Interpol is certainly a reasonable reference point for Snowden, but that specific comparison is also shorthand for the current wave of post-punk descendants. This Atlanta four piece shoves its way into that crowd on their first full length, Anti-Anti. Featuring bottom heavy sonic noir constructions with inventive, danceable beats and wicked cool effects driven guitar, it’s an incredibly satisfying album. Kind of gives me the same feeling I get from the sound of throwing rotten peaches against the side of our rusty old tin shed- that explosive, exhilarating bang.

I’ve been playing this almost exclusively for a week now and I’m still amazed by the way singer Jordan Jeffares pulls off the incredible feat of delivering his melodic monotone in slow motion. As a kooky challenge, try singing along to “My Murmuring Darling” and you’ll see what I mean. But most of the songs are tightly wound dance punk anthems and there are a slew of keepers, including the sublime title track, the menacing “Like Bullets,” and the jittery “Counterfeit Rules.”

The more I listen to Anti-Anti, the more I like it. And I liked it a whole lot to begin with.

Mixtape tracks- Like Bullets, Anti-Anti, Filler Is Wasted, Counterfeit Rules

Freebies- You can download “Anti-Anti” and stream three others from the band’s official site. They also generously offer five-sixths of their self titled EP.

About the only all-encompossing genre label that might stick to Oneida is experimental. From album to album, you just never know what to expect from this compelling Brooklyn band. On their eighth long player, Happy New Year, they mix up a batch of some wicked krautrockin’ psych folk concoctions.

There are some extreme contrasts over the course of the album. “Distress,” for example, sounds either like a trippy version of Simon and Garfunkle’s “Sounds of Silence” or chanting monks from the Temple of Psilocybin. I can’t decide which. Compare that with the jaw dropping seven-plus minute epic, “Up With People,” which is crammed full of hyper skittery rhythms, minimalist guitar and sax(?) leads, and a chorus that sounds like Love and Rocket’s cover of “Ball of Confusion.” Such disparate songs don’t seem like they’d cohere. The prevailing psych vibe, especially in the detached vocals, holds it all together pretty well.

Oneida are restless, adventurous, and always interesting in their approach to rock music. I’ve gone from wishing more of their stuff sounded like the garage-psych of songs like “All Arounder” on their ‘01 release Anthem on the Moon, to really appreciating the diversity of their sonic journeys. Happy New Year is another challenging but satisfying trip through their strange musical land.

Mixtape track- “Up With People” is truly a stunner.
Freebies- Woo-hoo! Grab yourself a copy of “Up With People” from the band’s site.

Why don’t I love this album? Sonic Youth is one of my favorite bands and Rather Ripped is rather good. I really do enjoy it every time I give it a spin. The problem is that I need to prompt myself to play it. As in, “I should listen to that Sonic Youth some more and give The Unicorns and Islands a rest.” It’s more out of loyalty to the band that I choose to play their new one than a need to hear the songs again.

Not that there’s anything “wrong” with Rather Ripped. It’s really not all that different than the bulk of their considerable body of work. All of the key SY elements are in place: alternate tunings that define their unconventional sound, songs that veer off on brief, unexpected tangents, and lead vocals alternating between three singers. This time around their approach is more streamlined though and the result is mellower and more accessible. Most of the songs are in the three to four minute range so there’s a conciseness to the proceedings as well.

At the risk of sounding like an indie rock snob (all the more preposterous since Sonic Youth has been on a major label since 1990), I think their friendlier sound is what I find off putting and prevents me from really connecting with the album. I miss the noise and experimental adventure that usually permeates their releases. Rather Ripped finds the band refining their approach and I’m slightly less interested as a result.

Mixtape tracks: “Reena” and “Incinerate”