Compared to other major Indie/Folk acts that appeared around the same time, The Snake The Cross The Crown went by largely unnoticed. It was likely due to the Alabama band's issues with touring and a somewhat drastic change in music style between their initial record release Mander Salis and their final full length album Cotton Teeth.
By the time I heard of the The Snake The Cross The Crown in 2008, Cotton Teeth had been out for almost a year and the band appeared mostly inactive. At the time, and still today, I was blown away by Cotton Teeth. There is sincerity in Cotton Teeth that isn't found in their previous records. This record sounds like authentic Northern Alabama; there is a slight twang of Appalachia mixed with indie rock chops. Two of my favorite songs from Cotton Teeth, Cakewalk and The Great American Smokeout:
The rest of the album is available on youtube for further listening.
Sadly, the band went into hiatus not long after the release of Cotton Teeth. Their last release of new music was part of a documentary, On a Carousel of Sound, We Go Round (2013), that largely documents the recording of Cotton Teeth and the tumultuous future of the band after the album release. The film touches on familiar territory for many musicians; is all of the work put into creating music worth it? The film is available on multiple digital services including Qello, Google Play, and iTunes. A number of trailers are available on Youtube:
