Golden Mixtape

It’s not even noon and I have done my work for the day…market research, exciting, right? Now I’m going through Skipping Girl Vinegar’s Twitpics and it is full of a little monkey named Baker. He appears to be the band mascot and the obvious reason their latest album is called Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey. There are happy parts that resemble a hippy throwback, but other parts that make me reach for a blanket to hide under because they go over the edge of creepy.

Do we start with the bright side? Nah, let’s go with the darker side…Once you hit “Central Station” it appears a dismal tale of a man leaving something behind as he gets “Hell Out of Town.” Both are spooky and render images of a rundown train station. This guy’s dark adventure doesn’t stop there. It follows him into the woods with “Moose Tracks Me Deep” which is quick but leaves you with goosebumps, and “Castles Full of Storms.” One can’t stress enough how much these four songs are perfection for Halloween.

That group of songs appears a bad part of one guys life, but then you get “Chase The Sun” and smile. The sun is a symbol of positivity you can’t help but want in your life. It has a 60’s/70’s feel to it, as does “One Long Week.” The best track to get one in a better mood is “Wasted” because like in life, a drink can often times turn things around.

Skipping Girl Vinegar is made up of three ladies and a pair of gentlemen from Australia who have created Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey. It’s an album that falls into an indie category for its overall feel, but has some folk elements. Their ability to pour a dreary story in between happier tracks makes this album a perfect fit for fans of The Agiles and Lundi. Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey is out now and if you were lucky enough to be in New York for CMJ a week or so ago you might’ve caught them, but if you missed them there be on the lookout on their site for more dates.