Hot Snakes - LAX
A pretty good showcase of their riffwork. Catchy? Yes. Different? Yes. Awesome? Fuck yes.
I don’t know if I’ve made it clear yet about how good this band is, but I figure if there was an album to pick, this would be it.
Hot Snakes re-unites the Reis/Froberg duo of Drive Like Jehu and Pitchfork fame. Citing the length of songs as the reason for disbanding Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes as a band took a drastic turn to making music that sounded more ‘rock and roll’ yet still outdoing most bands through John Reis’ GOD tier riff work. Thunder Down Under is a live record made especially for Triple J, showcasing some of the band’s best work before they disbanded in 2005 (not to worry, they reunited in 2011). It’d be pretty safe to call it a ‘best of’ album in a way. The live recordings also add a new strength to a lot of the tracks making some of them sound loud and raw, like you were at one of their shows.
This album should be a pretty good entry point for anyone looking to get into the band or try out some fantastic modern rock (what I feel is a dying genre). Thunder Down Under has live versions the best tracks from their last two albums and two songs that (I imagine) are B-sides or from EPs. The tracks involve clever and rhythmic drumming layered down with some catchy, near hypnotic riff work with Rick Froberg’s signature high toned yelling. Many different styles are employed from song to song, including furious, almost hardcore riffs, some heavy blues type riffs and then some indie rock tracks which will have you dancing around the place or headbanging inappropriately in lifts or busses. I recommend this based on the fact that most people who’ve heard it (namely rock/indie enthusiasts) get a certain spark in their eye that you get when you see an unusually pretty girl. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that people want to have sex with this album. I’m pretty confident in that statement.
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