Skittish
Minneapolis, MN | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | INDIE
Music
Press
“It‘s got it all – great playing, solid writing, & infectious grooves.
It’s definitely a musical production that gives us a fresh glimpse of an amazing artist from Minnesota. [Rating: 5/5]” - Drew Blackwell, Skope Magazine
Jeff Noller and Brianna Tagg claim their band plays "folk rock with thorns," but I think they're underselling themselves. They've just put out a terrific double CD, "The Perfect Shade of Green," with two dozen tracks that are just as much rock as folk, with plenty of great hooks and twists along the way. The only real problem is for Noller and Kyle. How does Skittish follow this up? With another 24 winners? - The St. Paul Pioneer Press
“Intense stuff. Have a go at this fabulously eclectic, unique and personal collection.” - Lee Levin, Knox Road
“Skittish is a band that has been skimming along under
the radar, but that should change as soon as more of the
people with great taste, who frequent mp3 blogs, hear the
music. It's by turns, folksy and then indie flavoured, but
more than these it's very, very good” - SixEyes
Disc one of “The Perfect Shade of Green” is all soaring vocals and interweaving harmonies. Kyle and Noller’s voices mesh well over the instrumentation. Strong major key melodies in songs like “Living Atop” and “Singing the Obits” keep the album grounded and pleasing without being boring. It’s an entertaining indie-folk-rock romp.
Kyle gets a chance to really unleash her vocal talents on disc two. Her voice is a dynamic counterpoint to Noller’s nasal sound. Tracks like “Living Amongst” and “Little Things” showcase the debate between their two competing sounds. It’s infectious and it works. - Minnesota Daily
“Skittish has released a distinctive and vibrant
album that offers a refreshingly innovative reading
of the much-popularized indie folk-rock genre...Tragedy
of the Commons is an excellent example of how a compelling
artist like Noller can explore a wide range of musical interests
and make them work together. " - Music Critic
"This album is beautiful, complicated, and most importantly very good."
- Sputnik Music
#181 on the CMJ College Music Charts in April 2009!! - CMJ Magazine
"...self-therapeutic for the artist, as well as being a treat for all listeners. Both intimate and infectious, The Five Stages is highly recommended.” - Mike Mineo, Obscure Sound
“It is quite possible that Skittish has put out the best
album for the summer that I have ever heard...if you are
looking for that perfect album to roll down the windows
and crank up, then look no further it’s right here.” - All Ages Zine
“The results are brilliant, effective and defy simple codification. Grieving has never been so amazingly fun.
I gleefully give Skittish’s The Five Stages 10/10 stars!” - Mindy McCall, Music News Nashville
“ Amazing. 10/10!" - Indie Music Digest
“(It) supplants itself so far into your brain that it’s instantly familiar and compels itself to be played again and again. Nice.” - Greg Swan, Perfect Porridge
'Album of the Week' - HipLanta 8/18/2015 - HipLanta
'They bring to the table well-crafted melodies, talented vocals and instrumentation, and thought-provoking lyrics' BlogCritics 8/19/2015 - BlogCritics
'Anticipating a sock hop headlined by the Pixies' Bucket Full of Nails 2015 - Bucket Full of Nails
'Skittish has been around for a few years, releasing some great music, but their newest LP Two Legs Bad is bound to set them on an entirely new trajectory' SunsetintheRearview 9/2015 - Sunset in the Rearview
Discography
From my Parents Basement c. 2008
Tragedy of the Commons c. 2009
The Perfect Shade of Green c. 2011
The Five Stages EP c. 2014
Two Legs Bad c. 2015
Photos
Bio
From “the Saintly
City” of St. Paul comes the idiosyncratic sound of Skittish. The
eclectic quartet’s newest album, Two Legs Bad,
is intended to satiate the minds of the curious; a literary odyssey
flushed with more hooks than a tackle box.
Since their inception, the band has maintained a steady trajectory
through the indie wilderness; placing songs with MTV,
charting on CMJ, Playing SXSW & Summerfest and opening for some
notable acts including The Lone Bellow, Cloud Cult
and Kid Dakota. “Our ambitions are high but our integrity remains
intact” reflects the bands spearhead Jeff Noller. “The care we put
into
our songwriting will be our legacy”.
Skittish began as Noller’s recording side project when his college
band reached the end of the line. He was content to explore his
potent musical ideas alone in his basement until he met Brianna
Tagg, a classically trained pianist and voice major, whose knack
for ear
wormy melodies offset Noller’s neo-folk sensibilities. The two began
co-writing and quickly struck upon the now signature blend of dark
and
weird lyrics set to catchy lead vocals and harmonies. Jeremy Krueth
and Lazarus Ulysses Clearwater rounded out the band, having been
bouncing their rhythm section off the walls of dark Midwest clubs
for years.
The title of their newest record,
Two Legs Bad, was pulled from a line in George Orwell’s Animal Farm
and is one of the many literary,
economic and historical references peppered throughout the album
- a dose of high-brow hidden in a spoonful of catchy indie-pop.
Noller is a consummate digester of articles and oddities, spending
most of his days reading up on subjects as varying as theoretical
physics, old Hollywood and paranormal phenomenon. “I often feel
like an outcast” Noller reflects. “What I’m learning is that the
majority of the population feels the same way”.
For those that are a little too smart, a little too weird and a
little unsettled with their place in this world, Skittish is calming
reassurance
that you are not alone.
MORE DETAILED/CURRENT INFO:
www.iamskittish.com
www.facebook/skittishmusic
Band Members
Links
