Jonathan Messenger is the visionary, lead singer and guitarist for Snake!Snake!Snakes! This band is simply one of my favorites in town, I know this because when they are on a bill, my mind automatically says that I need to be at that gig. They also play the music I love. Whether it is their early recordings that were recorded at Flying Blanket where they are almost atmospheric ghosts of their present selves with some serious pop leanings or now, live, when they play guitar heavy psychotic surf music at a rate that flies faster than you can comprehend–it doesn’t matter, because it is Messenger behind the curtain. Some folks are uncomfortable with the direction Snakes! has taken, but I’ve had the pleasure of watching this progression and it’s clear to me that this band is at the mercy if Messenger’s wise vision and it’s brilliant. You can listen to their debut EP and love it, but there is no passion, no thriving artistic vision–don’t get me wrong the EP is great, but a few years on and watching what the band has become, it seems shallow and pale. After a slight lineup change, the Snake!Snake!Snakes! that Messenger now leads is a vital, slightly crazy, magnificent beast of catharsis, madness and feedback. They are currently at the best they’ve ever been. They are in my top five, because they do everything I would do if I was in a band. Their sets are purposely too short and I swear that it is on purpose–every set of theirs I am completely engaged and every time they end their set I want at least two to three songs more. This is on purpose, Messenger wants you to want more. Their recording are my most anticipated release of 2015.