Artists (in alphabetical order)

The Charade, Stockholm, Sweden

Dyrdin, Reykjavik, Iceland

The Morning Paper, Stockholm, Sweden

superfallingstars, New Haven, CT

Singing Bridges, Oakville, CT

The Year Zero, Long Beach, CA

Beauty Sleep, Brooklyn, NY
Beauty Sleep is a band that swims happily between the sounds of sweet indie pop, rock, and melancholy melodies without ever stopping for breath. They have a quiet and touching sound that draws you in during their performances. Their catchy melodies pull together a semi-sweet, playful sound and a unique intensity about frantic Manhattan life and love.
Website: http://www.beautysleepband.com
Releases: “Songs on Tape Recorders” Fall 2006
RIYL: Rilo Kiley, Built to Spill, The Kinks, The Beatles, Autolux, Shiner, Lusk, Belly
Listen to an mp3 of “Unusual White Day” from one of their early demos

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The Besties, Brooklyn, NY
The Besties bring a breath of fresh air and charm to a new generation of twee pop. One fan wrote on msnbc.com, The Besties are “like a polka-dot dress came to life and started playing the keyboard.” The band graduated from the bedroom and into the studio to create their debut album Singer, released on Valentine’s Day!

Marisa and Kelly on vocals and keyboards sing their dream boy to life, while Rikky strums on the guitar. Clever lyrics and melodies create songs about forbidden love and danger; a fantastical scenario in outer space, the zombie lover and way out West with gun-totin' cowboys. Newer songs contrast the bubblegum pop with nostalgic memories and faraway love.
Website: http://www.thebesties.com
Releases: “Singer” February 14, 2006
RIYL: The Shermans, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Talulah Gosh, Tullycraft, The Maybellines, The Swirlies, early Magnetic Fields and Japanese pop.
Listen to an mp3 of “Sweden Song”

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Celestial, Örebro, Sweden
Andreas Hagman creates a sound that simultaneously strides forward while holding a hand out to the past in the music of Celestial. The Creation and Sarah records influences flow between dreamy pop, jangly guitar and vocals that reflect a tender, soul-baring honesty. The music aims to reach far beyond the terrestrial world to a heavenly, dreamlike state. The melodies are central to Celestial's music and they ebb and sway over layers of reverb and echo. The music balances on a thin line between happiness and sadness, but always with an aim and gaze set high in the sky.

Andreas asked various friends and acquaintances to contribute to the debut album - new recordings that build on the success of the lo-fi digital releases on Lost Music. Pär Carlsson and Christoffer Davidsson shared the drumming like brothers. The wonderful and angelic voice on certain songs belongs to Malin Dahlberg, who is the vocalist in Laurel Music and shoegazy Douglas Heart (on the Swedish label Labrador). She is also known for her solo project We Are Soldiers We Have Guns (on English label Stereo Test Kits Records). Daniel Björck, of The Tower of Foil and The Idle Hands, contributed his piano playing skills and Sara Thedéen plays the flute. All the musicians are, in one way or another, connected to Örebro, Sweden.

“precious and almost translucent songs between dreampop and twee pop." /Didier, derives.net

"wanders from shoegaze via Field Mice to JAMC in five songs" /Groove

"The potential on those early download EPs has been harnassed and improved. There is a richness to the guitar sound, that was previously missing. The whole LP sounds more rounded. Finished. 'Nothing Happens; Twice' ... has become a wonderfully pounding beast of an indiepop song." /Lost Music

Website: http://www.skippingstonesrecords.com/celestial/
Releases: “Dream On” Spring 2007
RIYL: The essence of Creation and Sarah Records, C86 and a softer, kinder Jesus & Mary Chain. More: Swedish Pop, The Field Mice, Ride, Trembling Blue Stars,
My Favorite,The Smiths, Slowdive, Mojave 3, The Stone Roses, Felt.
Listen to an mp3

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The Charade, Stockholm, Sweden
The Charade brings a relentlessly catchy brand of genius pop that only the Swedish can dream up. Their first release had all the prerequisites of catchy pop from Sweden; beautiful layerings of angelic vocals from Ingela Matsson backed up by the intricate arrangements and keyboards of husband Mikael Matsson. The legendary Magnus Karlsson brings this trio down to earth, grounding the sweet pop sounds with jangly guitar.

