No Hits 5.8.06

Slow Death on the Schuylkill - The Snow Fairies

The Snow Fairies have a photo of a kitten nestled among flowers on their MySpace page. They also list The Rolling Stones first under "influences." Can you guess which one of these objects doesn't belong? Hint: the band is called The Snow Fairies.

These are some facts about them:

1. Like more good bands than I count, they're from Philadelphia.
2. Like many Philadelphians, they have a conflicted relationship with New Jersey. Viz. "New Jersey's only good for two things/Beer and bowling" ("The Stone Pony"). Later retracted in 84 things New Jersey is good for.
3. They claim they sound like Heavenly, and they do. Often, in both senses.
4. Yes, yes, yes, they're twee as fuck. Sigh.
5. BUT, they write good songs. Man, they write good songs. With the exception of the icky and inexplicable "In The Kitchen" (like watching a pair of 12-year olds make out), every song on the album Get Married (eMusic, iTunes) merits repeated listen. And repeated listen.
6. Get Married clocks in at 24:06. So you can listen to it more than twice in one hour.
7. "Slow Death on the Schuylkill" is probably the record's "hardest," "rockingest" tune. It's about a long, bad car trip, one that may be even worse than the usual trial of heat and boredom and cramped legs. Key line: "Since '76, we've been sharing the same bad dreams/About the corner of your mom's house/That stays immaculately clean."

The Life of a Total Square - The Snow Fairies

A Different Kind of Bad - The Snow Fairies

My Dream House - The Snow Fairies