Search - Black Eyed Snakes :: It's the Black Eyed Snakes

A side project from Low guitarist-vocalist Alan Sparhawk, the Black Eyed Snakes don't deliver dreamy acoustics--they're are a rock & roll act through and through. With Sparhawk as the singing ax man again, Brad Nelson on drums, and Bobby Olson on guitar, the Snakes are one down and dirty punk-blues act. For fans of bands like the White Stripes, Zen Guerrilla, and the Immortal Lee County Killers, the Snakes speed through garage blues, turning the distortion high on both the guitars and the snarly vocals. On their debut CD, they deliver five originals, four covers, and one song Low fans have probably heard before (a much quieter version of "Lordy" appeared on the Low/Dirty Three In the Fishtank CD). The covers are impressively varied; Moby's "Honey," the Fall's "My New House," and Muddy Waters's classic "Mannish Boy" are all twisted into sweaty Snakes stompers. The final song, "Cheerios on the Floor," lightens the mood a little, but overall, It's the Black Eyed Snakes is a superbly intense record that shakes with just the right amount of insane energy to deliver the blues with a volatile new edge. --Jennifer Maerz