs since 2005’s Black Sheep Boy, culminating in an album that takes all the energy of Black Sheep Boy and 2007’s The Stage Names and brings it to A Happy Place. Oh sure, Will Sheff still emanates melancholy, but by-and-large this is a fun album.

Okkervil River – Pop Lie

Track listing:

01 The Stand Ins, One
02 Lost Coastlines
03 Singer Songwriter
04 Starry Stairs
05 Blue Tulip
06 The Stand Ins, Two
07 Pop Lie
08 On Tour With Zykos
09 Calling and Not Calling My Ex
10 The Stand Ins, Three
11 Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979

The album is also a great concept, acting as a sequel to The Stage Names. Check out the poetically paired album art:

With the holiday spirit in full gear, Okkervil River (the best thing to come out of Austin since Christina) has put out a collection of cover songs recorded live over the past couple of years. The mixtape has nine tracks in all, with 8 covers and a fantastic live version of “Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas”. And did I mention its absolutely free?

From the band:

We recorded these songs at radio stations, at shows, in peoples’ apartments, in hotel stairways. They were done here and there all around the United States and Europe, with the eventual intention of being rounded up in this collection.

The “interview” for this release is currently being conducted – anyone who has questions for the band should send them to mixtape@okkervilriver.com. On Friday, a selection of the questions will be posted on this site.

We hope everyone has a good holiday season.

Golden Opportunities tracklisting (songwriters in parentheses):

1. April Anne (John Phillips)
2. Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman)
3. I Want to Know (Charles F. Olsen/Ed Sanders)
4. Do What You Gotta Do (Jimmy Webb)
5. I Can Here to Say I’m Going Away (Serge Gainsbourg)
6. The Blonde in the Bleachers (Joni Mitchell)
7. Antarctica Starts Here (John Cale)
8. Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas (Will Sheff)
9. Solo (Sandy Denny)

Download:: Golden Opportunities, MP3, 192kbps
Album art and liner notes: Christmas version, Hannukah version, black and white