The Snake The Cross The Crown

The Snake The Cross The Crown

It's time for me to 'fess up. I've been sitting on these guys for more then 6 months. To tell you the truth I thought they we just too fucking good to share. I'm sorry. I'm greedy.  

The Snake The Cross The Crown out of Huntsville, Alabama began as a Emo/Electro Pop near disaster recording their first LP and EP under the name Curbside Service. On tour the band began to dislike their own material and in a seldom seen change for the better completely reinvented themselves as The Snake The Cross The Crown. The band moved to Santa Barbara, California,  rented a house together, and recorded two of the most powerful albums in recent memory Mander Salis and the amazing Cotton Teeth. Drawing from influences such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Band, and Louis Armstrong to name a few, TSTCTC makes folk/country/indie music meant to change your life in one easy listen. The first time I heard "Behold The River" I nearly cried for all the things the bittersweet ballad reminded of. They pull all of this off with such grace, melody, and rhythm that it is truly hard to ignore. 

I cannot more highly recommend downloading the five free tracks The Snake The Cross The Crown offer to us on thier Purevolume page. When you do however just turn down the lights, sit back, and breath for all the things we've lost and all the things we will. 

P.S.  God I love the banjo.

Myspace

PureVolume

Label

Atmosphere "Free Music Stub"

Atmosphere

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Hip-Hop/Soul/Funk/Good Shit

Okay. Seriously, if you don't know Atmosphere just, just go. 

I'd call Atmosphere the Catcher in the Rye of Hip-Hop. Before I heard "Seven's Travels" I was like the rest of the "Rap is gay" crowd but after one listen my mind was opened up to great big world of "Rap that's not gay." Just check it out, it's the best Hip-hop you'll hear in the next twenty minutes. Anyway, I know all this is easily found on Atmosphere's Myspace but I thought "Hey, I really should hotlink all this shit and get some page hits" so here and hear. Buy the new album called "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold" and download:

Strickly Leakage (Atmosphere's free online album)

Free tracks off of:

Bad Clown Sad Fall 9: "Sunshine" 

Bad Clown Sad Summer 10: "Lyndale Avenue User's Manual"

Bad Clown Sad Winter 11: "Don't Stop"

and

"Shoulda Known" off of the new album When life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.

Anyway, check out the Rhymesayers (Atmosphere's Label) catalogue and, even though I'm all about the free music, buy something. May I suggest Seven's Travels?

Rhymesayers 

Myspace

Neva Dinova

Neva Dinova

Omaha, Nebraska

(Folk/Rock)

The Scene: SXSW 2008 and I have the extraordinary ill luck to be sick as shit. Aimlessly meandering on one of those nights, slightly grouchy (Probably from the lack of either medicine or alcohol in my system) I wander into Emo's Jr. and happen upon the very end of the set by a band called Neva Dinova.  Immediately I was hooked into a song that I couldn't tell you then name of even if I tried to remember but in the good kinda way. Caught up in the unfailing coolness of the track (And overwhelming need to either pee or vomit) I now regret not going up and shaking that young man's hand but as we know, So it goes.

Now if ever one was in need of composing a mix of "Songs To Kill Thyself To" that list would undoubtedly be dominated by two bands: Bright Eyes and The Cure (Unless of course you're 12 then My Chemical Romance might rear it's ugly head) but hear this, for a newcomer should join that list and that newcomer should be flamingly obvious to you. Neva Dinova composes music that makes me think "Bright Eyes: Plugged in for the first time", While not sparse tracks like "Cloud" sound... selective and very intentional all while not letting you realize it. Now Lucky for us the Neva Dinova and Bright Eyes collaborated on a split EP entitled "One Jug Of Wine, Two Vessels" that when one of my humble readers purchases and sends to me :) will undoubtedly force my and many others premature death's via the virture of sadness. The EP and the band's signing to Saddle Creek records suddenly thrust the band into a spotlight that helped it produce some of it's best work to date.

Get several free tracks from the band's

Myspace

Purevolume

and a Punknews review of One Jug Of Wine, Two Vessels