The Stage Names is the fourth full-length studio album by American alt-country band Okkervil River, released on August 7, 2007. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, with longtime Okkervil producer Brian Beattie, and with mixing from Spoon drummer and producer Jim Eno. Like other Okkervil River albums, the accompanying artwork is the work of artist William Schaff. The cover refers to a line from Unless It's Kicks. The record was also released as a limited-edition 2-CD set that included a second disc of solo acoustic demos. A newly recorded version of Love to a Monster, which appeared in rough demo form on the band's tour EP Overboard and Down was originally intended to appear on the album, but didn't make it on, and appears as a bonus track when the album is purchased through eMusic. Shannon Wilsey on the Starry Stairs described by lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff as "kind of a sequel to Savannah Smiles and kind of a sister song to John Allyn Smith Sails", is included as a bonus track when the album is purchased through iTunes. The Stage Names was originally conceived as a double album. Sheff said about the inspiration for the album, "There's this idea of living in a world of pop culture history, high art history and low art history, full of images that are extremely common and meaningful to people but are essentially empty and disembodied. I wanted the record to exist in a universe of reference of signals, signs and bullshit." An official music video was created fo