- Hot Snakes
Infobox musical artist
Name = Hot Snakes
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Background = group_or_band
Origin =San Diego, California , U.S.
Genre = Rock,post punk
Years_active = 1999–2005
Label = Swami
Associated_acts = Pitchfork,Drive Like Jehu ,Rocket from the Crypt ,Back Off Cupids , Sultans,Obits ,The Night Marchers
URL = [http://www.hotsnakes.com/ Hotsnakes.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =Rick Froberg John Reis
Gar Wood
Jason KourkounisMario Rubalcaba The Hot Snakes were an American rock band led by
Rick Froberg andJohn Reis , formed in 1999 inSan Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork andDrive Like Jehu , after which Reis had found international success withRocket from the Crypt .Although they share sonic similarities with bands its members had previously been involved with, Hot Snakes' sound is much more primal than that of Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu or even Rocket from the Crypt. Reis and Froberg were also heavily influenced by bands such as
The Wipers , Suicide, andMichael Yonkers Band , and these influences gave Hot Snakes a distinctive sound that has been described by one critic as "hardcore garage punk" [ [http://www.punknews.org/review/6299 Thunder Down Under review] ] . The band's recordings and merchandise were conducted in a "Do it Yourself" manner, with Froberg providing all of the artwork and Reis releasing the material via his record labelSwami Records , through which they are still available.Band History
Pre-history
As youths growing up in San Diego, Reis and Froberg had played together in the
post hardcore band Pitchfork from 1986 to 1990. Following that they formed Drive Like Jehu, which gained the attention of major labels and resulted in a record contract withInterscope Records . By this time, however, Reis had become seriously involved with his other band, Rocket from the Crypt, and in 1995 Drive Like Jehu stopped playing together. Reis would continue to work with Rocket From the Crypt until 2005, while Froberg moved to New York to start a career as visual artist and illustrator.Formation
Hot Snakes essentially began as a "
side project " in 1999 while Reis was taking time off from Rocket from the Crypt, who were in between record labels and had lost their longtime drummerAtom Willard . While searching for a new record label and drummer, Reis started his own labelSwami Records and experimented with other musicians, resulting in the formation of both Hot Snakes and the Sultans. Hot Snakes originated when Reis recorded a batch of songs withDelta 72 drummerJason Kourkounis , then contacted former bandmate Froberg to contribute vocals to the tracks. Most of this recording session was released in 2000 as Hot Snakes' first album "Automatic Midnight ", which was the first release by the Swami label.Although Reis and Froberg had previously collaborated in bands, Hot Snakes represented a new challenge logistically: Reis lived in San Diego, Froberg in New York, and Kourkounis in
Philadelphia . This resulted in sporadic and intense touring and recording schedules. When a full touring band was needed, Gar Wood (Beehive and the Baracudas ,Tanner ,Fishwife ) was called in to play thebass guitar . After some touring Reis returned to work full-time with Rocket from the Crypt.Lineup change
In 2002 Hot Snakes reconvened to record the album "
Suicide Invoice " and tour theUnited States . The following year Kourkounis left the band to play full-time withBurning Brides , and Reis once again returned to work with Rocket from the Crypt. When Hot Snakes again returned to the recording studio in 2004, Rocket from the Crypt drummerMario Rubalcaba (also ofThe Black Heart Procession ,Clikatat Ikatowi , 411, and Chicanochrist) was brought in to play the drums. The album "Audit in Progress " was released and the band extensively toured the USA, as well asEurope andAustralia .While on tour in the UK that Fall, the band recorded several songs for
BBC radio at British DJJohn Peel 's recording studio. Their performance would be one of the last for Peel's program, as he died shortly afterwards. This session was released as the "Peel Sessions" EP, which replaced a planned single for the song "Braintrust" in the UK market.Demise
In May 2005, while on tour in Australia, Hot Snakes recorded a live in-studio performance at ABC studios for Australian radio station JJJ. On their return to the US, Reis announced that the band was breaking up. "Audit in Progress" was named "best punk album" at the 2005
San Diego Music Awards , and shortly after Reis announced that Rocket from the Crypt would also be breaking up. That Fall, Hot Snakes contributed a cover of theGovernment Issue song "Time to Escape" to the soundtrack to the "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland " video game. This was the last song recorded by the band. Their live Australian radio session was released posthumously in 2006 as "Thunder Down Under ".Following the breakup of both Hot Snakes and Rocket from the Crypt, Reis focused his energy on running the Swami Records label. He continued to perform occasionally with Rubalcaba in the Sultans until that band's breakup in January 2007. Rubalcaba also plays in the
San Diego bandEarthless and is part owner of an independent record store called Thirsty Moon Records. Wood continues to record music and play inBeehive and the Barracudas , while Froberg resides in New York and works as a visual artist and illustrator. In early 2008 Froberg debuted a new musical act calledObits , while Reis, Wood, and Kourkounis reunited inThe Night Marchers .Band Members
Non-Album Tracks
Videography
Music Videos
References
External links
* [http://www.hotsnakes.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.swamirecords.com/hotsnakes.html Swami Records band profile]
* [http://www.swamirecords.com Swami Records]
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