Jon Snodgrass - Five State Record

Well, it's 2012 and our esteemed Mr. Snodgrass sees  last year's Tri-State Record and raises us two more states, adding five more tracks to the back end to give us Five-State Record.

I'll refer back to my take on the previously released tracks here but one can rest assured that the fearsome fivesome that are appended newly are as strong as any of the best of the previous Snodgrass oeuvre. The split is 4 to 1 on the quiet songs, but Hopper is a top-notch rocker ala the opening Hey, Dennis. They're Not Friends and Excitable are pretty and slow, as is the unexpected presence of a formal recording of his Song For Gibson; pretty much sealing the deal for Five-State Record scoring a slot in the must-have column for anyone possessing the modicum of taste. One would hope you number among them.

Get Five-State Record here. Now.

R

Jaded Scenester NYC: Best EPs of 2011

As I understand, it's in the way that you use it, or so the Michelobs are telling me. Here's the JS-NYC take on all things short format in 2011.

1.  Iron Chic – Split & Shit EP
Their crowd is getting a little wearisome to this old bastard, but when it comes to hooky LIHC with a decided post-Lifetime bent, you can't go wrong with Iron Chic or Split & Shit.

2.  Drive-By Truckers – Sometimes Late At Night EP. It's chaos as usual for Team DBT, with bassist/singer Shonna Tucker the latest to depart in the time-honored ambiguous circumstances. This EP came out before the split, featuring a handful of live tracks and a studio version of the Vic Chestnutt tune, When I Ran Off And Left Her. Be interesting to see what's next for these Sons Of The South.

3.  The Hold Steady – Live from Soho EP
I still miss Franz, but this is a pretty solid eight song showing from Team THS. I'm intrigued to see how Craig's solo record impacts things as/re: the new (non-Vagrant?) record. I'm calling ATO as the winner, unless they score themselves a too-good-to-be-true major deal with Anti.

4.  Restorations – The Key Studios EP
Restorations have been a big deal for me over the last year ago and I was glad they sweetened the top with this live recording. Five great takes, with a little studio banter to remind you its not all glowering and dynamic shifts with these nice young men.

5.  Chixdiggit – Safeways Here We Come EP
Chixdiggit pretty much redeemed their last half-hearted junket through town with a fun EP and a great set with Kepi Ghoulie on an East River Rocks Off death barge. On Fat Wreck again, as well. While Hot n' Horny is embarassing for guys as old as these dudes, Since You Got A Dog continues to be an anthem for our times.

6.  Armalite – Humongous 7”
The eight year locusts of hardcore re-emerge from dormancy to drop three jolts of post-D4 Philly punkcore. Boo-ya. And Go! for that matter.

7.  Jon Snodgrass – Tri-State Record
I wish Jon would pull a Wedding Present and release a song a month and then offer a catch-up comp release at the end of the year, as he's almost prolific to a fault. Tri-State Record is the best cumilitive record this year, although the Scorpios record is quite a little delight as well.

8.  Superchunk/Coliseum - Record Store Day 7”

C'mon: The Chunk and Coliseum togther doing Misfits covers. That's worth a spin.

9.  Bobby Bare Jr. – a storm, a tree, an acoustic ep EP
The companion EP to A Storm, A Tree, My Mother's Head gave nerds and completists a shot at the demos that fostered the full-length.

10.  Trash Talk – Awake EP
Blaaaah! Blaah-Blaah-Blaah-Blaah! Circle Pit. Mosh-mosh-mosh. Chug.

Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones

 Damn!

Since my antipathy for all things Time Warner forced me to finally get rid of cable, I don't see as much late night TV as I used to, but I caught Turner on Kimmel the other night and he and that Limey lot  promptly handed my ass to me.

I say again: Damn!

Kudos to Epitaph for snapping up Mr. Turner. He had been on my radar with his collabo with the mighty Jon Snodgrass and while Old Fast Songs is a great fucking tune, I didn't think I'd fall as quick and hard for England Keep My Bones as I did. My Irish affections aside, as you might surmise this is quite an English record. Turner has heard himself a Billy Bragg or two, but he's far from a carbon copy. Whether keeping it traditional with English Curse, upping the punks and skins in I Still Believe or taking it to the open road with I Am Disappeared, Turner gives it the business. You should give him yours and snap up England Keep My Bones in whatever format works for you here from Mr. Brett & Co. 

Up the punks!

