Basically, last year Will Sheff and his magically musical bandmate buddies asked their similarly tunefully inclined friends to record a cover of one the songs featured in upcoming album The Stand Ins.
After watching the covers, I revisted the Okkervil River originals, and was reminded just how much I love this song.
Whilst it lacks the deep introspectivity of tracks such as Starry Stairs (wonderfully covered by our own Jack Ladder), the cheeky meaning permeates the cultural references.
The song has a fantastic Carly Simon quality to it. Confused? Allow me to explain. Okkervil River is seen as a musician's band- the strong fan base is generated not through massive airplay, but underground word of mouth. Therefore to be invited into their clique is somewhat of an indication of your worth in the creative scene.
Ergo, is Sheff having a bit of a go at himself? Someone specific? Or the generic throbbing mass of people who believe that their music tastes and fashion stylings render them unique and culturally valuable?
OR, is it a greater attack on creativity? After all, a world without Shakespeare, Stoppard and Sheff would undoubtedly be far duller, but at the end of the day, would history be fundamentally shifted?
If you choose not to follow my overly complex lyrical pondering, just enjoy the killer guitar refrain and Sheff's Austin-cum-Brooklyn vocal stylings.
And here's the David Vandervelde cover, as I cannot find a good quality youtube video of Okkervil. Maybe head over to elbo.ws for a sneaky listen. But don't tell them I sent you... go musical copyright and all that.
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