Champaign, to me, is not a good town for music. I'm free to speak on the subject because I lived there for four years. It's where good touring bands (Asobi Seksu, Spitalfield) play to 10-15 people while bad bands (moe., Sufjan Stevens, of montreal) play to sold-out crowds. Better get a female keyboardist/ vocalist!
The first set I saw in Champaign was by Shipwreck, and they turned out to be way better than 99% of the other acts coming from the area. Look at the cover of Origin. Big buildings shrouded by fog photographed from a low angle. That's pretty much what it's like to walk around town during the school year. Why do so many bands from C-U make sunshiny, folky crap? I dunno, man! As a reaction to Braid?
'Sub-aquatic astro-pop' is how Shipwreck was described on their poster, and it kind of makes sense. On Origin, you'll hear a lot of effects pedals and cool guitar, and the effect it will have on you is that you'll feel like you're both underwater and in outer space. They have two singers, and they know all about making each part of the song sound unique in relation to the other parts.
If you dig the National, Interpol, and Deerhunter you will want to have this record.
