Seeing (and Hearing) Stars
By Jane Croft
Stars ~ photo courtesy of facebook.com/starsstars
To kick off their North American tour, the Canadian band Stars is sharing the super hot stream of the new Sem Thomasson house remix of their single “Give It” here. The track, off their new (and 6th) album The North (ATO Records), is available exclusively at Beatport and but will be available at additional online retail stores in two weeks.
Stars is Canada’s best-kept secret indie pop/ indie rock/ disco institution. Over the course of more than a decade together, the band has consistently proven themselves adept at producing incisively sharp, beautifully orchestrated pop music.
The North is the band’s finest record to date; it’s a culmination of all they have learned and lost, a record of what it is to love today, of how to live a life in music. The North marks the band’s highest Billboard chart debut in their career, too. Band members Torquil Campbell, Evan Cranley, Patrick McGee, Amy Millan, and Chris Seligman take the good, the bad and the ugly that they’ve seen and turn it into music that makes all want to strive for a happier way of living.
Stars has a number of musical loves and honored influences ~ Berlioz, Outkast, Barrett, Paddy McAloon, New Order, Brian Wilson, and Momus. They covered The Smiths’ “This Charming Man” on 2001’s Nightsongs and The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” in 2005.
Keep your ears open to the yummy sounds coming out of Canada and catch Stars on their upcoming North American tour which includes appearances at Coachella on April 12 and 19.
Upcoming North American Tour Dates
3/15 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre *
3/16 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre *
3/18 – Kingston, ON – Sydenham United Church *
3/19 – London, ON – London Music Hall *
3/20 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall ^
3/21 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall STW
3/22 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre # %
3/23 – Chicago, IL – Metro # %
3/25 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall # %
3/26 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue # %
3/27 – Winnipeg, MB – Garrick Centre %
3/28 – Regina, SK – Orr Centre %
3/29 – Saskatoon, SK – Odeon %
3/30 – Calgary, AB – Mac Hall %
3/31 – Edmonton, AB – Winspear %
4/2 – Nelson, BC – The Royal %
4/3 – Kelowna, BC – Kelowna Community Centre %
4/5 – Victoria, BC – Alix Goolden %
4/6 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore *AA Matinee %
4/6 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore *18+ Evening %
4/12 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
4/19 – Indio, CA @ Coachella