Stars Form Memphis, Ready New Album
Scientists weep as Hubble captures once-in-a-lifetime event

In 2003, Montreal-based pop band Stars released Heart, an infectious collection of love songs merging phenomenal melodies with an on-the-table sentimentality that could very well have proved detrimental in the hands of less capable (or sincere) individuals. The hooks from gems such as "Heart", "Romantic Comedy" and "Elevator Love Letter" (my second-favorite single of 2003) emerge in my mind on a near-daily basis, a testament to the lasting power of singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan's endearing duets. If I refer to Mr. Campbell simply as "Torquil" from this point on, it doesn't mean that I'm tight with the 'Torq, though he does seem like he'd be a really cool guy to just kind of kick back and enjoy a milkshake with. I just feel that his first name is cool enough to dictate referential precedence.

In addition to his work with Stars, Torquil has recorded a full-length album with longtime friend Chris Dumont, an operator of the carousel in Central Park. The band has been christened Memphis, possibly out of homage to the unique locale wherein the duo first made acquaintance: a hospital in Egypt, where Torq was recovering from an addiction to sleeping pills. The record is entitled I Dreamed We Fell Apart, and the music is a marriage of folky acoustics and a gently unveiled electronic backdrop performed by Chris Dumont, and cushioned with Torquil's hazy, nearly-whispered vocal delivery. The album will be released via Paper Bag Records on August 31st, and the tracklist reads as follows:

01 The Second Summer
02 For Anyone Eighteen
03 Into the Wild
04 3:15 on the Last Day of School
05 Hey Mister, Are You Awake?
06 East Van
07 The Nootka Chimes
08 Nada
09 Love Comes Quickly
10 Lullaby for a Girl Friend (Or Happy Trails)
11 Voicemail

"Love Comes Quickly", as you might or might not have guessed, is a cover of the Pet Shop Boys. Memphis have but a solitary date confirmed thus far, performance-wise, but a U.S. tour is probable for the autumn months.

08-21 Vancouver, British Columbia - Railway Club