Unique sound, unpronounceable name

Kinks-worshipping guitar rock. High energy live shows. Tubas. The formula for the Chapel Hill-based rock band SNMNMNM is one that is slightly off-kilter. “People give a lot of attention to the whole tuba thing,” says lead vocalist/trombonist/accordionist/synth player Seamus Kenney. “But we're certainly not a brass band, and we're not ska. We're a rock 'n' roll band.”

Although the group's instrumentation is uncommon in modern rock, their integration of brass instruments—most noticeably the amplified tuba that provides the driving bassline of many of their songs—is not simply an attention-grabbing gimmick. SNMNMNM commands notice through the strength of their songwriting, arrangements and live performances alone. Their choice of instrumentation provides a sonic depth and distinctiveness that only add to their appeal.

SNMNMNM's four members— Kenney, his brother Matt (trumpet/electric guitar), Mark Daumen (tuba/vocals), and Matthew Vooris (drums)—are hardly your ordinary rock group. As the sheer number of instruments they play suggests, all are phenomenal technical musicians, and the quartet can undergo any number of transformations because of this versatility.

This multifaceted foursome met while music students in Rochester, NY. Here they blended their love for their Beatles with their formal education and instrumental know-how to create a striking brand of power pop, and SNMNMNM—which, despite the presence of countless other apocryphal theories, is named after the initials of the band members—was born.

The band then moved to Los Angeles, where they “paid their dues,” touring constantly in support of early EPs. They soon made a name for themselves in indie rock circles with their unique pop sound and a lyrical quirkiness that can only be found in a band with a name like SNMNMNM.

A year ago the band made their journey to Chapel Hill, a place that Kenney feels is “well-suited for our music.” The Triangle will serve as the group's home base as they embark on an extensive February tour in support of their latest full-length album As Best as We Can (Unschooled Records).

As Best as We Can is pure power pop derived from the same vein as Sloan and Teenage Fanclub. Unlike other bands that employ traditional non-rock instrumentation only in small spatterings, SNMNMNM's horns and accordion form the backbone of their sound. The tuba replaces bass guitar, creating a jazzy effect that makes each song sound like it's ready to burst. The accordion and trumpet mingle with jangly electric guitar riffs in a manner that is at once rocking and carnival. To call As Best as We Can an indie rock album is simply a definition of convenience. SNMNMNM employs so many genres in its work that the band is almost impossible to pigeon-hole in that regard. Rock? Jazz? Funk, Latin, punk, polka? The only sure thing is that the songs on As Best as We Can create an intriguing and extremely catchy collection.

“My Defense!” features an infectious guitar riff and funny stories of legal troubles. The rest of the album ranges from dance (“Disco Barry!”) to rock (“If!”) to Latin jazz/lounge (“Another Song Ray Hates!”). As the exclamation points (which appear after all but one of the album's track titles) imply, As Best as We Can displays high energy and a charming giddiness around every turn.