Next month, the Nashville-based DIY punk outfit Snõõper will release their highly anticipated debut album, Super Snõõper, on July 14th via Third Man Records. Now, they present another fully-charged single/video, “Powerball.” Clocking in at just over a minute, Snõõper max out the short and sweet run time on “Powerball” by packing it with frantic guitars, berserk drums, and the ever-cool vocals of Blair Tramel. The accompanying “Powerball” video — directed by Tramel and featuring puppeteering by Grace Hall — channels the song’s chaos delectably, and previews the playful mayhem of Snõõper’s storied live sets for those yet indoctrinated.

Tramel explains: “‘Powerball’ was written after a scratch-off winning streak. My mom called me to let us know that the Powerball jackpot was the highest it had been in years. It’s a funny thing to feel like you are going to win something so arbitrary – to feel like you are going to be the one in a billion winner. When our numbers were not announced, we decided to buy some scratch-offs and, to my surprise, I won $50 on a $2 scratch off. I kept buying scratch-offs from different gas stations around town and kept winning. It was a comical sort of high I hadn’t felt before and even when I started losing money I wanted to keep going.”

Snõõper doesn’t play fast; they play at the speed of Snõõper. They maintain super precise instrumentals and skillfully melodic vocals, even though they’re flooring it almost the entire time. The project began in 2020 as a collaboration between local Nashville punk mainstay Connor Cummins (guitar) and Blair Tramel (vocals), an early education teacher with a sideline in wickedly funny animation and art. As their cassette tapes and homemade videos began to find scattered fans around the world, the duo brought the project to the live stage in late 2021 with the addition of Cam Sarrett (drums), Happy Haugen (bass), and Ian Teeple (guitar). Thus, Snõõper was born.

Snõõper is a band who, in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM. Their debut album, Super Snõõper, was recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville. It follows EPs Music For Spies (2020), Snõõper (2021), and Town Topic (2022), as well as the live album LIVE AT EXIT​/​IN 11​-​23​-​22 released this past February. Given the brief glimpses into Snõõper’s music from their 7”s, EPS, and thrilling live performances, one might wonder if the group could hold the line for a full album. The answer is an enthusiastic yes. In the words of Henry Rollins, “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.”

Photo Courtesy: Monica Murray