Pitchfork

[Posted Tuesday, October 14th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

They're Quebecois, gaunt, and their collective hairdos are meticulously wispy. Mix in some genuine '80s-style pop, and a lot of hype. The result is The Stills, and they've secured a place among the ranks of the 2003 up-and-comers, riding a wave of moderate success without having released a full-length. The leave-them-wanting-more-EP strategy seems to be working though, as they've captured the attention of Interpol, The Rapture, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and subsequently their audiences; furthermore, being Canadian right now really doesn't hurt (especially on these pages). As their bill-sharing escapades with perpetual road warriors Interpol comes to an end, The Stills have struck out on their own, with a fall/winter tour and a debut full-length release on the horizon.

Let's go back to the '80s pop comment. Now, they've asserted in various interviews that they do not want to be considered revivalist, or god-forbid, styled after anyone in particular. But one simply cannot listen to their Rememberese EP without hearing echoes of The Walk-era Cure, or even a little bit of Echo and the Bunnymen. If this sounds particularly intriguing to you, then keep an eye out for their full-length debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, which was recorded at the Boiler Room in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY with producer Gus Van Go at the knobs. The record will be released on October 21st on Vice Records, but UK fans will have to wait until January 26th to get their hands on the goods (via 679 Recordings). Tracklist:

01 Lola Stars And Stripes
02 Gender Bombs
03 Changes Are No Good
04 Of Montreal
05 Ready For It
06 Let's Roll
07 Allisson Krausse
08 Animals And Insects
09 Still In Love Song
10 Fevered
11 Yesterday Never Tomorrows

As previously noted, The Stills recently completed a stint as openers for Interpol, then toured their way back across the country opening for the likes of Tim Burgess, Moving Units, and the Lilys. After some downtime in their home city of Montreal, they plan to head out again in support of the new record, touring until Christmas. Post-holiday plans include a UK tour to support the album's release there.