Somewhere between the quirky pop sensibility of Mull Historical Society and the actual insanity of The Fiery Furnaces‘ “Blueberry Boat” lies the work of Thorir Bogason, otherwise known as Just Another Snake Cult. I wasn’t aware that there were particularly many snake cults still around these days, but I’m delighted that there’s another one. Sometimes music just makes you grin like an idiot.
Born in Iceland (Maybe it’s something in the water? Bjork’s pretty cuckoo, right?) but raised in California, Thorir has been playing in bands since he was in middle school. Things kicked off properly back in 2001, when he founded Monsters From Mars. I had a listen to them, and can confirm that they’re pretty nuts, too. He’s also played in friend Tyler Martin’s band, James Rabbit. Not quite as nuts, but equally not not nuts. If that makes sense.
A couple of years ago, he headed back to the four-hour “days” of an Icelandic winter to knock together an album under the Just Another Snake Cult name. Question: What do you do with twenty-hour nights? Answer: Record a lot of instruments single-handedly, apparently. Then get them released by Brak Records as an album, “The Dionysian Season”. It’s available at a very reasonable price over at his Bandcamp, and an even more reasonable price on Mediafire.
Thorir says he wants to be a “one-man Wall-of-Sound”. It’s a noble ambition, and I have to hand it to him: he’s pretty much managed it. Other than Phil Spector, his influences are … well, they’re extensive. A quick selection: The Magnetic Fields, Dexys Midnight Runners, Chumbawumba, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Of Montreal. You get the picture. The real point, though, is that his music is insanely catchy, upbeat, and totally convincing. Every single track is dripping with enthusiasm.
He’s currently off on tour with James Rabbit and iji, and has knocked together an EP’s worth of demos, “Ghosts”, for distribution along the way. I urge, urge, urge you to check it out over on Bandcamp. Besides, you can name your price. Or you can check out a couple of tracks below. “I Know She Does” even has a video, and keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming split 7″ release of a reworked “Cupid Makes A Fool Out Of Me”.
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Just Another Snake Cult – “I Know She Does”
Just Another Snake Cult – “Lovers Never Die”
Just Another Snake Cult – “Cupid Makes a Fool Out of Me”
