Don’t let their name fool you. The Nashville based punk band Snõõper are set to release an onslaught of haphazard, furious, and downright wild songs as part of their debut release Super Snõõper, available this Friday via Jack White’s label, Third Man Records.
Snõõper began as a collaboration between local Nashville punk mainstay Connor Cummins (Spodee Boy and Safety Net) and Blair Tramel, an early education teacher with a penchant for visual art and theatrics, back in 2019. They’ve since added drummer Cam Sarrett, bassist Happy Haugen, and Ian Teeple (Silicone Priarie) on guitar. Prior to their forthcoming full length, they released 2020’s Music For Spies, the Snõõper EP in 2021, and last year’s Town Topic EP. These earlier recordings showcase their style of breakneck speed punk rock.
Super Snõõper features a cohesion of anarchy and eclecticism that is both precise and skillful. The bands’ first album is sixteen tracks of relentless energy, gripping your attention both sonically and temporally (each track, minus the album’s closer “Running”, clocks in at under two minutes). Though the album zips by, you still feel connected to Snõõper‘s sound, like a mustang that blows your doors off on the freeway, yet somehow scoops you up, and takes you along for the joyride.
I thoroughly enjoyed Snõõper‘s use of sporadic samples and pre-recorded radio bits and spoken word segments. It gives off that late night, flipping through cable television channels, vibe. Blair’s vocals and lyrics are fiendish, even silly at times, and perfectly suited against the volley of distorted guitars that vibrate throughout the album. Standouts for me during my first listen include the charming, insectoid based tracks “Bed Bugs” and “Fruit Fly.” The singles “Powerball”, “Fitness”, and “Pod” are already staples in Snõõper‘s catalog; catch their wonderfully wacky music videos for each of the tracks on the Harakiri Diat punk archive YouTube channel.
Snõõper is a unique band, to say the least. As a frequent show goer and ex-DIY punk guitarist, the album does their live show justice. I highly suggest you catch the band in person as they head to Southern Californa for a few gigs this weekend. Pitchfork named Super Snõõper a top anticipated album of 2023, and even hardcore legend Henry Rollins had this to say about the record: “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. This is a really cool record.”
Super Snõõper is out on July 14th. Listen to the latest single, “Powerball“, below:
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