Album Notes

Conceived in late 1999, San Francisco's SKIPTRACE is a guitar-driven rock band that cuts aspects of college radio indie-rock with an improvisational ethic. SKIPTRACE's debut s/t EP (2001) drew comparisons to no less than 30 different acts, citing the musicality of Built to Spill, the pop artistry of Beulah and Placebo, the honesty of emo (Get Up Kids and Promise Ring), the crooning of Matthew Sweet, the urgency of Buffalo Tom and the grit of Dinosaur Jr. However, Splendid E-zine may have best captured the band's sound: "the harmonizing vocals and choruses of backup vocals suit the modern-day short-attention-span listener, while a deeper dig into the music reveals a complex interchange between guitars and syncopating rhythms." Produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Son Volt, Appleseed Cast) and Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom, SKIPTRACE's debut EP left numerous reviewers "waiting for the full length."

For their follow-up full-length effort, "Weather & Oil," SKIPTRACE reunited with producer John Agnello. Recorded in San Francisco and New York, "Weather & Oil" again finds the band balancing alt-country indie-pop with swatches of semi-psychedelic, feedbacked sound art and guitar-driven melody. Retreating somewhat from the jangle-pop of their debut EP, "Weather & Oil" capitalizes on distorted bass, electric piano and howling synth guitar while retaining the band's obsession with melody and layered instrumentation for a sound oft-described as "radio-friendly in a CMJ sort of way." ActionAttackHelicopter. The record rambles between up-lifting rockers "Telling Stories" and "Seems to be Fine" and the lilting melancholy of "Masking Agent," "Comfort Letter" and "Gray by Default" with a consistent, confident and familiar feel. Darker numbers "Accident Scene" and "Bixby Bridge" continue the undercurrent of quiet desperation prevalent in "Don't Support the Band" - the standout track from the debut EP. And the linear, traveling nature of "Snowshoe" coupled with the roll-tape improvisation of "Opposition Hope Theme" (the latter recorded live in one take) exhibit the band's musicianship and penchant for bucking convention just enough.

SKIPTRACE has appeared at SXSW, San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival, North by North East, Midpoint Music Festival, and the Nashville New Music Conference and shared the stage with a diverse array of bands including, Jimmy Eat World, Creeper Lagoon, Pernice Brothers, OneLineDrawing, Breaking Pangaea and Aerogramme (Matador). Last spring the band licensed 11 songs to the full list of MTV reality shows and inked a sponsorship deal with Ocean Pacific.
"Weather & Oil" drops on September 30, 2003 on the Michigan-based independent, Pedal Bark Records (www.pedalbarkrecords.com). Publicity and promotional support provided by UnitePR. Radio promotion will be handled by the talented staff at TeamClermont. The band will take to the road during Fall/Winter 2003 to support the release.