R

Scorpios

Well check out these handsome devils. As announced by the left side of the photo in May, there is a new project band in town. It's called Scorpios, and features (clockwise from top left) Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Tony Sly (No Use For A Name), Brian Wahlstrom (NYC Opera) and the estimable Mr. Jon Snodgrass (Drag The River). In case you were wondering, the foursome all have same said astrological affiliation, hence the moniker.

That minutae out of the way, the eponymous debut from Scorpios is ten songs, sporting various combinations of the team sharing vocals. Luckily there are no CSNY type harmonies that make me want to shove a poker in my ear, moreso Band-esque verse swapping ala The Weight. It's solid, if a bit ad hoc. To no one's surprise, I'm going to come out in favor of Snodgrass here: his Scorpios theme is great, as is We Won't Speak Of This Again. Cape and Sly are more than solid, but tracks like Happy Anniversary are just a little too smooth for my tastes. Again, far from bad, and the other participants are more than solid contributers, but I'm a mark for the Snodgrass. You can get it at pay-what you will prices here for the short term, with firm pricing in the coming weeks. Step lively.

R

Jon Snodgrass - Tri-State Record

As I am oft to point out, JS-NYC loves themselves some Jon Snodgrass. That love has not abated, and he is kind enough to pretty prolific. I blame it on my absence from Facebook, but as such, it is pretty fucking embarassing that I didn't realize this EP was out until a couple days ago. As one might surmise from the title and handy visual aid, Tri-State Record is the estimable Mr. Snodgrass backed by a ragtag combo from the three (sort-of) corners of the US, a (small) a-team comprised of Chris Wollard, Addison Burns and Steven Egerton.

You get five songs for your hard-earned dollar, pretty much all of which I believe made it into the set last time he was in town with Joey Cape. Things break down thusly: Bad Kreuznach is drawn from the Snodgrass well that is seemingly tapped most regularly five samboucas in on the road. Those songs are kind of hit or miss for me, but far from bad. The remaining four are all in the win column. Weighing In On St. Michael is the pure purpose driven songcraft ala Song For Gibson while the remaining three are pretty much the solid straight rockers we've come to know and love from Jon Snodgrass. I'd give Campaign Song a mild edge, but all three are pretty aces. Own it.

Get it here from the good folk of Paper and Plastick, virtually or actually.

Find Snodgrass here.

R

Live: Jon Snodgrass and Joey Cape @ Union Hall 5.14.11

Jon and Joey were in town for another of their increasingly frequent duo shows. This one was at Union Hall, out in tony Park Slope.

I crossed threshold in time to block out some real estate and set up the recorder for just shy of two hours worth of songs from the boys. At least two new songs from Jon in the set, plus a lot of interaction with one of the legions of obsessive European Joey Cape fans that come out to all his East Coast shows who happened to be having a birthday. Was fun, although the room got a little chatty at times. If you want a copy of the recording, holler at your boy. Jon alluded to some new release, which could just be a 7"? Not sure, but the songs is good. Evidently the gents have a new band called The Scorpios with Tony Sly and an opera singing friends who share the astrological sign, so look out for that as well.

R

Jaded Scenester NYC Top 10 Records of 2010

Looking back, while 2010 wasn't the greatest year musically, I've definitely been chuffed to find that there are some great new bands out there like Little Lungs, Iron Chic and bands that have been around for a bit like Superchunk, Glossary, The Hold Steady can still drop a good record when they are of a mind. In some cases, they can top the JS-NYC charts for the year.

After weeding through the posts from 2010 and basking in the nostalgia, please find below the Top 10 of 2010 as perceived by Jaded Scenester NYC, with pertinent nostalgic linkage for the full self-aggrandizing experience.

Here's hoping 2011 bears as much musical fruit.

Look forward to Best Of Lists for 7" and EPs in the coming days, as well as prattling on about Comedy Records, Hip-Hop and live shows. Control your enthusiasm.

