Soundbites: Hello/Goodbye

Published: April 19, 2017
I apologize for starting out this week's column with a stone-cold bummer of an announcement, but news is news: Brattleboro-based indie rockers the Snaz are calling it quits. The band announced its demise last week on its Facebook page. This might be a bit of a shock to anyone who's been following the band and its skyward trajectory over the last couple of years. I truly thought the Snaz were "going places," as did other Seven Days scribes who've reviewed their recent releases: 2015's Running Away From Home, and 2017's Sensitive Man. Though I won't speculate about "what could've been," the Snaz seemed destined to launch their eloquent, tough-as-nails/sweet-as-candy-bars brand of rock far beyond the regional scene. In an email to Seven Days, front woman Dharma Ramirez explains the breakup: "It's difficult working with four other people, all of whom are going through adolescence, different schools and separate dreams. The Snaz held so many dreams for me, and I put my heart and soul into writing these songs. However, in the end, my relationship with music and my bandmates needed to be saved. The whole business of the Snaz had become one of stress and disagreement. It was time to take our energies elsewhere." Bassist Nina Cates echoes the sentiment. She writes, "In the end, it felt more like work and stress than fun." One of the main narratives surrounding the Snaz was the fact that its members were so young. With that in mind, may we all take a cue from the level of maturity and self-awareness these 18-year-olds have displayed the next time we're faced with a conflict. You have (at least) two more chances to catch the Snaz before they fade away. They play on Friday, May 5, at Scout & Co. in Winooski as part of Waking Windows, and again on Saturday, June 10, at the Scout Film Festival in Stowe. On the plus side, Ramirez's other band, OSABA, is still active. The hard-edged, grungy duo recently released an EP, so be on the lookout for a review in Seven Days' music section sometime in the next few weeks. Given that Vermont's music scene is a veritable embarrassment of riches, it only makes sense that as one band announces its demise, another one (or two!) sprouts up to take its place. JB Ledoux and Gahlord Dewald of the improvisational avant-jazz outfit the le duo recently…
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