Stars frontman Torquil Campbell shares a playlist of personal favorites
Stars, co-led by Torquil Campbell and Broken Social Scene’s Amy Millan, are most known for their earnest, indie rock that’s been featured on shows built for that exact type of music: “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead,” their sad and dreamy 2007 single, has been featured on The O.C., One Tree Hill, and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
But their latest album, No One Is Lost, is a departure from those pretty tunes and a step toward ’70s disco.
Unlike the album, though, which came out Oct. 14, Campbell’s EW playlist doesn’t quite have a theme: Instead, it’s a collection of the singer’s favorite songs, ranging from a ’90s Michael Jackson track to a minutes-long spoken word piece by Prefab Sprout member Paddy McAloon.
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“I Trawl the Megahertz” – Paddy McAloon
“My ultimate hero makes his ultimate masterpiece. A 20-odd-minute spoken word journey into the life of one woman as she takes her final breath. Devastating and totally unique.”
“Archie, Marry Me” – Alvvays
“These kids are the best new band in Canada. And this is how you write a pop song.”
“Leaving” – Pet Shop Boys
“A late gem by one of my favorite bands ever. Nobody does synthesized melancholy quite as well.”
“Oh Daddy” – Adrian Belew
“I relate to this song, intensely. As Nigel Tufnell once said, ‘A little too much f–king perspective, mate.'”
“Zoom” – Last Dinosaurs
“A new band from Australia with enormous energy, enormous skill, and lots of confidence. Love it.”
“Stranger in Moscow” – Michael Jackson
“I wish he had done more paranoid, elegant sh– like this.”
“Do You Not Feel Loved?” – New Build
“This side project by some of the guys in Hot Chip is really beautiful and should have gotten lots more attention. So pay attention now.”
“Nap on The Bow” – New Look
“Another overlooked, awesome group with ‘new’ in their name. I have no idea why everyone slept on this. It’s fantastic.”
“London Orbital” – Real Lies
“A new band from England who must have sat in a room and asked themselves, “What’s all the things Torq like?” and then put them in their music. I could listen to depressed English people talking over a four on the floor beat… forever.”
“White Morning” – Seoul
“This is an unsigned band from Montreal that I think is going to be huge. Beautifully produced, beautifully written pop music. Inspiring.”
“Straight Through the light” – Zeus
“One of the best live bands in Canada with amazing songwriting skills and hearts of gold. Buy all their records immediately. Thank you.”
“Tied up in Nottz” – Sleaford Mods
“I absolutely love these foul-mouthed, nihilistic, ugly, articulate, hilarious bastards. Pure bile. Delicious.”