JADED SCENESTER NYC - BEST RECORDS OF 2010

1. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

3. The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

4. Iron Chic - Not Like This

5. Tiltwheel - The High Hate Us

6. Dan Padilla - A Collection, Not Perfection

7. The Arrivals - Volatile Molotov

8. Joey Cape/Jon Snodgrass - Liverbirds

9. The Sainte Catherines - Fire Works

10. The Figgs - The Man Who Fights Himself

And that's how the chips fell.

xo

R

Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass - Buddies

The JS-NYC love for Jon Snodgrass is well documented, and he's been playing straight into our hands with a slew of collabo records over the last couple years. Everybody seems to want a piece of our hero, and the most recent collaboration to come down the pike is with Brit indie-punk minstrel Frank Turner. Called Buddies, the record is a ten track song cycle (with companion drunken studio banter) of quasi-extemporaneous documentation of the Turner/Snodgrass buddydom. If I could hang out with Snodgrass, I'd probably write a record too, but for the most part, the songs on Buddies are ok at best. I can't say I'm especially crazy about Frank Turner, but he does knock one out of the park with Old Fast Songs, a humdinger of a track that will definitely make the JS-NYC Best of 2010 comp that should be available by the turning of the year. That is reason enough to pony up some dough, but I'm pretty sure that Buddies is only available in a short run of green vinyl from UK indie Xtra Mile Recordings, and for that reason may not be the first record you should snatch up. There are rumors of iTunes availability after the 1st of the year. Keep an eye out, if only to snag that Old Fast Songs track. If you are already a fan, or just intrigued by JS-NYC sycophanty, Turner is here and Snodgrass HQ can be found here.

R

Jon Snodgrass and Joey Cape - Who Wants To Get Down 7"

Mssrs. Cape and Snodgrass have been making the most of their relationship this year, dropping the Liverbirds split EP and playing scads of dates together, both home and abroad. As the year draws to a close, your pals have seen fit to drop a little stocking stuffer on us in the form of a new split 7". Cape ponies up a new song that's pretty good and Jon does an alternate solo version of Brave With Strangers from 2009's Visitor's Band. Not the record I'd try to indoctrinate the uninitiated with, but still pretty aces. Pick it up here from the fine folk of Suburban Home.

R

Drag The River - 2010 Demons

Wow. Life has been pretty crazy recently. It must have been, as I appear to have shot the trifecta of: not knowing there was a new Drag The River release and not posting about last month's Cory Branan and Drag The River shows. I'm pretty damn sure these demos were not on sale at the awesome Bar Nine show back on 10.1 (mail me for a recording), but on the heels of my previous admission, I think I'm guilty of being a less than reliable witness. Either way, 2010 Demons collects 10 of 24 demos Jon and Chad recorded this past Summer in anticipation of the new DTR studio release in 2011. My unhealthy Jon Snodgrass fixation precludes my speaking ill of this on principle, but know that the new Chad songs are also really good and the usual Drag The River standard of excellence prevails.

Was there any question really? You can (and should) get 2010 Demons in digital pay-what-you-will form from the Drag The River bandcamp page here. As I understand, the only tangible release will be a limited 500 piece vinyl run on the German Hometown Caravan imprint, 200 of which Luther at Suburban Home has for sale here.

R

Drag The River - Primer

Drag The River are one of my favorite bands, and undoubtedly one of the best in America on the roots end of things. With the help of Suburban Home, they have definitely raised their profile exponentially in the last couple years, having released easily a dozen releases between DTR records and Snodgrass or Price solo material. It's won me over and hopefully will win over the greater population at large. I bought their entire catalog the first time I saw them, but the less compulsive among us probably would find it easier if there was a compendium of their best material to peruse.

Well, it's your lucky day, as Primer is now out and ready to make sweet, sweet love to your earholes. It would be hard for me to limit my favorite DTR songs to 20, but the ones that have made the cut here are more than pretty aces. Things kick off with Brookefield and close with a Thin Lizzy cover. It's one hell of a ride and one that you would do well to take over and over again. The collection asserts plainly and loudly that Snodgrass and Price are two of the best songwriters out there, and their Cooley/Hood -esque chemistry is one to be extolled loudly. Buy Primer here from Suburban Home. Maybe also buy an extra for a friend or loved one, so maybe we can see a proper full band Drag The River show on the East Coast.

R

Joey Cape & Jon Snodgrass - Liverbirds

Finally, we get the some recorded output of the delights we have enjoyed at the increasingly frequent duo shows with Mr. Joey Cape and Mr. Jon Snodgrass. Liverbirds has the two each doing songs from home teams Bad Astronaut and Lagwagon, plus a new chestnut from Herr Snodgrass. Joey is putting it out on his own label and has licensed it to Suburban Home. You can only get it on their dates together at this point, but SH is going to have it ready sometime in April.