Karlsson honed his skills as the guitarist for the Happydeadmen, who combined the sounds of the Housemartins and The Smiths to become one of Sweden’s first indie pop bands in 1988. Their fresh and crisp sound paved the way for bands like The Cardigans, Popsicle, St. Etienne and 1990s pop in Sweden.

Mikael came of age musically through the "boy-girl jangle pop perfection" of Red Sleeping Beauty in the 1990s and later perfected his style in The Shermans, where love bloomed with singer Ingela. Mikael and Ingela Matsson bring their brand of sunny pop to a new level, showing growth and honesty as they relax into domestic bliss.

The Charade culls from the past for inspiration, paying tribute to the sounds of 60s girl groups and pop hits from The Ronettes, The Byrds and The Carpenters. Matsson’s samplings and digital programming brings their sound into the 21st century.

“perfectly catchy pop songs with optimistic surfaces and more complicated emotions within” Erasing Clouds

"pure pop magic and the chorus is one of the best I’ve heard so far this year ... it’s jangle-pop perfection many times over." Common Paper

"The teaser clip "Monday Morning" from the upcoming debut album from Swedish popsters The Charade remains true to its' members roots by crafting heartfelt winsomeness to pure pop bliss." Indiespinzone.com

"brisk and breezy, capturing strolls on sunny days cut into by bitter cold. Sugar sweetness drips from their steady jangle pop, which owes as much to the 60s as to the ubiquitous C80s" Vanity Project Fanzine

Website: http://www.skippingstonesrecords.com/the_charade
RIYL: Swedish pop, Red Sleeping Beauty, Happydeadmen, the Shermans,
Acid House Kings, The Aislers Set, The Cardigans, Club 8...
Releases: “Real Life Drama” May 2006
“The Best is Yet to Come” May 2005
Listen to an mp3 of "Monday Morning".

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The Morning Paper, Stockholm, Sweden
The Morning Paper was formed in Malmo, Sweden in 2004 by David Kyhlberg, who collaborates with Ida Bergstrom and Karl Daniel Tornkvist. Sweeping across urbanity and nature, with humble movements and delicate voices, The Morning Paper is best read in terms of dusk and dawn. Being in the same room as The Morning Paper means being a part of a gentle-colored scenery - memories, hopes, failures, suns rising up and suns falling down – all these things gather up in a gallery of heartfelt musical maps. These sounds and melodies can be described as melancholic, but they are also sounds of hope and joy.

“a must if dreamy melodies are your cup of tea” sonic

“quiet and simply beautiful (sounds like rain falling down). Perfect for a tired Friday evening” hits in the car blog

“fuzzy and absolutely amazing pop music” louder than bombs

Website: http://www.myspace.com/sendyourcards
Releases: “It’s Getting Clearer” Spring, 2008
RIYL: New Order, Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros, Slowdive, Prefab Sprout, Saint Etienne, My Bloody Valentine, Brighter, The Radio Department, Nathan Fake, M83, Trembling Blue Stars, Blueboy, Brian Eno, Junior Boys, Manual

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Dyrdin, Reykjavik, Iceland
There are only 300,000 people who live in Iceland, 80% believe in elves. Dýrðin brings the mythologies of elves, comic book heroes and Star Trek to life with their edgy pop. Dýrðin was formed in Reykjavik in 1994 by Einar and Maggi, having both played in various underground rock groups for a few years, teamed up with Þorvaldur Gröndal, to produce silly little pop songs, with a twist, in Maggi's bedroom. They got hold of a Dr. Rhythm drum machine and an old saggy keyboard and started churning out tunes on a Tascam 4-track Portastudio. Einar's sister was hastily recruited to sing. Hafdis surprised everyone by suddenly displaying singing talent and a knack for rocking out on stage.

