Songs of love, dance rock and a lawsuit . Gayle Skidmore and the Slants.

Gayle Skidmore  sings in the line between artistry and accessibility, between whimsy and earworms, between what is and what can fantastically be. She is a seven-time San Diego Music Award nominee who has written over 2000 songs and released 20 albums. Among her many accolades are Best Pop in the 2015 San Diego Music Awards, Best Pop Album for “Sleeping Bear” in 2014, and Best Singer-Songwriter in 2013.Classically trained on the piano from the age of 4, a songwriter from the age of 8, she tours, records and also plays over 20 other instruments.  She has opened for Jason Mraz, Lisa Loeb, Steve Martin, Sean and Sara Watkins, Sam Phillips, and recorded withThe Softlightes, Bushwalla, Jason Mraz and Tyrone Wells among others.  She is ready to release her first full length vinyl album this year and of course, it will have a coloring book. 

 The Slants call themselves “the first and only all-Asian American dance rock band in the world” because they are, and “the band that must not be named” because the US Patent office and the courts will not let them copyright their name.  Regardless of what they call themselves, The Portland-based band  blows away venues with catchy dance beats, strong hooks, and wild, over the top live shows  that combine 80’s driven synth pop with hard-hitting indie and addictive dance rhythms which fans affectionately call “Chinatown Dance Rock.”  They’ve won “Album of the Year” and “Editor’s Choice” from dozens of magazines, including LA Weekly, Shojo Beat, Village Voice, City Beat, and Rockwired.  When not playing and recording the band works to help  marginalized communities, leading discussions on race and identity, and raising awareness of social justice issues.