Skip is Ready to Rock

Much to my delight, I have discovered that besides New York, it seems Boston is the next best music city in the country (ok, maybe tied with San Francisco and Chicago) saturated with indie venues, budding artists, grass-roots university advocates, locally-fueled radio sations and a culture of musical appreciation. Why, just in my brief perusal of the musical options open to me, I have found several fantabulous concert hosts! Yippy Skippy!

For example, Great Scott seems like a Bottom-of-the-Hill-ish location showcasing artists like the French Kicks, Rocky Votolato and a great many DJ wannabes, while T.T. the Bear's Place (love the name by the by) up the street from Skip's house, plays the Independent-esque card with acts like Wheat, Jamie Treadwell, and James Morrison. Then, of course, there is the literally-next-door Middle East Club with more of a Cafe du Nord vibe. After that, we have The Abbey Lounge, The Paradise Lounge and Club Passim and a plethora of other bar-like open mic options.

Stay tuned (I've no doubt) for updates on my musical adventures in Boston. I can't wait!

The Mysterious Multiplication of Joe Brooks, Musician

On one of my unguided yet fervent trips around the world wide web looking for treasured music, I came across an odd accordance. There are not one, but two Joe Brooks; solemn singers with youthful aspirations of musical success, a penchant for emo/acoustic-rock and (obviously) MySpace.com pages.

The truly bizarre point of my story, is that I like them both.

Joe Brooks #1: hails from the U.K. and is about 8 years old, love the song 'Foolish Man' and must work on having a CD sent to the family estate in Ealing.

Joe Brooks #2: lives in Los Angeles and recently had a little ditty on 'The Hills,' far too much facial hair for his age, but I adore the depressing 'Strange.'

This concomitance is a first for Skip.

Skip Loves Fig Newtons

While I have been known to be extremely dogmatic about apartment living -- hardwood floors, crown mouldings, venerable character and quirky heating -- I'm learning that, in Boston, an intolerance for crisply clean condo-style creations means residing in a fabulously historical shoebox with a great location. Beacon Hill is precious in more ways than one and Back Bay, while convienently close to LouisBoston, is also priced that way.

The more I think about it, however, the more I recognize what a sucker I am for modern comforts...I require air conditioning and elevators, I love my Louis Vuitton Speedy as much as the next girl, fall into the DailyCandy craze, er, daily, and work in retail. I couldn't be more yuppie if I tried. I'm frankly a conformist.

So, while in Boston this weekend with RTT, it wasn't such a stretch to decide to rent a place at University Park in Cambridge. We're going to reside at the Kennedy Biscuit Lofts, formerly the Fig Newton factory, which seem to happily mix the corporate apartment amenities (gym, concierge, on-site grocery store, shuttle) with a little bit of character (exposed beams, enormous cookie oven in the lobby, etc.)...all for a great price and a ton of space. It's really the perfect fit for a yuppie in-disguise like myself.

And, if I'm feeling all too everybody for comfort, I can literally skip over to Middle East Club, the foremost indie music venue in Boston (more details in later posts, I'm certain) and rub shoulders with Aqueduct, Cold War Kids or Joseph Arthur.

Does it really get any better than that?

Skip Goes Brown

While sitting at my cube in my New York office this week, it struck me that I needed a new haircolor for my new homebase. Not that there are too many other color choices, but brown seems a perfect fit for Boston. Red brick homes, cobbled streets, conservative attire...bimbo blonde just felt old. I am over it.

And, guess what? I love the new 'do. I feel smarter already.

Skip Skips Town...Permanently

T-minus 50 Days.

'in the light of the sun, is there anyone? oh it has begun...oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed, this world you must've crossed...you said...you don't know me, you don't even care, you don't know me, you don't wear my chains...essential and appealed, carry all your thoughts across an open field, when flowers gaze at you...they're not the only ones who cry when they see you you said...you don't know me, you don't even care, you don't know me, you don't wear my chains...she said i think i'll go to boston...i think i'll start a new life, i think i'll start it over, where no one knows my name, i'll get out of california, i'm tired of the weather, i think i'll get a lover and fly em out to spain...i think i'll go to boston, i think that i'm just tired i think i need a new town, to leave this all behind...i think i need a sunrise, i'm tired of the sunset, i hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice...boston...where no one knows my name...'

Artist: Augustana
Song: Boston

Cold War Kids

I can't decide if I am in shock that my sister has such nuanced and profound taste in music or if I am deeply disappointed with myself for an apparent complete lack of band talent radar recently.

Either way, Cold War Kids rock and being from Britain they deserve even more of our attention. The boys have a vaguely White Stripes sound only with better voices, more softly, singable tunes and smarter lyrics. Hospital Beds is my favorite because, well, I'm a sucker for beats.

Robbers & Cowards available now.

PS- I love their website. So cool.