February alphabet of records Steve O - February 16, 2016

Oh My Snare!



O is for Oh My Snare!

Høyeste Gang

Say-10 Records, 2015




Oh My Snare!’s debut Høyeste Gang, not only made the bracket last year, but managed to win a round as well. Høyeste Gang was released in early 2015 and seemingly came out of nowhere (or Montreal). One moment, they were some random band I discovered online, and by the end of the year they released one of my favorite records. And in the sake of full disclosure, I booked them a show in Chicago. I messaged them and about a month later, they were playing in a Chicago basement. It was a great success.

Høyeste Gang is 25 minutes worth of pop-punk, drenched with a variety of vocals. Raspy throats mix with female leads and more melodic voices, and everyone gets their chance to shine or share the stage. Think of RVIVR meets the Sainte Catherines. And just like each of those bands, Oh My Snare! have some brilliant lyrics. The album’s title track reminds us that “The simplest way to happiness is still screaming: / Fuck this shit, I’m happy!” “Hearken Unto My Behest, Biatch, for Thou has Boobies” takes on the rampant sexism in our society. “I'm Not Robocop Material Anymore :'(” worries about getting old, with lines like, “Wow. This does sound like growing old… / It’s not just a myth!” “If You Smell Flowers, Look Around For The Coffin” laments the pace at which we take life, noting that, “It’s so bad, I tend to ignore the beauty of life even when I’m off / So I can barely tell a dog from a car / Unless they’re on my cellphone screen / Or flowing through my hipster headphones.” If I can discern a theme amongst these 7 songs, it would be something like that: too often we let life pass by, without paying attention to the world around us. Record opener “Unforetold Hands and Voices” challenges you to leave this behind, with the chorus telling you, “This is the perfect timing for a lifestyle revolution / Just bring your great mind, I’ll bring a twelver.” “If Krillin Came Back From The Dead Like 3 Times, I Think We Can Do It Once” reminds us that, “We already lived a million dragonfly lives / And kissed the skies a thousand times.” And the record ends with the positive reminder that, “The morning is yours!”

        Oh My Snare!

On the whole it’s upbeat, catchy punk rock. Then there’s “All Sauron Needed Was A Little Love,” the mellow interlude in between the racing punk, the calm in the storm. It’s a great song, and shows the diversity in skill Oh My Snare! possess to write such varied material. Give this record a listen. Not only are they great people, but they have written a great record. If you like catchy punk rock, you’ll enjoy it very much, trust me. You’ll want to scream along to lines like “Fuck this shit, I’m happy!” I cannot wait to see them live again and see what they do in the future.

Also, here’s a video of them playing in a park in Montreal.