Evidently Liverbirds shares its name with an Absolutely Fabulous-esque Brit-com featuring two besotted females. If you've seen any of these two jokers at shows and the Jager they consume thereat, you won't miss the allusion. Now, I'm the wrong person to ask if a Snodgrass release is a good one, but this shut in will argue that Liverbirds is even more awesome for the presence of Spiderman, Wolfman. The song sprung up extemporaneously at a New Haven show last Fall, was dabbled with the night after in NYC and is now canonized for your auditory pleasure. It also features a great version of Jessica's Suicide, although I think I prefer it with Cory Branan backing. That's no diss to Joey. I was never the hugest Lagwagon fan, but seeing the rampant adulation and volume of people traveling from as far as Germany to see his Cape-ness, I've kind of been bitten by the bug. I'm not sure I'd go see him solo, but I really like the tunes here. Head over to Suburban Home and get in on the pre-order here. Liverbirds comes highly recommended to anyone with a functioning set of ears.

Jaded Scenester NYC Top Ten Singles of 2009

It was tough for me to come up with this list for a couple of reasons. One reason is that technology hates me. It's one of the many reasons that I'm happy to just be a dumb bass player. When I initially tried to figure out the tracks, it seemed prudent to just use the counter in my iTunes. Makes sense, right. In consulting said oracle I was surprised to find that there was one track that really was head and shoulders above any others playwise. I was most surprised to find said track was The Northside, The L&L, And Any Number Of Crappy Apartments by The Lawrence Arms. While that is a solid track, I can't see having played it 285 times, despite what the good folk of Apple might have me think. As a result, I'm going to throw empiricism to the wind. Additionally, I'm not going to limit this list to songs actually released in 2009. Mostly because I can. I bet a bunch of them are from 2009, but hey let's keep it interesting, shall we?

Ok, here we go.

Jaded Scenester NYC Top Ten Singles of 2009

1. Lifter Puller - Star Wars Hips (7" version)

from Slips Backwards

2. Kith n' Kin - Austin Lucas

from The Common Cold

3. Lonesome Dogtown Nights - Lucero

inexplicably not released on 1372 Overton Place

4. The Ballad Of Marvin Heemeyer - Shorebirds

from It's Gonna Get Ugly

5. Calloused Heart #2 - Drag The River

from Bad At Breaking Up

6. Darlin' - Austin Lucas

from Somebody Loves You

7. Jessica's Suicide - Jon Snodgrass

live with Joey Cape or Cory Branan

8. Geraldine - Glasvegas

from Glasvegas

9. Magazines - The Hold Steady

from Stay Positive

10. Sherman City - Lifter Puller

from Half Dead And Dynamite reissue

Jaded Scenester Top 10 EPs of 2009

Ok kids. You loved the comp (still free, just e-mail) and were over the moon about the first Top 10 list where we dropped science on the best full-length records of 2009. Let's ride the wave of nostalgia a little more, shall we? Today we're going to give the little guys some shine and select the Top 10 EPs from 2009. Note that while some of these releases were two song 7" releases, JS-NYC is going to shout out the Top 10 individual songs (i.e. singles) later on this week.

Peep it:

Jaded Scenester NYC Top 10 Eps of 2009

1. RVIVR - Life Moves EP

2. Jon Snodgrass/Cory Branan split EP

3. Tenement - Icepick 7"

4. Copyrights/Dopamines - Songs About Fucking Up split EP

5. The Jealous Sound - Got Friends EP

6. Capital - Blind Faith EP

7. Paint It Black - Amnesia EP

8. Superchunk - Leaves In The Gutter EP

9. Minus The Bear - Into The Mirror

10. Celeste - Misanthrope(s) EP

Jaded Scenester Top 10 Records of 2009

Ok Boy(s) and Girl(s):

Just because you clamored for it, here's the formal Top 10 Records of 2009 (full-length) as selected by your pals at Jaded Scenester NYC. Thanks to all of the people therein(on?) for all the sweet ear love that they provided in the wasteland that were the internets most lauded records of 2009. If I have to hear one more bad Fairport Convention (or more probably High Llamas) rip-off record reverbed out to infinity by some 20-something beardo or beardos, I'm going to go John Belushi on some motherfuckers. Don't even get me started on the hip-hop records. Criminy! Sell back that Dirty Projectors record and know, love and buy all the 10 releases below. If you are concerned, please rest assured that single tracks, EPs, reissues and live shows will all get their separate lists. Try and control yourselves. Do take note that we've got a Best of 2009 playlist available for your perusal. It's free, just drop JS-NYC HQ a line and we'll send you a download link out pronto.

Jaded Scenester NYC Top 10 Records of 2009

1. Jon Snodgrass - Visitor's Band

2. Drag The River - Bad At Breaking Up

3. Austin Lucas - Somebody Loves You

4. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

5. Glasvegas - Glasvegas

5. The Dopamines - Soap and Lampshades

6. The Hold Steady - A Positive Rage

7. Banner Pilot - Collapser

8. The Riot Before - Fists Buried In Pockets

9. Dear Landlord - Dream Homes

10. House Boat - Delaware Octopus

Live: CMJ showcase @ Europa featuring Teenage Bottlerocket, Cobra Skulls, Jon Snodgrass and Joey Cape, Banner Pilot and Higher Giant 10.25.9

Initially, the reason for the season for my attendance at this show was seeing Banner Pilot, who I adore. They have taken over the mantle from Two Cow Garage as the band that I travel long distances to either miss outright or play way too short sets. I had taken the L on the last two BP shows I tried to see, but even my shitty job did not make me miss the proceedings.

I got inside in time to catch the end of the Higher Giant set. Featuring Ernie Parada from a million awesome bands that started with Token Entry, they played a bunch of Queens accented punk rock not all that far from previous Parada franchises like Grey Area. They got a good response, despite their lead-off spot. Their new record is out courtesy of the good folk of The Black Numbers. Get it here.

Twin cities powerhouse Banner Pilot made their live debut for me next, playing a decent, but not fabulous show that leaned heavily on new stuff from their Fat debut Collapser. There were some sound issues, most of them seemingly precipitated by the front of house guy, but it was a decent set. I would have liked to hear more stuff from the first EP, but a good showing from the gents. I would have liked to have seen a longer set, but hopefully it won't be another four years til the next NYC show.

Jon Snodgrass and Joey Cape played next, reprising their increasingly frequent duo set for the first show of their most recent tour. While there was a small but vocal crew of Cape obsessives drinking their way to nirvana, I would say it was a Snodgrass room. Neither disappointed, but suffice to say I'm a Snodgrass proponent. Why he is not hugely famous I'm not sure, but I'm going to enjoy seeing him in the small rooms for as long as I can. You should see both of those jokers at Bar Nine tomorrow night, or for free at Maxwells on Monday. JS-NYC will be all up in those shows. You should be, too.

Cobra Skulls (from Reno) were up next. There has been a big buzz about them lately, so I got their records and found them to be pretty staggeringly underwhelming from where I was listening. I thought maybe the live show would sway me, but I literally took a nap after the first couple songs. Jack Terricloth was evidently out to see them, but unless you can have someone on that level to talk to during their set, I'd save your cash. Probably one of the most overrated things I've heard in a long while.

Luke was all about seeing Teenage Bottlerocket, as they hail from his hometown of Laramie, so I stuck around. I don't remember them rocking my world when they came through last time with the Copyrights and Unlovables, and I'm almost positive they were not good at the show at Knit with Chixdiggit, but they sure kicked my ass from note one to note last this time around. Wow-ee!! More hooks than a tackle box and a gang of song-along choruses that rival their aforementioned touring partners. It was a good move snapping up that guy from the Lillingtons. It fleshes out the sound a bit and while I would say that I prefer Ray's songs, Teenage Bottlerocket are a great fucking time. The Poison cover is a slippery slope, but it shouldn't keep you from snapping all their records up stat. They just dropped a new one called They Came From The Shadows on Fat that I haven't heard, but will soon be rectifying that situation. Look for a review soon but in the interim do whatever you need to to see Teenage Bottlerocket. Them boys kick some serious ass. Thanks to Luke for coming out, too!

R

Live: Jon Snodgrass, Austin Lucas and Two Cow Garage @ Mercury Lounge 8.16.9

I had been waiting for this day for a long time. Save for the Copyrights / Unlovables / Dear Landlord show earlier this year, there are few shows that even come close to comparing to this Suburban Home curated tour.

Through the good graces of Tony Weinbender and Mr. Jon Snodgrass, I arrived to find my name on the list, along with a partially filled room. Two Cow Garage started the proceedings soon after the arrival of the Bros. Johnson, sometime around the 8:30 hour. The band was touring in their four-piece incarnation with keys. Reports from the Albany shows at Valentines were that the boys weren't fucking around, but even I was surprised about how hard the Buckeyes were bringing it. Micah seems to have embraced an Against Me! fashion sense, but sartorial elan aside, there are few roots rockers that can bring that level of energy to a not-especially-full room. I'm not sure when Two Cow are going to catch on here in town, but it can't come soon enough. There are no bands that even come close in this burgh.

