diSKOAver weekly last updated: 5/03/2023
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diSKOAver weekly last updated: 5/03/2023 ✅
[SKOA Presents] SXSW 2011 Or Bust!
We are counting down the hours until Shey, Rocko and I hop on our respective planes from our humble homes and hit the hip streets of Austin, TX for SXSW. While we are all n00bz to the pure mayhem and insanity that is SXSW, we think/hope we have appropriately prepped our livers, iCals, eardrums, etc. for the days ahead of us. Although it is hard to tell how our days in Austin will actually pan out, we have carefully combed through every party, panel and showcase and prepared the following agenda in case you care to follow along or even follow us around. Mind you, we all have a few bands here and there that aren't playing a specific party that we'll be checking out as well, but this is a pretty good idea of where to find us.
If you don't see something on our list that you think we should check out, please drop us a comment!
Here we go!
Celebrate Valentine's Day The SKOA Way! Enjoy These 14 Valentines From Your Favorite Artists
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Since we know the average SKOA reader isn't necessarily into Hallmark cards, we decided to make our own just for you! Some of these were reader inspired, so if you suggested a Valentine idea make sure to drop us a comment and let us know what you think! We hope you enjoy these as much as we enjoyed making them for you! We've provided links so you can share these and they're also available on our Facebook page.
Check out the Valentines after the jump!
[SKOA Presents] [Premiere] Heypenny - "Purple Street"
We told you to keep an eye out for Heypenny when we caught them during CMJ last year. We weren't kidding.
We're honored to present to you, "Purple Street", from Heypenny's upcoming album A Jillion Kicks. True story: these guys are insanely dedicated to bringing forth the awesome.
The album is now three years in the making. The band had originally crafted a record with multiple producers in two different studios and felt that they ultimately didn't capture the essence of the band, so they scrapped that record. Giving it another go, the band reached out to their fans via Kickstarter to fund the album and were able to re-track everything with close friend/musician/producer Charles Allison (who tracked Heypenny’s first full length Use These Spoons). Then with the help of talented mixing engineer Craig Alvin (Colourmusic, The Features, Hanson) the band was able to put the finishing touches on the record.
A Jillion Kicks features guest performances from 15 other Nashville based musicians including Byron House (Nickel Creek, Robert Plant), Kevin Teal (Cerys Matthews), Natalie Prass, Mikky Ekko and many more.
Check out "Purple Street" below. If you're in love with the song as much as we are, you can go download it for free on their website.
Heypenny -"Purple Street" by Some Kind of Awesome
A Jillion Kicks is due to drop on February 22nd, 2011. First string of tour dates after the jump!
[SKOA Presents] The 25 Best Albums of 2010: 5-1
Tied for 5. Air - Love 2 [Buy CD]
I had approached this record with caution because Pocket Symphony had fallen so flat of what I expected to follow up an album like Talkie Walkie from a band as epic as Air. Thankfully, what we got this time around was an album that picked up right where TW left off. Love 2 is an album that you love to love. It's romantic and dreamy in all the good ways that TW was but takes it to the next level. You will find your mind drifting away to a better place courtesy of songs like "Sing Sang Sung", "So Light Is Her Footfall" and "Do The Joy". This French duo have truly mastered weaving wispy electronic melodies into a breathtaking 46 minutes of pure bliss. - Kibbe
[SKOA Presents] The 25 Best Albums of 2010: 10-6
10. Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork [Buy CD | Vinyl]
Intricate fretwork paired with Dave Davison’s unique and intriguing voice Maps & Atlases full length debut showed a growth from their previous EP releases. Tracks like “Living Decorations” had you at the first drum beat, and by the second play of the album you’d be singing along to the chorus of ‘Pigeon” and “The Charm”. The opening track on the album starts with a harmony sang by Dave, Shiraz Dada, Chris Hainey and Erin Elders and sets the pace for the album and as the album progresses the lyricism is a wonder to behold and has elements we can all relate to on some level or another. This album manages to put together intricate guitar lines and Daves voice perfectly in a way that will have you constantly dipping your toes back in for another listen. The album ends with the band doing an a capella which fades into nothingness. A beautiful ending to a stunning debut with the last lyrics being “we will take what we can get”, and that boys is two huge thumbs up from me. - Shey
[SKOA Presents] The Top 25 Albums of 2010: 15-11
15. RJD2 - The Colossus [Buy CD | Vinyl]
On his fourth album, Dj/Producer RJD2 combines all styles of his previous efforts to create one of his greatest album yet. From the sample rocking opener "There Will Be Horns" which brings back fond memories of the Since We Last Spoke era to tracks like "The Glow", "Games You Can Win" and my favorite track "Giant Squid", each track's sound is different but fits the overall feel of the album. This album is definitely a banger for old and new RJ fans or people looking for something fresh. We highly suggest picking this one up along with the outtakes and Instrumental album, Inversions of The Colossus. - Rocko