Last year, Perez Hilton of all people, was one of the first bloggers to let the cat out of the bag about one of Chicago’s best kept secrets: Skybox. He did so as eloquently as one would expect - - by saying that their "catchy as fuck" cabaret tune “Various Kitchen Utensils” was “one of the best songs about masturbation since the Violent Femmes' ‘Blister In The Sun.’”

Whether or not the song is actually about masturbation is up for debate, but it really is one of the best songs I’ve heard from a new band. Over the past two years, Skybox has toured relentlessly in support of their self released record Arco Iris, playing shows with bands like Man Man, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, French Kicks, Forward Russia, etc. and steadfastly gaining fans nationwide with their slaphappy, oddball pop.

With plans for new record underway (they are thinking early summer release) the band snuck two new tracks up on their myspace last night to give a rough preview of what’s in store.

Here’s the lowdown on the two new tracks:

"Trout" is the perfect example of why Skybox is a band that will never be nailed down to any sort of genre. Front man Tim Ellis picks up an acoustic guitar and delivers some surprisingly heavy lyrics (ex. "It’s a funny thing to die and feel just fine") which are thoughtfully laced with a stunning piano solo. Just when it seems the ballad has ended, the rest of the band sweeps in to carry the tune into the perfect sing-a-long chorus. Performed live, this would be the song where everyone pulls out their lighter and waves their arms in perfect harmony without feeling the least bit sheepish.

If you aren’t into ballads, check out "Beanstalk," which is equally good. It has this wild-west, dueling feel to it, with menacing guitar licks and gruff vocal harmonies that the band totally nails. With two wildly different tracks, it's tough to say how the rest of the record is going to sound, but rest assured, we like the way things are headed.