After a brief hiatus, they’re back on the scene playing locally at the Iceland Airwaves festival, Innupukinn and recently at Popfest! New England in Northampton, MA. The drum machine has been dismissed in favor of a real live punk drummer named Tóti, who also plays in the legendary Icelandic punk band, Vonbrigdi. Vonbrigdi are a recently resurrected punk band who were at the forefront of the punk wave along with such bands as Purrkur Pillnikk (featuring Einar Orn of Sugarcube fame), Fraebblarnir, the glue-sniffing Sjalfsfroun, and Bjork's band Tappi Tikarrass. In a departure from bass, guitar and keyboards, the band has now reached new heights with a full, five member line-up, in both live performances and recording.

From the Icelandic music magazine, Grapevine: “This is a band I’ve had the pleasure of seeing on many occasions, and have watched them grow. Dýrðin’s driving, New Wave pop is well-served by a formidable drummer, who can be best described as a hard-hitting psycho. They carried their numbers across so well that before long they started playing their songs faster than usual … Dýrðin finished their set with the singer and keyboardist dancing continuously, the crowd elated…”
Website: http://www.mmedia.is/dyrdin/

RIYL: The Icicles, All Girl Summer Fun Band, The Sugarcubes, The Cardigans, Buzzcocks, The Ramones, Blonde Redhead, The Raveonettes, Serge Gainsbourg
Listen to an mp3 of Prins i Alogum (The Frog Prince)

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Singing Bridges, Oakville, CT
Singing Bridges is a band making music inspired by personal experience and emotion, a sound that finds inspiration from My Bloody Valentine to vintage American folk. Songs are written collectively, resulting in an amalgamation of hopes and fears that sing and vacillate like modern life - separation, isolation.

At times heavy, dark and inward, contrasted with dreams and memories that are light and hopeful, Singing Bridges echoes the struggle between hope and despair of everyday feelings. Their namesake invokes a combination of man and nature - steel grate deck and suspension bridges built to ease the flow of more people and more cars, suddenly transformed into a musical instrument. The sound of tires and a myriad of fast moving cars on a steel grate makes different pitches, different speeds create harmonies and sonic orchestras. Steel suspension cables, designed to be flexible and to adapt with nature, sway with the wind, eventually singing a symphony of harmonic noise.

The winsome On Y Va (translation: "Let's Go"),
is sung in French by Amity and Christine, thoughts drift towards a sunny day in the park, an attractive couple, cats and dogs playing together in the garden. Life is carefree and there are no worries, "joeuez tous les jours" - playing all the time. Disappear is driven by the mixed feelings of love and anger, the push and pull of a relationship gone sour and a whispered wish to disappear from pain. The realization is illustrated in the words, "I will never leave and you will never stay." During live performances, of Disappear, Singing Bridges becomes a whirlpool of sound, an epic sonic boom, a noise barrier, distorted notes that feel like scars that carry on. The Makeout Song is like the time after a serious relationship - the desire to break down social hindrances, to celebrate freedom with wild abandon, the hangover after a one-night stand. "I don't want to talk to you - I just want to makeout with you." The final song, Permanent Ink, ends with memories from the past that seem like a dream. It's the song of new freedom, capturing spontaneity and an ephemeral moment with a person you meet and instantly know. An instant trust with a stranger turns into a weekend road trip, capturing a sublime and ephemeral moment of two lives that intersect at x and y.

