Ghost stories with Okkervil River

(Credit: John Vanderslice)

Over the course of four albums and ten years, Austin band Okkervil River has quietly evolved into one of the most rabidly beloved indie bands in the country. Led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff, they create dense, literary songs that combine the dusty Americana of early Wilco with the poetic flourishes of the Decemberists. Their Texas-bred earnestness is similar to fellow hometown heroes Spoon, only without the breakout single—yet.

Sheff is also prone to intimate solo shows, and he’s bringing it to L.A. for a special holiday show in the Masonic Temple of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. To celebrate the eerily Halloween in December show, Sheff is bringing two like-minded acts to complete the picture:

The Tallest Man on Earth 
This skyscraping nom de plume for Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsoon released his first record back in 2006, and delivered his first full-length Shallow Grave in March of this year. His sparse, acoustic tunes reveal a penchant for classic Bob Dylan, augmented by a dexterous, finger-picking guitar style.

Bird of Youth
This band is the vehicle for the songs of Brooklyn’s Beth Wawerna, who cheekily claims to be “very likely the greatest artist ever to be named after the Kiss power ballad once crooned by Peter Criss” on the band’s Myspace page. Claiming heavy Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg influences, Wawerna’s husky croon and country-tinged tunes caught the attention of Okkervil River’s Sheff, who went on to co-produce BoY’s forthcoming debut album.

Will Sheff, The Tallest Man on Earth and Bird of Youth perform at the Masonic Temple at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on December 20.