SKIPSTER / ECHOING VOICES OF INDEPENDENT MUSIC IN UPSTATE NY

The magic draws nearer…

First, a bit of background: Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People is arguably the most personally influential album of my lifetime thus far. The album appeared stateside back in 2003, seemingly overnight and without warning, just as all my suburban high school angst was crystallizing into whatever mental state left me predisposed to rapture. Its greatness is a strange affair, achieved indirectly through imperfection and exhaustion, an edifice built from buzzing, collapsable gears. It runs with abandon into the summer twilight, standing breathless on the wet lawn with both palms raised, gestating in that single moment for fifty-six whole minutes. And I still think it navigates between euphoric pop and sonic experimentation with more bracing impact than anything released in the seven intervening years.

This brings us to the occasion of Forgiveness Rock Record, the first new Broken Social Scene album since their self-titled 2005 release. The album will be released via the band’s own Arts & Crafts label on May 4th, and is available for pre-order on multiple formats over here.

Here’s an unusually stripped-down track off their To Be You and Me EP, bearing no relation to the LCD Soundsystem jam of the same name. RIYL Elliott Smith underwater.

Broken Social Scene – “All My Friends”

Tracklist after the jump.

Weiterlesen »

With all the excitement and craziness of the weekend, you probably forgot to watch Joanna Newsom performing live on Friday’s edition of Jimmy Fallon. Don’t worry, so did we.

Here she takes on Have One On Me highlight “Soft As Chalk” and emerges triumphant as usual, breaking out some Western saloon moves as she catalogues a dissolving relationship from her vantage point on a descending airplane. (No, seriously, check out the lyrics.)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Joanna Newsom / “Peach, Plum, Pear” (Live at Bottletree)

Alright, I don’t know which indie God is currently blessing Upstate NY, but it’s about time to start praying to him. Each day, more and more sick events are being announced, and this one is a doozy.

So, as if there weren’t already enough options for May 7th (between Drake at Cornell and Yeasayer at Ithaca College), our Eastern neighbors at Hamilton College have recently announced another line-up adding to the fray: Dirty Projectors with Passion Pit and Dan Deacon. Seriously. When’s the last time you had to make a decision this big? Both shows are free, both shows feature three extremely relevant indie acts, and both shows are the same day. Help us, indie God.

More info on this when tickets and times are announced.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Dirty Projectors / “Two Doves”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Passion Pit / “The Reeling”

As the Facebook event states, there’s an “EPIC BILL” going on over at the Nines this Saturday night, one that is absolutely not to miss. Sexy bearded locals Caution Children will be playing alongside another Skipster favorite, BLOW!, with additional support from Electric Tickle Machine and Gabe Tavares. Make sure to clear your Saturday for what will be an awesome orgy of incredible local music — minus Electric Tickle Machine, who will be coming from NYC but will still be contributing to said orgy.  Oh, and did I mention how sexy Caution Children are? Because they are. Sexy.

On a related note, BLOW! just revealed they’ll be heading into the studio soon to cut a full-length, though their fantastic Overrated EP has totally been filling our appetite here at Skipster HQ. The group will be working with the legendary Jimmy Bralower, who has produced the likes of Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, and even Celine fucking Dion. To say the least, both these guys and this show are brimming with promise.

What: Caution Children, Electric Tickle Machine, BLOW!, and Gabe Tavares
Where: The Nines (in Ithaca’s College Town)
When: Saturday March 6th, 9:00pm
Cost: $5

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Electric Tickle Machine / “Gimme Money”

Last week I was hooked on St. Saviour and Groove Armada, and while geographically my interest still lies in the same area, my interest lies in a different Brit. A Brit named V.V. Brown.  I first stumbled upon this gem whilest abroad when she was playing a tiny industry gig, showcasing new tunes in an effort to wow the bigwigs that had recently signed her. At that time she was relatively known in the area for penning songs for huge pop acts such as the sugababes, as well as the one or two songs she had already released independent of a label.

I heard bits and bobs about Ms. Brown proceeding my run in with her, seeing her release a few EPs on the interwebs and her name pop up in a blog here and there. However it wasn’t until last fall that she finally released her debut album, Traveling Like the Light, in Europe, that I decided to revisit VV and her work. I got the album from a friend abroad and was absolutely floored. It’s pop music that’s actually intelligent. V.V. mashes bee-bop, soul, dance, as well as straight up pop to create one of the best party albums I’ve heard in a very long time. Tackling typical subjects like love and loss, VV gives the music a retro feel that makes the listener feel like he or she’s in a technicolor sock-hop that happens to take place IN a nightclub. It’s insane.

It also doesn’t hurt that VV Brown is the type of woman you  absolutely cannot take your eyes off. With a divine style, a pristine jovial personality, and legs for days, its apparent why she is being looked at as a fashion icon, this early in her musical career.

Lastly I can’t help but mention, VV does an incredible cover of Coldplays’ “Viva la Vida”….While usually I’m a closet coldplay fan, this is a version I can get behind. Check it out below, as well as an impeccable cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”… Weiterlesen »

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Holy shit.

This post needs no explanation or description.

Yeasayer, The Antlers, and Man Man will be playing at Ithaca College for free on May 7th in the Quad. This is the same day Drake and K-OS are playing Cornell University’s annual Slope Day, but you also have to pay through your nose for that one. Pick your poison, my lovely peers. More info here!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Antlers / “Bear”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Yeasayer / “The Children”

We just want all our readers to know the following:

Never give up on your dreams. Because these days, it’s true: anyone can be famous.

Let’s keep an ongoing list in the comments that include all the reasons proving that Ke$ha is special. In her head.

yo, just saw the the fanclub collective show with Jeff the Brotherhood tonight (Thursday) has been canceled due to this crazy blizzard we’re all experiencing.

if its rescheduled or anything we’ll let you know. otherwise, drive safe readers!

xox

skipster

Subpop is looking to take over the year of 2010, with one release at a time. They first vacuumed up our souls with Beach House’s tremendous Teen Dream, and now there’s CocoRosie’s upcoming release, Grey Oceans. For this album, it seems as the Cassidy sisters signed over to Subpop  since their old label Touch and Go is now defunct (sad face). The album is dropping May 10th, which seems way to far away. However, their 2009 EP, Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food, will have to continue to hold us over until then.

Here are two Coco songs that we are praying made the cut. (We have no clue what they’re called, do you?)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

CocoRosie / “Untitled #1″ (Fatherhood?)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

CocoRosie / “Untitled #2″

Tracklist and album cover after the cut.
Weiterlesen »