RIYL:
Slowdive, Lush, The Wedding Present, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, New Order,
Joy Division, Secret Shine, Galaxie 500, The Breeders, Brittle Stars, The Stones Roses, Wire, The Pretenders, The Jam, Psychedelic Furs, Catherine Wheel, The Field Mice, Gary Numan, The Church, Jesus and Mary Chain, Bauhaus, Rocketship, Belle & Sebastian, +/-, Bearsuit, The Chills, Beat Happening, Unrest, The Smiths, Blondie, Poundsign, Teenage Fanclub, Mosquitos, Stereolab, Windmills, The Kinks, Pavement, T-Rex, Guided by Voices, Sissybar, The Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, Minutemen, The Pixies, Magnetic Fields, David Bowie, The Posies, The Swirlies, Golden Palominos, Mirah, Trembling Blue Stars, The Clash, The Carpenters, Roy Orbison, Woody Guthrie, Camera Obscura, Curve, Monster Movie, Sonic Youth, Nick Drake, Neko Case (and her boyfriends), Yo La Tengo, loud and quiet sounds, the smell of fresh baked bread, thunderstorms, staying home on a rainy day, ocean waves, wind in autumn leaves, birds singing at the break of dawn, sunrise, singing bridges.

SKIP#010 CDr / EP
Limited Edition of 75 Hand-Numbered
Release Date: January 22, 2008
Digital Release Date: April 1, 2008
Track Listing:
on y va
disappear
the makeout song
permanent ink

singing bridges is:
amity wahl - vocals and percussion
christine jewell - bass and vocals
timothy ferraro - guitar
william knapp - drums, keyboards, percussion
additional keyboards by mark thornton on:
on y va and disappear

myspace.com/singingbridgesband
www.singingbridges.com

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superfallingstars, New Haven, CT
Swimming across the Sound invokes memories of childhood, hanging out in high school and love lost and found amidst upbeat pop tempos and harmonies that lock in your head.

“This is a good one; a fun indie pop record... The songs are mostly crunchy jangle-fests, fast paced with fun lyrics... I'm immediately reminded of bands like Tallulah Gosh on the speedier numbers crossed with the Galactic Heroes. They've got a great mix of influences, yet take the sound and make it their own.” Shredding Radio

"This Connecticut trio play catchy and likeable guitar pop ... The band sound like a chunkier, garagey version of The Descendants, and Sembos’s earnest, innocent vocals even resemble that band’s Milo Aukerman.” Big Takeover #55

“It makes a refreshing change to hear a band with such great songs and great sounds rely on [DIY recording]... get a copy, its bloody great... “ Tasty

Website: http://www.superfallingstars.com
RIYL: Ted Leo, The Descendents, The Smiths, Onion, The Jam, The Feelies
Releases: “Swimming Across the Sound” Fall 2004
Listen to an mp3 of "I'm Not Really Sure"

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The Year Zero, Long Beach, CA
Reminiscent of early dream pop and shoegaze, The Year Zero weaves together layerings of guitars and keyboards to create futuristic dream pop soundscapes. Singer Lili de la Mora's (Sidecar) lullaby sighs lilt and sway over shimmering guitars and keyboards. Rodney Sellars (Sense Field) steps in to hold it down vocally, or maybe just to catch the view from above. Upbeat tempos ride along a swath of melodies swept by solar winds, invoking early Lush, Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. Intertwined are light bossa nova interludes and ambient robot anthems. Both prophetic and enchanting, The Year Zero conjures stories and images like a soundtrack for the future, the post-apocalypse what if, just you and me. When the earth is born again, dream along to the past and the future, to the year zero.

“Alone in this room, suddenly I have felt accompanied by the whispers of Lili and those luminous guitars. “ Soi dit en Passant

Website: http://www.myspace.com/theyearzero
RIYL: Slowdive, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Cocteau Twins, Monster Movie, Portishead, Dead Can Dance, Low, 4AD, Felt, Mojave 3, Sigur Ros, Brian Eno, Creation Records
Releases: “Oceania (I Will Return)” Spring 2006
Listen to an mp3 of "The Truth About Stars" from their demo
(This is the song that we totally fell in love with and made us want to release their cd)

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