One of my close friends, Tyler Martin, has a band called James Rabbit.

I met Tyler at UC Santa Cruz. We’d talk about music and bedroom recording and for a bit played together in a band called Nicky and His Dreamers. After college Tyler moved into an old, half-condemned house on Blackburn St nicknamed The Crystal Palace (after the sheets of glass our friend Jamie Burkart once lined it with). The talent pouring from that house was amazing. For a couple years I lived in the house and played with the band. It was one of the best times in my life. As much as I grow as a musician, the talent coming out of James Rabbit is always leagues ahead of me, always blowing my mind, always setting an impossible standard.

Since starting the band when he was a 16-year-old high school student in Fresno, CA he has released over 60 full-length, incredibly imaginative, weird, and catchy-as-all-hell indie-pop albums. Yes, over sixty. Are they all good? Well, many of them were released in such limited runs that they’re no longer available. But if you want to get a sense, you’re in luck because they just released their first greatest hits collection, entitled Express.

Download Express for free now.

To kick things off, The Line of Best Fit dubbed Just Another Snake Cult among the Iceland Airwaves: Five bands you must see:

[...] mixes Brian Wilson with Ariel Pink and comes up with something truly compelling and original. Just Another Snake Cult’s sound pulls off that rare and peculiar trick of balancing the right influences with just enough originality to blow minds and capture hearts. We like this a lot.

KEXP Session at KEX Hostel (photo: Michael Matynka)

Our first show of the week was a live session for KEXP Seattle at KEX Hostel, where our “big group played an endearingly ramshackle set [...] with just about any instrument you could find.” Check out more of the nice things they have to say and great photos on their blog. The stage sound was a little difficult (low resonances, feedback — stuff that comes with the territory of being a nine-person band), but the recording quality is fantastic. You can listen to our entire set at our KEXP session archive.

This was followed by a string of off-venue performances. At Barbara there was no backline at all, so we performed acoustic without Ási our drummer and had a great time of it. At Reykjavík Backpackers the mixer powering their sound system was on the fritz — it took half our set before we’d shook enough dust out of the thing that all the channels came through. But again, we had fun. At Kaffistofan the jerry-rigged P.A. didn’t look promising, but it held up and to our surprise the sound was great.

Amsterdam on-venue (photo: Magnús Andersen)

At this point we were looking forward to playing a real venue, with decent sound. The sound check at Amsterdam was a little disconcerting as a number of the power outlets on the stage were dead, they still needed to round up another D.I., and there wasn’t room for all of us actually on stage. Nonetheless, we managed to get a good sound. By the time we hit the stage that night though, all the mixing board settings from soundcheck had been tossed, one of the monitors was dead, nothing came through right, there weren’t enough working channels left on the board for the band, and between each song the sound guy ran up to tell us that something new had crapped out.  We made the best of it.  In their review, the Reykjavík Grapevine noted that we left “the audience to endure a 10-minute sound check,” but that then “the keyboard and guitar drove the North English sound along, with the saxophone laying down some fine grooves. Quite fitting music for a small venue like Amsterdam, and the crowd was more than happy to stomp along to it.” Stereogum has assured me that their scathing review of an unnamed Icelandic band was not directed towards us.

The Line of Best Fit (photo: Sébastien Dehesdin)

Sunday was the longest day — traveling around Reykjavík (and Mosfells) with a gang from La Blogothèque recording song after song for an extended Take Away Show. In between we fit in a cold and windy roof-top session for The Line of Best Fit.  It was really fun working with them both.  I can’t wait to see video from all three–La Blogotheque, The Line of Best Fit, and KEXP.  Will post them as they come!

Our intensive schedule didn’t leave much time or energy for show-going (let alone that seeing many bands entails either waiting in a queue for an hour or showing up hours early and waiting inside the venue) and so I missed out on a lot of bands that I would have liked to have seen. Of what I saw, the highlight of the festival was Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band. Her music (or specifically, her singing) is something that dares do something different. Was it good? I don’t know. But it burned itself onto my brain in a way music generally does not do. More music should strive to be so striking, and in such a human way. Couple that with like the coolest backing band ever — double-drummers (one of which was Greg Sonier of Deerhoof!), Sean Lennon, etc etc. It was pretty sweet. Tune-Yards even came on stage mid-set, which I have great footage of, but no steady internet connection to upload it.  The Reykjavík Grapevine actually has a good review of this show, if you’re still curious.

I don’t think I can give an overview of the foreign bands playing at Airwaves. Anyway, it’d be far more unbalanced and biased than my overview of the Icelandic bands. Instead I’ll just share with you what I’m going to do. Here’s my Thursday.

I’m going to see Kira Kira because I never have.

Then we’re heading over to Reykjavík Backpackers hostel and playing there (a little earlier than originally scheduled probably).

Then I’m going to bolt down to catch the Chimera Music acts at Harpa Norðurljós.

This show kicks off at 8PM with The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, which is a Sean Lennon psych-pop duo with a lady named Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Cooooool. I’ll probably miss this unfortunately.

They are followed by a band called Fig, which is a new project of Yuka C. Honda (Cibo Matto) and Nels Cline (Wilco). I don’t know more, but there’s a clip on their site that sounds cool. I’ll probably miss this as well.

Then comes Consortium Musicum at 10pm. This is what I most want to see at Airwaves this year. This is a noisy experimental duo between Greg Sonier (drummer of Deerhoof) and Sean Lennon. Bring your ear plugs. I’ll probably miss most if not all of this, unfortunately.

They’re followed by MI-GU, which is a band lead by the drummer from Cornelius and Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band.

And finally at 11:40pm comes Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band. Legendary. Doesn’t need any more description.

If you stay for Yoko Ono, you’re missing out on Yacht and Secret Chiefs 3 — all playing at the same time.

Yacht came out of a music scene I was really into for a while during my more formative years. Haven’t kept up on his stuff lately though.

Secret Chiefs 3 is an instrumental band with members from Mr Bungle, and I think that gives a pretty good guide to how they sound.

To help make some sense of it all I’ll attempt to introduce the acts I’m personally most interested in. I’ll start with the Icelandic bands since I’ve had the opportunity to see most of these already. I am in no way trying to be all-inclusive, this list is just based on what I am familiar with and appreciate.

On a side note, I personally recommend spending your days catching off-venue performances. It’s a lighter atmosphere — not pitch-black dark, not as loud (both the music and the roar of audience doing their best to be heard over it).  It’s a nice excuse to walk around downtown in the daytime. And in most cases there won’t be long lines. My experience from last year was that if you’re trying to catch a more popular band at a venue like Nasa or Iðnó, if you’re not in by 10pm or so, you’re probably going to be waiting in a long line for a long time in the frosty rain. So if you were hoping you could hop from venue to venue to catch all your favorite bands, think again. Most of the off-venue schedule consists of Icelandic bands, so it may be wise to catch as many of them as you can off-venue.

Also, it is Icelandic tradition to stay at home and get boozed up and then show up to shows late. This is unfortunate as many of the best bands are playing early, and often the bands playing around midnight are way over-hyped.

Without further adue,

Let me start by mentioning that members of Just Another Snake Cult are also in Sudden Weather Change, Markús and the Diversion Sessions, and The Heavy Experience. All of these bands have been working on new material, and I can hardly wait to hear the finished products. It’s all looking to be very promising.

And now in alphabetical order:

Bárujárn make dark music with searing surf-rock guitar.

Thursday, 21:40 @ Amsterdam*
Friday, 20:00 @ Bar 11**
Saturday, 20:30 @ Dillon**

Berndsen does 80s throwback synthpop pop. Reminds me of Duran Duran or Aha.
Wednesday 16:00 @ Hressingarskálinn**
Friday i8 house party**
Saturday 21:40 @ Nasa*

Fist Fokkers is some sort of punk/power violence duo that remind me of XBXRX. They are a testiment to the adage, sometimes big things come in little packages.

Thursday, 23:30 @ Amsterdam*

Gang Related is an alternative/beach pop band with loud guitars and fuzzed out bass. It may be freezing outside, but these guys will still be cranking out the summer jams.

Friday, 19:10 @ Amsterdam*

Hermigervill does some really cool retro electronic music stuff. His last two albums combine Icelandic classics (mostly oldies) with vintage synthesizers, and to great effect. To top it off, he plays theremin. Expect a really great vibe.

Friday, @ i8 house party**
Saturday, 23:00 @ Faktorý Downstairs*
Sunday, 20:00 @ Nasa*

Just Another Snake Cult … well that’s us!

Wednesday, 16:00 @ KEX**
Wednesday, 19:30 @ Barbara**
Thursday, 22:00 @ Rekjavik Backpackers**
Friday, 16:00 @ Kaffistofan**
Friday, 01:10 @ Amsterdam*

Kira Kira falls under the label “krútt” or twee or cutesy ala Múm (I think they share(d) drummers?), Sigur Rós, Amiina, etc. Should be of interest to lovers of Icelandic export music.

Thursday, 19:00 @ Fríkirkjan*

Lay Low plays some good ole’ Patsy Cline-style country blues.

Thursday 17:00 @ Reyakjvík Downtown Hostel**
Thurdsay 18:30 @ KEX Hostel**
Thursday 20:30 @ Barbara**
Thurdsay 23:20 @ Glaumbar*
Friday 21:40 @ Iðnó*

Markús and the Diversion Sessions is a really talented singer-songwriter and his backup band, which includes female back-up singers and a horn section.

