These Arms Are Snakes

If you're still mourning the demise of the mighty Jesus Lizard (5 years removed, I know I am) or At the Drive-In, then let the frenetic post-punk roar of These Arms Are Snakes salve those wounds. Like the former, these guys enjoy lobbing twang-hardcore guitar grenades over a rhythm section that locks into tight, pummeling grooves while the singer (Steve Snere in this case) howls distorted menace through his microphone. And like the latter, TAAS isn't averse to injecting a little bit of math rock, Dischord-inspired melody and atmosphere to build tension before each explosive release. The Seattle-bred Snakes has one EP (2003's This Is Meant to Hurt You) and will drop a full-length in September. The band also has a cool light show -- strobes galore! Odds are, Snere will spend most of the gig launching himself into the crowd or shimmying up a pole, but a David Yow-style "tight and shiny" testicle trick is highly unlikely.