Band To Watch :: Snowman

My first hearing of Australian based band, Snowman, was on their myspace page. The first song up didn't do much for me, just a tad too much screaming instead of singing in "Swimming With Sharks". BUT the next song, "You Are A Casino", does unexpected things with a twangy spaghetti western guitar, big booming drums and an impressive hair metal screech. Yeah, that sounds kind of schizoid, doesn't it? Maybe it is, it's also the catchiest damn piece of music I've heard from a band I'd never heard of before over the past 12 months. And the good news, if that wasn't good enough, is the next song streaming on their myspace, "Smoke And Mirrors" slinks along with an inspired spaghetti western feel, from the opening mariachi trumpet line to the, once more, Morricone style guitar twang and it's all capped off with what you could say is a soft spoken vocal, not unlike Clint Eastwood (the King of Spaghetti Westerns), which does rise into a raging near incoherence at times. Comprised of four members from four separate nations, the band of Englishman Joe McKee (Guitar, vocals, harmonica, theremin, trumpet, piano, keys, percussion, samples), Indonesian Andy Citawarman (Vocals, guitar, violin, piano, keys, percussion), Icelander Olga Hermanniusson (Bass, vocals, saxophone, percussion), and Australian Ross Diblasio (Drums & percussion) are based in Perth, Australia. Their self-titled effort came out late last year (September) on Australian label, Dot Dash Recordings, they also put out a record in 2004 called Zombies On The Airwaves of Paris on 78 Records.

If they approach the sound in those myspace tracks, or surpass it, as a live act... I highly recommend you begin saving your pennies now for any and all live shows.

Snowman has caught my ear in their teeth and any threat that may imply is negated by what's coming from that marvelous mouth. I've got to tag this band for big things, their sound can't go unnoticed by those in the know.

(Thanks to the guys at Dot Dash Recordings for cluing me in).


From Snowman's S/T album:
you are a casino [mp3]
(check out the youtube video below)


From Zombies On The Airwaves of Paris [2004]:
lost in the woods [mp3]

Snowman - Snowman Track List:
(Released September 23 2006)
1. The Black Tide
2. You Are A Casino
3. Bloodmoney
4. Smoke & Mirrors
5. The Last Train Out Of Town
6. Vampire Blues
7. Viva La Fever
8. Red River
9. Swimming With Sharks
10. Cocaine Goldrush
11. Shake Your Brains
12. Wormwood
13. The Curse