Stars
Canadian band Stars bring together candied melodies, boy/girl vocal harmonies, chamber pop touches, and electronic undercurrents for a sound that helped define the the indie scene in the early 2000s and onward. Fine-tuned production and songwriting with a dramatic flare became Stars' hallmarks on standout albums like 2004's Set Yourself on Fire, and the band continued sporadically releasing new material throughout the ensuing years. In 2022, after actively evolving since those efforts, Stars released their ninth studio album, the existentially reflective From Capelton Hill.
Stars formed at the close of the '90s when Toronto natives Chris Seligman and Torquil Campbell bonded over their fondness for sophisticated soul and pop artists like the Smiths, New Order, and Marvin Gaye. The duo recorded material that would become the first Stars album Nightsongs in New York in 1999, bringing in guest performances from future permanent vocalist Amy Millan and Metric's Emily Haines, but existing only as a studio project at that time. Around the start of the 2000s, the band's lineup solidified when they relocated to Montreal and started playing live. Bassist Evan Cranley and drummer Patrick McGee joined the band, Millan signed on full-time, and they began working on new material as Nightsongs was released in early 2001 on the Le Grand Magistery label. Before 2002 came to an end, the band headed back into the studio to record a sophomore effort. The soft-hued Heart was released to critical acclaim in the U.K. before Christmas; Heart appeared on the Canadian label Arts & Crafts in mid-2003. Throughout this time, the members of Stars were involved with multiple projects. Campbell was part of Memphis, a duo with his longtime friend Chris Dumont, and several Stars players also had roles in Broken Social Scene, most notably Millan, who contributed vocals to the band's self-titled 2005 album.
In September of 2004, Stars released their ambitious and theatrical third studio album Set Yourself on Fire. It would become one of their most-loved releases and all of its tracks were creatively remixed by the band's peers. Stars released those remixed songs on a new album, Do You Trust Your Friends?, in 2007. During July of that year, as a preemptive measure to beat any blog leaks of their next record, Stars made In Our Bedroom After the War available for download two months before its actual September release date. They also created their own label, Soft Revolution, which released the band's next studio album, The Five Ghosts, in 2010.
After moving to the ATO label, Stars released their sixth album The North, in the summer of 2012. A more buoyant and playful collection than recent releases, the positive vibes continued two years later with the upbeat disco-influenced No One Is Lost. Led by singles "Privilege" and "We Called It Love," Stars returned in late 2017 with There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light. In 2022 the band returned with their ninth studio album On Capelton Hill. While still musically upbeat, the album's lyrical themes were reflective and often heavy, focusing on mortality, impermanence, and the sometimes-cruel passing of time.
© Kenyon Hopkin /TiVo
Similar artists
Discography
72 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
-
Set Yourself On Fire (20th Anniversary Edition)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Arts & Crafts on 1 Jan 2004
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 13 Oct 2017
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
No One Is Lost
Alternative & Indie - Released by ATO (UK) on 14 Oct 2014
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
From Capelton Hill (Deluxe)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 21 Apr 2023
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
-
Lost & Found
Alternative & Indie - Released by ATO (UK) on 18 Sep 2015
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Good for You (casino Stereo Remix)
Dance - Released by Red Sun Records on 30 Sep 2022
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Set Yourself On Fire
Alternative & Indie - Released by Arts & Crafts on 14 Sep 2004
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Set Yourself On Fire (20th Anniversary Edition)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Arts & Crafts on 1 Jan 2004
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
In Our Bedroom After The War
Alternative & Indie - Released by Arts & Crafts Productions Inc. on 25 Sep 2007
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
-
From Capelton Hill
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 27 May 2022
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
The Five Ghosts
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 6 Jun 2010
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The North
Alternative & Indie - Released by ATO Records on 9 Apr 2012
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Do You Trust Your Friends?
Alternative & Indie - Released by Arts & Crafts on 22 May 2007
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
-
Music for Sports: Easy Running (120 - 135)
Pop - Released by CHV Music Factory on 21 Jan 2009
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Ship To Shore
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 28 Mar 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Wishful/The Light
Alternative & Indie - Released by ATO Records on 10 Sep 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Snowy Owl (Benjamin Gibbard Remix)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 30 Jan 2023
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Capelton Hill
Alternative & Indie - Released by Last Gang on 27 Apr 2022
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo