EPISODE 3

EPISODE 3: "You know those guitars that are like 
DOUBLE guitars?!"

Song: '100%'
Artist: The Slew
Album: 100% (2009)
Label: Independent/Ninja Tune

Our tonesetter for an especially Hard-Rockin’ and to a lesser extent Hard-Folkin’ Snob Cast 03 sounds exactly like Kid Koala and Wolfmother because it IS Kid Koala and Wolfmother. Your mom’s favorite muppet-lovin’ DJ and 4th grade York Region supply teacher was commissioned to do some documentary scoring work until the project tanked , so he called the recently befriended Wolfmother rhythm section to take what he had on the road. The record was a Slew tour-only release for a while, and then a free download on Koala’s website until November 1st when the kind folks at Ninja Tune (still out there) offered to relieve his server of the strain and the album of its freeness. Though it’s still (unofficially, wink) available both ways, having a collection of the sorta getaway grinders the Kid was testing on his last LP (Wrong Side of the Tracks appeared there and at a few Music Snob Nights, if I recall) might almost be worth paying for. C’mon. Amon Tobin’s gotta eat. [PS – Thanks to esteemed znob and lucidor Cash Money Hustle for the tip. Good lookin’ out, Money!] 

Song: 'Flame'
Artist: Sebadoh
Album: The Sebadoh (1999)
Label: Sub Pop/Sire

Sebadoh's frontman Lou Barlow could very well be the indie rock poster boy for the 90's. Orignally the bass player for Dinosaur Jr., he has also fronted other critically acclaimed indie outfits, Folk Implosion and Sentridoh. Sebadoh have often been credited as helping to pioneer the lo-fi indie movement of the '90s, winning fans all over the country including a Mr. Kurt Cobain (who even rocked a Sebadoh shirt in an early '90s Nirvana photoshoot!) 

Song: 'Be Back Soon'
Artist: Woodhands
Album: Heart Attack (2008)
Label: Paper Bag 

Another southern Ontario twosome featured here on the snob cast, Woodhands consists of Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt and are based out of Toronto. Heart Attack itself is coined as indietronica and the guys claim to have wanted that immediacy of emotion and that urgency of not being able to hold something in. Their live performance is just as intense, hitting their audiences with a 'no holding back' mentality Woodhands is by far worth checking out and are worth keeping an eye on for future releases. 

Song: 'Boston'
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Album: Vampire Weekend (2008)
Label: XL

It seems like this album has been on nearly EVERYONE'S 'top __ lists'. It's by far one of the most originally unique sounding discs i've heard in a long time. Fusing afro-beat indie rock stylings complete with steel drums, these Columbia university preppy punks, rocking their Dockers shorts and Burberry scarves came out of a group of bands hailing from the East coast and were the first to break thru into the mainstream. Future snob casts will definitely include their friends & counterparts Ra Ra Riot, so be ready. 

Song: 'C'mon, C'mon'
Artist: The Von Bondies
Album: Pawn Shoppe Heart (2004)
Label: Sire

I first came across the Von Bondies a few years back after all the media hoopla concerning a fight that broke out between the singer Jason Stollsteimer & White Stripes' Jack White, where White punched the Von Bondies singer square in the face after an argument over production rights. Nonetheless, if their intent was to gain some recognition and get their name in the spotlight, it worked. This jam is just a fun upbeat Detroit garage rock gem that will keep yo' feet moving, guaranteed. 

Song: 'Cassius'
Artist: Foals
Album: Antidotes (2008)
Label: Transgressive (UK) / Sub Pop (US)

“Cassius it’s over! Cassius away! Cassius these daydreams, these daydreams, Ok! Cassius an accident! Cassius an accident! ACCIDENT! ACCIDENT! ACCIDENT!” YYYYEEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!!! (Watch for the new album in 2010). 

Song: 'Computer Camp Love'
Artist: Datarock
Album: Datarock (2007)
Label: Young Aspiring Professionals

So, apparently to review this track properly, I’d really have to see ‘Revenge of the Nerds’, which is great because all I needed was one more excuse. For now all I can tell you is that this track’s awesomeness need only be measured in its public school marching band accompanied video, its march-in-place-ability, the way Frederik pronounces “Judy”, and the number of times I’ve given this track to distant friends only to discover upon visiting that it has become a social-circle-wide word for word sing along ritual (once is enough). For these things and the Red-Track-Suit-And-SnowBlinders-Band-Uniform, the band is one of my Norwegian favorites, and joins this week’s continuing theme of great bands who have brand new records out this year (M. Ward, Von Bondies) from whom we are nevertheless playing nothing but back catalog. 

Song: 'Coney Island'
Artist: Good Old War
Album: Only Way To Be Alone (2009)
Label: Sargent House

I came across Good Old War by way of 2 of the members former band Days Away. Having always been a big fan of their sound in D.A, I happened across this new project which provides more of a folky-vibe, being all acoustic. At first listen you can hear some Simon & Garfunkel-esque influences but when stripped down, these guys just write flat out fantastic songs. Catchy acoustic hooks that feel like they'd play out well around a starry summer night campfire.

Song: 'Dead Man'
Artist: M. Ward
Album: Transfiguration Of Vincent (2003)
Label: Merge/Matador

Dead Man was the first M. Ward song I ever heard. It was the tune used in the trailer to UK indie revenge romp “Dead Man’s Shoes” (definitely worth a watch – the trailer if not the whole flick), and pulled me into a long drawn-out search for whoever could have made something that raw yet restrained – so crippling and so light. I was bitten by the freak-folk-fly. Soon I’d learn that this was record three in what would turn out to be (to date) 7 LPs, not including popular Zooey Deschanel collaboration “She and Him”, and Bright Eyes / My Morning Jacket Supergroup collaboration “Monsters of Folk”. The last two records are especially excellent (Hold Time, maybe his most ambitiously realized, elaborate record was out this year), but since this was the song that started it all for me, here’s hoping it did the same for you. 

Song: 'Sweet Disposition'
Artist: The Temper Trap
Album: Conditions (2009)
Label: Liberation Music

This single started showing up this past summer, promising a forthcoming album with smarts enough to limit its nostalgic access to parts of late 80’s Eno-rock, without carrying forward into contendership for “The Next U2”… or what is it now? The “Next Coldplay”? It’s a unique trick that has served The Temper Trap very well on “Conditions”, finally released late October. Personally, I could listen to the immaculately controlled blending of the falsettoed harmonies floating on top of Joshua Tree’d arpeggios all damn day, and not ask or expect anything more, but there is more. It’s nice to find rock that works when anthemic for the right reasons, again. Happily purchased. 

Song: 'Ion Square'
Artist: Bloc Party
Album: Intimacy (2008)
Label: Wichita/Atlantic

Being the huge Bloc Party fan that I am, when i first heard this latest disc I was a little thrown back. Instead of their last 2 album's indie lo-fi feel, they traded it in for a more electronic based vibe, almost along the lines of the remix version of their debut album, Silent Alarm. Ion Square is the closer on Intimacy and although hesitant on the rest of the album at first, this song instantly blew me away. It provides a good mix of their early material type melodies with their new electronic influences that blends perfectly. Speaking from a personal level, this jam sounded fantastic live aswell, which always counts for something. 

Song: 'What Would I Want? Sky'
Artist: Animal Collective
Album: Fall Be Kind EP(2009)
Label: Domino

We know, we know – besides playing Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend in the same cast, this is the second of three Snob Casts to end with an Animal Collective song. Well, to that, I make 3 replies: First, get your own pod cast. Second, we almost played Phoenix AND Grizzly Bear, too, and Third – while it is not an official policy to end the Snob Cast with an AC track (yet), neither is it a policy to not end each Snob Cast with one (…yet). Friends again? Good. The new EP is glorious – it had to be played before the end of the “year they helped define” (to quote pretty much everyone). Anyone whose mind was quite rightly blown all over the mess by Merriweather Post Pavillion (see Snob Cast One / any best of 2009 or the decade list) should add this to that playlist. Oh, and one more thing – that pan flute jig in Graze? They’re serious.