Hot Snakes - Checkmate 7" - Blue Vinyl

P U (2019)

Oh those Joh Reis bands.  Always putting out records to sell at shows that are difficulty to acquire.  While I am all about a tour only release, it always seems to feel like it is in conjunction with a tour that's not stopping by me.  That just might be me complaining, but I've bought far fewer myself than those that had to be bought for me. 

This 7" was released as part of a UK tour and I was lucky that a friend of mine was willing to pick up a copy.  However, once they got home, Hot Snakes actually sold a handful of these on their website.  That's the first time one of these tour releases was made available online.  I hope that's a trend that continues, or that they make these exclusive releases more available for the East Coast tours.

The two songs on the 7" show once again why Hot Snakes are one of the best bands on the planet.  "Checkmate" is a middle tempo track that reminds me a little bit of "Hair and DNA" as far as the way that the chorus hits.  The verse is a bit more dynamic in the way that the guitars interplay.  "Not In Time" is built off of straight ahead guitar downstroke riffige, maybe a little similar to a song like "Why Does It Hurt?"  Both songs are stellar, just like pretty much everything else in the Hot Snakes catalog.

It makes me wonder if this is leading up towards another album.  Jericho Sirens came out in 2018, so 2020 sounds like a good year for the next record.  I am hopeful that I'll get a new Rocket From The Crypt record at some point, but I'm certainly not going to complain if we get another Hot Snakes release this year.

Hot Snakes - "Checkmate":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLusfdv5_iU

Hot Snakes - Treat Yourself 7" - Red Vinyl (338/1000)

PU (2018)

This 7" was a tour only release from the Hot Snakes jaunt across Europe at the end of 2018.  It entered my possession due to the never ending kindness of Fredrik from Chester Copperpot and Gamla Pengar.  When I realized that the Snakes were hitting Sweden on this tour, I reached out to Fredrik and wouldn't you know it, he's as wonderful as ever.  A truly great man and I thank him immensely.

I did see Hot Snakes this weekend and they were actually selling the leftovers at the merch booth, so this isn't an impossible find just yet.  But I have to say I love the copy the Fredrik sent me way more than I would have just picking it up in Jersey City.  There's something special when punks from around the world work together to help each other out.  Just makes me warm and tingly just thinking about it.

The two songs on this 7" are as incredible as anything else in the Hot Snakes catalog.  If you love the full lengths you'll love this 7".  A side "Treat Yourself" is a mid tempo rocker in the vein of songs like "Light Up The Stars" or "Bye Nancy Boy."  It's my favorite of the two and arguably my favorite kind of Hot Snakes songs.  I don't think they get enough credit for how poppy some of their songs are.  This one is killer.

On the B side is Ungallant, Coarse and Rude; the latest entry in the _______, _______ and _______ series from John Reis bands.  This one is a burner, somewhat similar in execution to "Why Don't It Sink In" from Jericho Sirens or the opening five songs on Audit in Progress, but with a more melodic chorus/breakdown thing worked in.  Unsurprisingly it's great.  I love this band so much.