Skank Your Art Does America

Maureen and I are doing it. We're embarking on the great American adventure... the cross-country road trip. I am currently en route to North Carolina where I am going to pick up my Toyota Camry, drive up to Brooklyn, pick up Maureen and hit the road where we will aim to see a show a day in a different city.

Our stops:
Chicago (Bat for Lashes)
Omaha
Denver (Deerhoof)
Las Vegas (Celine Dion???? hahaha. No seriously.)
Los Angeles
San Francisco

So if anyone has suggestions for shows in Omaha (10/3) and Las Vegas (10/5), please give us a shoutout and email us at skankyourartblog@gmail.com!

Check back here later this week to read about our crazy adventures!

P.S. Maureen... bring your iPod! ....And some Redbull.

Free Deerhoof Album

Do you like free stuff? Of course you do! San Francisco-based art rockers, Deerhoof, have released a free album on the Kill Rock Stars website (link below). Why do we love Deerhoof? Because they are absolutely bananas. Eclectic instrumentation, Satomi's near gibberish lyrics, and unconventional song structures... still don't believe us that they're bananas? Check out their music video for "The Perfect Me."



DOWNLOAD: Deerhoof mp3 Album

Sia Announces New Tour Dates

Her music kind of made us teary eyed when Claire left in her Prius to go to art school. Actually, I wasn't crying.. it was just raining on my face.

Anyway, Sia is back with a new LP, "some people have REAL problems" set to release on January 8, 2007. Beck will also make an appearance on the album. In preparation for the release, she will be touring the States.

Oct 22 San Diego CA @ Belly Up Tavern
Oct 24 Los Angeles CA @ El Rey Theater
Oct 25 San Francisco CA @ Fillmore
Oct 27 Portland OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Oct 28 Seattle WA @ Crocodile Cafe
Oct 29 Vancouver Media Club
Nov 1 Minneapolis MN @ Varsity Theater
Nov 2 Chicago IL @ Metro
Nov 4 Philadelphia PA @ World Cafe
Nov 5 NYC @ Highline Ballroom
Nov 7 Boston MA @ Paradise
Nov 8 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club

Apple does Feist

Prototypes had "Who's Gonna Sing?"
The Fratellis had "Flathead"
Orba Squara had "Perfect Timing (This Morning)"
... and the list goes on.

Lately, Apple has been pretty damn good at picking music for their commercials. Now, welcome Feist's "1234," which is featured in the new iPod Nano Pastels commercial.

A perfect interpretation, I must say!... Afterall, they did do it one camera shot :)

First Date with... St. Vincent

I was fanning through the CDs at the famous Ameoba Music (one of the best record stores ever!) in the Haight (SF) and came across St. Vincent's "Marry Me." To be honest, I knew very little about St. Vincent. I knew she was a part of Sufjan's entourage and a part of our favorite indie cult/army: Polyphonic Spree. I was definitely in for a surprise.

Armed with clever, but sincere lyrics and classy soprano pipes, the 24-year old Tulsa-born Annie Clark gives us a glimpse of her world in on her solid debut album released on Beggars Banquet on July 10th. While some tracks like, "Paris Is Burning," can be very dark, I would compare her to My Brightest Diamond, but way less moody.

The record incorporates elements of jazz, Broadway musicals, cabaret and electronica which will surely be pleasing to your ears especially since she plays a ton of the instruments on the album including, but not limited to, the xylophone, vibraphone, dulcimer, guitars, bass, piano, organ, Moog and the triangle! She definitely puts me to shame when it comes to the number of instruments she can play.

Check out the album -- it's surely a treat! Standout tracks include "Marry Me," "All My Stars Aligned," and "Landmines."

DOWNLOAD: "Now Now" - St. Vincent

DOWNLOAD: "Marry Me" - St. Vincent (via Said the Gramophone)

P.S. If you want to stalk Ms. Clark.. check out her blogger here.