SKIPSTER / ECHOING VOICES OF INDEPENDENT MUSIC IN UPSTATE NY

As promised here’s the skipster guide to Ithaca Festival, starting with tomorrow and ending with Sunday Evening (yes I know that excludes last night and tonight- sorry, I was tired..). As you Ithacans know, Ithaca is a pretty different place with the unpredictable weather, gorgeous land and sights, and the bountiful eccentric citizens (pink panty man, anyone?). That said- the Ithaca Festival is when the town bands together for one weekend each year to celebrate this town in which we live in. With that comes a shitload of music…so, check out our picks/schedule below!
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Local folker Emily Arin’s annual subscription series is back, with newest track “Say” which came out this week. Subscribe now, over at Arin’s site and receive a new song each month (meaning you’d get”Say” immediately). “Say” reminds me of what would happen if Laura Veirs’s vocal melodies and prowess ate Sharon Van Etten’s lovely voice. To say the least, this song is a definite highlight and new chapter in the Emily Arin catalog. Word from Emily is that there were some bumps in the road with the upcoming album and there still are some recording sessions to do- that said we can’t wait to hear the Brian McTear produced LP. Hopefully early fall? We’ll keep you posted.

Check out a clip of “Say” above and personal favorite “Hidden Flame” below.

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Sorry for being off the radar for awhile. Here’s what’s up. Graduation just happened (yes I’m that old)..so things have been immensely busy- also Ive just started a terrible part-time job so I can keep paying for bandwidth, etc. So yes- hectic indeed. However, our night at Pixel was a blast, thanks to the 100+ people that came out to dance, we’ll have some pics and remixes posted soon. Watch out this summer for more skipster DJ nights… What else?

Well the Ithaca Festival is this weekend, with music a plenty..Rochester’s Jazz Festival is around the bend and at least 3 acts that are worth seeing are playing, so I’ll give the scoop on that in a bit.

So sit tight…we’re back in action. 

Tomorrow night, skipster is going to take over the Pixel DJ booth in Collegetown. Marisa and myself will be plugging away on our laptops, so those of you who graduated Sunday, and those of you who will graduate this weekend better come out and dance in celebration. If neither of those apply to you, we want you to come too!! Anyone over 21!

Nothin’ fancy, we don’t do turntables- we just play what we love, so put on your sequins and pumps and come on down.

Things we can guarantee: Major Lazer, MIA, Lykke Li, Annie, Tanlines, 90s classics, 80s classics, etc. etc.

WHEN: Tuesday May 24th
WHERE: Pixel Lounge (107 Dryden Road, Collegetown)
TIME: 10 PM- 2
COST: Free!

POST YR REQUESTZ BELOW…

Video of the year? I’m thinking, yes. Check out Goldfrapp’s new video for second single, “Alive” off their latest, Head First. This may be the best Goldfrapp video since “Number One“…

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Western New York is filled with a whole range of feelings right now.  From overloaded studying anxiety to graduation nostalgia, young adults from Syracuse to Rochester are generally out of sorts right now.  Luckily, a perfect complement to emotional angst is on its way!  Midlake will be at Castaways this Tuesday, and they’ve got some violins (wah wah) to spare.

Midlake is currently on tour promoting their recently released third album, The Courage of Others.  Unfortunately, their newer tunes take the rock out of the folk rock.  While I am all for a good bout of folk music, the band was a little too liberal with the flutes on this one.  The best musical comparison would have to be America’s contribution to The Last Unicorn soundtrack.  Tim Smith is sure to deliver a stunning vocal performance, though, and his beautiful lyrics are moving, to say the least.  Also, the band will more than likely pull out their older hits, “Roscoe” and “Young Bride.”  It should be great to see these infectious yet melancholy gems live.

Another draw for this show? Well Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) will be opening. Sexy.

Show is 18 and over, and starts at 9, with former Czars front man John Grant opening the show, with Jason following.  Tickets are $12 in advance, $18 at the door.

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Phantogram’s brand of trip-hop is proving to be one of the year’s more versatile styles. We’d previously heard their always-solid studio recordings off the Eyelid Movies LP, as well as some gorgeous acoustic sessions, and now they’re getting the remix treatment via Brooklyn’s prolific Alan Wilkis. Here, Wilkis subtracts some of the psychedelic shimmer from “Mouthful of Diamonds” and sends it marching straight into the discotheque, where it locates an interesting friction rubbing against Sarah Barthel’s delicate, melancholic vocals. We approve.

Phantogram – “Mouthful of Diamonds (Alan Wilkis Remix)”

Wilkis’ website also links to a number of other free remix projects, including this excellent, slightly adrenalized version of White Hinterland’s “No Logic.”

White Hinterland – “No Logic (Alan Wilkis Remix)”

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For those of you who aren’t tuckered out from the weekend, Deer Tick is set to return to one of their favorite hosts (insert parasite joke here) tomororow night, playing Ithaca’s Castaways. Based out of Providence, RI, these dirty boys have been performing their folk funk alt country music for the last six years, with lead singer John McCauley at the helm of the musical quintet. McCauley’s rough vocal stylings have become one of Deer Tick’s distinguishing features. Guitarist Ian O’Neil is a relatively new addition to Deer Tick – a former member of Titus Andronicus, O’Neil joined the group last August. The band is set to release their third album, The Black Dirt Sessions, on June 8th, and therefore will most likely be showcasing their newest music this weekend. If you are looking for a night of husky vocals and folk inspired indie songs, then head down to Castaways …

Show starts at 9 with doors at 7. If you grab tickets today they’re 12 bucks, or tomorrow the DOS price is 15 at the door…

For those of you in Buffalo looking for a good time- don’t bother leaving town to see Deer Tick. a) gas prices are killer these days and b) the extremely talented UK songstress Laura Marling will be playing SoundLab in support of her stunning 2010 release, I Speak Because I Can. The show starts at 9pm and only costs ya $14. The Middle East will be openin’. I’ll be damned if this isn’t one of the most memorable shows of the year..

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Why is it beginning to feel like a national holiday every time Deerhunter play a new song? Probably because they tend to come out sounding like this one — e.g. tremendously moving and immediate, spiraling in on wave of ambience before it unpacks some soft-shoe grief. “Now they are through with me,” sighs a weary protagonist, which may offer some clue as to why this song was previously rumored by Bradford Cox himself to be “about a gay German Porn star being hung from a helicopter.” We’ll leave it to you to discern that exact thematic connection.

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(via JP’s blog)

yes,  I realize this is turning into a sleigh bells fan blog. but seriously… fucking check out this mashup featuring MIA protege Rye Rye and our beloved bellz…

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we love you NEET records.

<3 the skipster family