Two Cow left after 40 minutes or so, warning that they'd be back later on in the set. Austin and Jon took the stage in short order, swapping songs back and forth for about an hour. Snodgrass had flown in straight from a wedding, but was his usual infatiguably pleasant self. The mutual admiration session was in full effect. If there is a more gracious, humble duo of drink-cadging singers, I've yet to see them. The vibe was infectious. I'm sure the free-flowing alcohol helped, but there was no shortage of smiles in the room after the set.

Two Cow returned after a short break to back up Austin for a couple songs. While I love both parties, I'm not sure it was the best musical combo. The Spartan Lucas arrangements need a little more subtlety from where I was drinking, but the combination was far from a bad one. We were treated to some classic Snodgrass heckling, as well. Jon joined the crew soon enough and bashed out a handful of tunes. Bizarrely, the cover of The Schemers classic Remember My Name that Two Cow and Jon recorded for Visitor's Band did not make an appearance, but it was the first night the bands were together, so I guess people in parts North and West will be the only ones that get that pleasure. While the omission was a mild disappointment, you couldn't have gotten the smile off my face with a crowbar afterward. Kudos to Suburban Home for supporting great bands like Two Cow Garage as well as Austin Lucas and Jon Snodgrass. The rest of the dates are below. Frankly (Mr./Ms. Shankly) you would be an idiot if you missed them.

R

8/18/2009 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas Buy Tickets
8/19/2009 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas
8/20/2009 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom (Small) w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas Buy Tickets
8/21/2009 Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas
8/22/2009 Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar (Bermuda Mohawk Festival) w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas
8/23/2009 Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas Buy Tickets
8/24/2009 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas Buy Tickets
8/25/2009 Madison, WI @ High Noon w/ Two Cow Garage and Austin Lucas Buy Tickets

Suburban Home Tour @ Mercury Lounge: This Sunday 8.16

I am as giddy as a schoolgirl to remind you all that what I'm calling the Monsters Of Suburban Home (MOSH!) tour is coming through town on Sunday. Featuring Two Cow Garage and Jon Snodgrass, along with the mighty Austin Lucas, I haven't been this excited for a show in a long time. I guess I should point out to the uninitiated that there should be no moshing whatsoever, even if the kids today are idiots that will shove their partners around to Celine Dion. The focus of the proceedings on Sunday should be songs, and damn good ones. My fantasy is that Two Cow will be backing Jon and Austin, but regardless of my stats pro leanings, this should be a hell of a great night. While I loathe the movie it references, I truly celebrate the entire Suburban Home catalog. See you front and center on Sunday!

R

Jon Snodgrass and Cory Branan widget

Hey Kids:

Wonderfully enough, the good folk of Suburban Home have provided a widget so you can hear the stellar new Jon Snodgrass / Cory Branan split. Look for a review tomorrow, but in the interim, check the awesomeness out below.

R

Cory Branan and Jon Snodgrass split cd

Before I get off track, let me first say that this Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split record is something you should pickup immediately. Both Cory and Jon are great guys and ridiculously talented singer / songwriters and Virgil and the rest of the kids at Suburban Home should be lauded heavily for all the ridiculously great records they release on the regular.

That said, what the fuck is the deal with all this animal iconography lately?!!? I'm all for totems and/or spirit animals and thought those shirts were pretty funny last century when I used to tour, but really kids? Do we need a fucking ironic eagle or cobra on the cover? I would argue no. Vociferously.

Were Snodgrass and Branan not to be the artists on this little slab of delight, I would rain bile on it ad infinitum. Wonderfully, the songs more than make up for the exceedingly ridiculous artwork. There are a couple covers and three originals from each of the gents. I'd say Branan edges out Snodgrass by a hair, but it's damn close. I think it's really only the fact that Jon dropped a solo record recently that gives him the edge. All the songs are pretty top-notch, with Branan's Yeah, So what! topping the list. That boy is trouble, personally and professionally. I wouldn't introduce him to my girlfriend, but I'd travel a real long distance to see him (or Jon) play live.

Bizarrely, this is only available on vinyl and cassette. I guess wax cylinders were unavailable, but I would venture that there must be some digital approximation of this stuff to be had. Pick up the record here and find Snodgrass and Branan through the highlighted links.

R