Music

Track Of The Week: "Miss Teen Massachusetts" by Skaters

by Chris Budd

April 25, 2014

Part of my day job requires me to think about music and how it could work in different situations, scenes and contexts. Lately, I’ve been applying that to how I listen to music in my personal life, namely in making biking playlists for my 30-minute ride to work. Now that we have the kind of weather that’s somewhat close to spring, I’ve brought my bike back out, and I’m testing out songs for that perfect commute soundtrack.

One song that made its way on my list is “Miss Teen Massachusetts,” bySkaters, a New York band who’ve recently released their debut, Manhattan. The pounding beat, brought in with the guitarflange, sets the tone of the song. The song’s full of raw energy, but the chorus is what really does it for me. Yes, I’m that guy biking up Yonge St., in Toronto, signing “I guess I’ll never change your mind….”.

Skatersformed in 2012, after singer and songwriter Michael Ian Cummings and English guitarist Josh Hubbard joined forces over a monthin NYC . They added drummer Noah Rubin and local bassist Dan Burke, booked three shows, learned some songs Cummings and Rubin had been tinkering with (and a handful of Pixies covers), and Skaterswas formed. Along came their debut record, whichwas recorded by John Hill (Santigold, Wavves) in the API room at Greenwich Village’s iconic Electric Lady Studios. Lyrically, it shares stories of the city where they met.

“It’s like short stories,” Cummings deadpans in the band’s bio. “It’s Salinger’s Nine Stories, but it’s eleven stories by Skaters. And the writing is much worse.”

Here’s”Miss Teen Massachusetts.”