Stars: Part of the Indie Galaxy

Whoever you are, whatever your style, you will like the music of Stars: a shining supernova in the vast expanse of Canadian music. Part of the Broken Social Scene family tree, the Stars hail from Toronto with members Torquil Campbell, Chris Seligman, Amy Milan, Evan Cranley, and Pat McGee. Their music is hip. That’s the easiest way to put it. Their blend of indie rock and artistic mediums (synth, old film audio clips, respirators) is accompanied by incredible lyrics and tonal texture that is met by no other. The timbre of Amy Milan’s voice is rich and round, and capable of making your heart sing along. Out of their six albums, the latest one has received the most acclaim. Set Yourself On Fire has had tracks featured on The O.C. and Degrassi: The Next Generation, and is making it’s way around the globe as an original sound with accessible nuances. Heart, their fifth release is one of my favourites. It’s a killer album with all the quaint indie poetry anyone could need. It’s the kind of album that suits a soundtrack for a trek around the city on a sunny Spring day.
Another notable feat that the Stars have undertaken is the all-time greatest Smiths cover of rockingness. The Smiths are pretty much the godfathers of indie, and the power of their music can never be replicated… but the Stars came pretty darn close with their astounding cover of ‘This Charming Man’. They slow down the tempo, and bring so much texture to the tune. You need to check it out. You can find it on their first album, Nightsongs.
Amy Milan has recently released a solo album titled Honey From The Tombs. I haven't heart it yet, but there's no doubt in my mind that it will go down in Canadian indie rock history.



Technorati Tags: Stars, Broken Social Scene, Amy Milan, Set Yourself on Fire, The O.C., Degrassi, Heart, Nightsongs, The Smiths, This Charming Man