Wednesday, 23:20 @ Harpa Kaldalón*
Saturday, 17:00 @ Kormákur og Sjöldur**

Mr Silla is members from a lot of Reykjavík bands (Múm, Seabear, Kimono, …) doing a sort of 90s girl-rocker thing.

Thursday 22:30 @ Amsterdam*

Mugison I’ve had an Icelandic friend describe as “cute blues,” which if that sounds meaningless just goes to show how useless the Icelandic concept of “krútt” is to people with foreign musical upbringings. Mugison is known abroad though, and for reason, he’s a great songwriter, singer, and performer.

Thursday, 17:00 @ KEX Hostel**
Friday, 21:40 @ Harpa Norðurljós*

Damn, only half-way through my list.

Ojba Rasta. If you’d told me two years ago I’d be digging a reggae band I’d have given you a skeptical look. What won me over is that here is a really tight band with catchy songs, fun energy, a live dub-master keeping the chaos in balance.

Wednesday, 00:00 Faktorý Main

Orphic Oxtra is a 13-person balkan folk inspired ensemble. They can be really fun.

Wednesday 20:00 @ Nasa*
Thursday 12:00 @ Munnharpan**
Saturday 14:45 @ Norræna Húsið**
Sunday 20:00 @ Gaukur á Stöng*

Retro Stefson is a fun band mixing all sorts of pop music with an energetic live show.

Wednesday 17:00 @ Hessingaskálinn**
Wednesday 20:30 @ KEX Hostel*
Thursday 22:00 @ Listasafn*
Friday 18:00 @ Kormákur og Skjöldur**
Sunday 22:00 @ Nasa*

Samaris is a cool electronic music tríó, which includes a clarinet player and the singer from Pascal Pinon. They just released their debut EP.

Wednesday 18:30 @ KEX**
Wednesday 19:30 @ Kaffistofan
Saturday 16:00 @ Reykjavík Downtown Hostel**

Sin Fang is Iceland’s rising star of indie-pop. Started as a side-project of Seabear’s singer but quickly grew to be a band of its own.

Thursday 18:00 @ Hressingaskálinn**
Thursday 23:20 @ Iðnó*

Snorri Helgason does a really good job doing indie-folk grooning ala Fleet Foxes.

Wednesday 00:10 @ Harpa Kaldalón*
Thursday 00:10 @ Glaumbar*
Friday i8 hour party**
Saturday 15:00 @ Reykjavík Downtown Hostel**
Saturday 18:00 @ Kormákur og Skjöldur**
Sunday 18:30 @ KEX**

Sudden Weather Change is a loud indie rock band with lots of guitars and singers.

Saturday, 17:00 @ KEX Hostel**
Saturday, 01:00 @ Iðnó*

The Heavy Experience is what is says it is. It’s slow and broading, with some twang and, of course, saxophone!

Sunday, 21:00 @ Amsterdam*

Útidúr is a large band playing Beirut type stuff.

Friday 15:00 @ Reykjavík Backpackers**
Friday 01:20 @ Iðnó* (note: this is the same time as us.)
Saturday 17:00 @ Reykjavík Downtown Hostel**

* On-venue (festival pass required)
** Off-venue (free admitance, no pass required)

Part 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?94391drwc1rd7w2
Part 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?zzzcy7v0ke1t8vq
Part 3: http://www.mediafire.com/?ht2kv86ak2bl22v
Part 4: http://www.mediafire.com/?lm0uekvtg7q38rq

http://www.mediafire.com/?ht2kv86ak2bl22v

Jason Crest – “A Place in the Sun” – The Collected Works of Jason Crest are suuuuuper lo-fi.  The band was never successful.  Some of the songs are nice.

The Zombies – “Beechwood Park” — Also from Odyssey and Oracle.

Sagittarius – “The Truth is Not Real” — Also from Present Tense.

White Noise – “Love Without Sound” — Also from Electric Storm.

Beach Boys – “Wind Chimes” — Also from the Smile sessions.

The Association – “Never My Love” — I find most of their other songs hard to stand, but this one is absolutely beautiful.

Chamaeleon Church – “Come Into Your Life” — Chevy Chase played drums and keyboards in this psych pop band.  This group is on both the goofy and soft side.

Beach Boys – “Never Learn Not to Love” — The Beach Boys cover of the Charles Manson song “Cease to Exist.”

Will post the 4th and final part shortly.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zzzcy7v0ke1t8vq

Spanky & Our Gang – “Lazy Day”

Flower Pot Men – “Lets Go to San Francisco” — This song is nearly a perfect specimen.  Once upon a time I tried to dissect it.  Those little bass lines are so cool.

The Zombies – “Hung Up on a Dream” — From the Odyssey and Oracle album.  Hard to believe this band called it quits because they weren’t getting anywhere with it.

