Rockness Recommends
Hot Snakes: Spazz! Rock! Grime! Sweat! Exhilaration!
October 7, 2004
You would think that after three full-length albums, people would stop comparing Hot Snakes to their quasi-old band, Drive Like Jehu. Yet you will often hear a reviewer or a friend say, "Audit in Progress is an amazing record but it's no Yank Crime." This assessment is a little unfair since Jehu's Yank Crime was that rare, completely revolutionary album that blitzed and broadsided you, leaving you half-dead after its rock invasion of your life. It's hard to follow up an album that attained legendary indie status, especially since Hot Snakes aren't even the same band. But I guess this burden of comparison is one Hot Snakes brought upon themselves.
Hot Snakes' Rick Froberg and John Reis were the heart and soul of Drive Like Jehu, the legendary 90's San Diego math-punk band (before Reis went off to devote his time to Rocket From the Crypt.) The similarities don't end there since the sound of the two bands are so remarkably alike in form and function. Hot Snakes' music is angry, it's angular, it's neurotic, and it destroys just like Jehu did. The band bombastically rips through rapid-fire songs in which rhythm changes are frequent, frenetic and the music is laced with a fuck you mentality. Froberg's famed warbled vocals sounds better than ever and Reis' mastery of the crunchy, spazz-tastic guitar makes one feel like it's 1991 again.
What makes this show even more enticing is the fact that Hot Snakes were supposedly never to tour. The project seemed to be limited to a studio thing as a creative outlet to release pent-up aggressions during the post-Jehu era. I can only imagine the decibel records that will be shattered on Friday night. They play really, really loud. This is punk rock.
Opening for Hot Snakes is Mr. Airplane Man, that lo-fi garage-punk-blues female duo The White Stripes oh so know and love. They play raw, stripped down guitar/drum rock and roll that's dirty, gritty, and undeniably catchy.
Hot Snakes play with Mr. Airplane Man and Pretendo at North Six, Saturday, October 10th and at Knitting Factory, Sunday, October 11th
Hot Snakes' Rick Froberg and John Reis were the heart and soul of Drive Like Jehu, the legendary 90's San Diego math-punk band (before Reis went off to devote his time to Rocket From the Crypt.) The similarities don't end there since the sound of the two bands are so remarkably alike in form and function. Hot Snakes' music is angry, it's angular, it's neurotic, and it destroys just like Jehu did. The band bombastically rips through rapid-fire songs in which rhythm changes are frequent, frenetic and the music is laced with a fuck you mentality. Froberg's famed warbled vocals sounds better than ever and Reis' mastery of the crunchy, spazz-tastic guitar makes one feel like it's 1991 again.
What makes this show even more enticing is the fact that Hot Snakes were supposedly never to tour. The project seemed to be limited to a studio thing as a creative outlet to release pent-up aggressions during the post-Jehu era. I can only imagine the decibel records that will be shattered on Friday night. They play really, really loud. This is punk rock.
Opening for Hot Snakes is Mr. Airplane Man, that lo-fi garage-punk-blues female duo The White Stripes oh so know and love. They play raw, stripped down guitar/drum rock and roll that's dirty, gritty, and undeniably catchy.
Hot Snakes play with Mr. Airplane Man and Pretendo at North Six, Saturday, October 10th and at Knitting Factory, Sunday, October 11th
