The Snake the Cross the Crown - The Great American Schteez

"May the jaws of death have cotton teeth."

The Snake the Cross the Crown are a dynamic crew of musicians who come out on top in terms of being able to transform styles while holding dearly onto their appeal.

Mander Salis, their first LP, established them as legitimate musicians looking to deliver a swift kick to indie rock music. It's an ambitious rock album with a sometimes overpowering sound, but manages to remain modest through and through. Instruments are a'plenty, diversely ranging the gambit of acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, piano, xylophone, and even some minimal electronic sounds. But the band's sound makers serve only as the foundation of the grand structure that they are able to construct in Mander Salis.

On first listen, their second and latest release, Cotton Teeth, departs intensely from it's predecessor. The upbeat, technical sound that had been so prevalent on Mander Salis had been seemingly rejected and exchanged for a rather off-putting, minimalistic approach to music making. No more massive choruses, brigades of instruments, or shiny production to be seen on Cotton Teeth. All that was left was gritty, homemade American music.

It took months upon months for me to truly appreciate what TSTCTC are capable of. Cotton Teeth took a long time to click for me. I'd play album and try to get a feel for it, but find myself abruptly taking it out of rotation in frustration. Luckily, I was persistent. While this transformation in taste was occurring, I noticed some things about the band that every musician should pay attention to.

The singer's range while impeccable, intentionally remains on the level of the rest of the band members' abilities. No one steps out of turn, and everyone plays so well in unison. They never care to single out one individual in the group, but would rather emphasize the band as one entity. TSTCTC are confident in their sound, but aren't pretentious. They know their limits and exceed them but remain humble about it. This shines through every piece of their music, particularly on Cotton Teeth. I think that with these two releases, they've carve out a very unique niche in current music.

This is American music as I know it.

<|Americana, Folk, Rock|>

The Snake the Cross the Crown myspace

An interview with the band about Cotton Teeth

TSTCTC live - The Great American Smokeout