Billy Nicholls – “Would You Believe?” – From Would You Believe?, a British attempt at taking on Pet Sounds.  Much more a rock album though.

Left Banke – “Pretty Ballerina” — The Left Banke are referred to as “baroque pop” for their use of harpsichords and older scale modes.  Great schitzophrenic use of falsetto in this song.

Beach Boys – “God Only Knows” — Brian Wilson song (with Carl singing lead) from Pet Sounds.

Curt Boettcher – “Another Time” (demo) — Another version of this song appears on the Sagittarius Present Tense album.

Justin Heathcliff – “You Know What I Mean” – Psych from Japan.

Tinkerbells Fairydust – “Marjorine”

Beach Boys – “Little Bird” — A Dennis Wilson track.

My original intention for Just Another Snake Cult was to recapture the weird awesomeness I’d heard on these 60s psych sunshine pop recordings. I didn’t end up following through on it.

Despite psychedelic pop playing a huge role in the story of rock music — I mean, how many bands today lay claim to the genre “psychedelic pop”.. uh, just about any rock band with a flute or 60s song structures (well, maybe people just use the term because it’s less dorky than calling yourself an oldies band ) — it’s not exactly easy to find.

So I spent some time digging, reading blogs, etc. searching out more and more of this obscure yet nonetheless phenomenal stuff. I present here a playlist that highlights some of the best I found while still trying to represent the range of artists.  I’m posting it here to perhaps revive some interest in this music, and in part to close a chapter in my life.  I’ve split it into four parts.

Part 1 of 4:

http://www.mediafire.com/?94391drwc1rd7w2

Sagittarius – “My World Fell Down” (single version) — Sagittarius was a studio project of Curt Boetcher, a producer and leading purveyor of the genre. Was the mastermind behind a number of bands including The Millennium. His harmony style influenced the Mamas and Papas. This single version has a music concret break in the middle! The album, Present Tense, is worth listening to in its entirety.

White Noise – “Your Hidden Dreams” — From an early experimental electronic music album, Electric Storm, by a classically trained American, David Vorhaus, with contributions from BBC Radiophonic Workshop composers Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson.

Charles Manson – “I’ll Never Say Never to Always” — An acapella version sung by the Manson girls. Charles Manson’s songwriting was often inspired, though most of the recorded output is very rough and hard to listen to. This is one of his many songs inviting beautiful women to join the Manson family in compound in death valley where they would hide underground as the soon to break-out race war engulfed what they saw as a violent and environmentally-destructive civilization.

The Beach Boys – “You’re Welcome” — One of Brian Wilson’s jams from the extremely drawn-out and expensive studio sessions for the never-to-see-the-light Pet Sounds follow-up, Smile. The original, unfinished, Smile is available in various bootleg formats and is worth having.

Tinkerbells Fairdust – “Twenty Ten” — From their debut self-titled album. By 1969 it was maybe three years too late to be notable, but forty years later who cares. This album really grew on me.  It’s lo-fi, soulful-leaning psych pop with lots of covers.

The Flower Pot Men – “Mythological Sunday”

The Millennium – “Prelude” — The intro to their album, “Magic Time.” The album is a little soft/smooth for my tastes, but it starts off with an impossibly big drum break for the time period. Why isn’t this sampled more often?

Harry Nilsson – “Me and My Arrow” — Nilsson, friend of the Beatles, produced albums in a range of styles. This is from his 1971 narrative psych pop album, The Point.

The End – “Shades of Orange” — Their album, Introspection, is pretty good. Talented band, quality production. It was produced by the bassist from the Rolling Stones. But I guess at the time it was bad timing and so it never saw the light of day.

The Beach Boys – “Bicycle Rider Theme” — Also from the Smile sessions.

The Beatles – “Because”

Will post parts 2-4 shortly.

Everybody who performed, spoke, etc. was at their top. The highlights for me were Múm, Sin Fang, Prins Póló, Reykjavík!, but like I said, if I were to list everybody who was great last night, it would be an exhaustive list.

I took some photos:

Hey, here’s a 7″ that I did with one of my previous projects.  Monsters From Mars is a surf/garage band that I started with my friend Scott in San Diego, CA way back in 2001.  Lots of tremolo picking and reverb.  On the B side we cover the Britney Spear song, Toxic, and the Joe Meek classic, Telstar.  We recorded this all analog on Scott’s Fostex reel-to-reel, but then I ended up mixing it digitally.  Still, straight to tape has a nice sound, especially what it does the to cymbals.

1. Escape From Castle Wolfenstein
2. Driving the Monkey to the Airport
3. Toxic
4. Telstar

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?stsblrblz5nb9ot

If you want to own a vinyl copy, or simply believe in supporting music that you appreciate, then email scott william jones at gmail dot com and he’ll send you a copy for $4 + shipping.