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The Montreal four-piece the Stills are nothing like Interpol, but like those New York City suit-wearing hipsters, the Stills create a stately post-punk sound quite obviously inspired by the likes of Echo & the Bunnymen and Joy Division whether they intend to or not. Having known one another since the age of 12, vocalist Tim Fletcher, drummer Dave Hamelin, guitarist Greg Paquet, and bassist Oliver Crowe played in various bands until forming the Stills in 2000. These art school students moved from their beloved Canada for a two-month stay in N.Y.C. to design a lush, swarthy pop style with the help of a four-track recorder. Rumor has it that the Stills helped a friend in Barcelona who was in need of some drug money and, in return, he gave the Stills this fancy machine. In turn, the lads found themselves sleeping on friends' couches in the East Village in summer 2002 with a batch of songs. A deal with Vice followed before the year's end; however, joint shows with the Music, the Rapture, the Streets, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as well as Interpol were what cemented the Stills a dominating spot among the ever-changing rock scene. The Rememberese EP appeared in June 2003 and stateside dates with Interpol followed that fall. The band's full-length debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, arrived in October. After several tours of the U.K. and North America, the Stills headed into the studio to record a second album in late 2004. In September 2005, the band announced the departure of founding member Greg Paquet. Hamelin changed roles, switching from drums to fill Paquet's spot on guitar. Touring keyboardist Liam O'Neil and Sea Ray drummer Colin Brooks were also added to the lineup. The resulting Without Feathers, released in 2006, was a total departure for the group, relying less on new wave and post-punk and more on rootsy, '70s heartland rock. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide |
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