Sift the Noise

Sift the Noise is the debut album by Australian indie rock band Skipping Girl Vinegar. It was "recorded in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and studios across Melbourne – as well as ‘The Lookout’, a beach shack in Aireys Inlet". The album was mixed and mastered in London by Adrian Bushby, New York City by Greg Calbi and Nashville by Brad Jones.

The album was one of the first to be released on the short-lived DDA format in 2008.

Sift the Noise is dedicated to Norman and Lorna Lang, the grandparents of Mark and Sare Lang, who died during its creation.

Critical reception
Sift the Noise received wholly positive reviews upon its late 2008 Australian release, and quickly established them as an important Australian independent band. Rip It Up magazine in Adelaide and Rave Magazine in Brisbane both made the second single and title track their respective "single of the week".

JMag and the Music Australia Guide both gave the album 4.5 stars. The title track was added to high rotation on Triple J and ABC Radio and Regional Content nationwide in February 2009. The accompanying animated clip for the single "Sift The Noise" also received critical acclaim with Rage featuring it as the band's second "indie clip of the week".

Excerpts from reviews
"Mark Lang’s intimate storytelling and smooth vocal delivery is the centerpiece of Skipping Girl Vinegar’s music. Dedicated to his parents, who passed away during the recording of Sift the Noise, the whole album has an uplifting, redemptive quality to it, despite being made “during the darkest of seasons”."

"Sometimes an album comes along that resonates. Something that sounds immediately relevant and is so unmistakably honest, that no matter your musical taste, there’s a deep founded respect and due reverence noted."

"A classic pop sense that doesn’t get bogged in its own vision of itself."

"In an age of downloads and ringtones, Skipping Girl Vinegar stand out from the pack."

"Skipping Girl Vinegar's debut album is so goddamned beautiful I really could punch myself...veering smoothly between rousing and ruminative, bittersweet and simply sweet its hard to find fault with any track here... The term 'crafted' is often bandied around in album review wankery, but in this case that's exactly what SGV have done with Sift the Noise. This album hasn't been 'laid down' but carefully lovingly embroidered."

"One of the finest Australian releases this year."

Album packaging
Many reviews of the album commented on the packaging. Early releases came packaged in a library-style, printed drawstring bag. All copies come in a triptych-fold sleeve with 'library card' naming those involved in the album's creation as 'borrowers' and distressed textured cover.

Associated tours
Following the extensive national 'Sift The Noise' promotional tour, which garnered further positive reviews,  Skipping Girl Vinegar embarked on another nationwide tour entitled 'Songs From Cold Places', previewing songs from their forthcoming album of the same name, due to be recorded early 2010.

Personnel

 * Chris Helm - Drums, backing vocals, melodica, banjo
 * Mark Lang - Vocals, guitars, banjo
 * Sare Lang - Bass guitar, backing vocals
 * Amanthi Lynch - Piano, keyboards, backing vocals
 * Greg Arnold, Caleb James & Mark Lang - Producers
 * Caleb James, Mark Lang & David Cluney (at The Cottage; The Boat; Atlantis Studios, Melbourne; The Palace, Brisbane; except drums for tracks 2, 3, 8), Dave Car (at The Lookout; Aireys Inlet) - Recorders
 * Scott Mullane (at Harmony, Brisbane) - Additional keyboards
 * David Pitoto (at Mainstage, Croydon) - Additional editing and mix preparation
 * Brad Jones (at Alx the Great, Nashville; except track 1), Adrian Bushby (at Rak Studios, London) - Mixers
 * Jim DeMain (at Yes, Master!, Nashville, TN)