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Campfire blues

Snock a/k/a Michael Hurley

By PETER SMITH | May 28, 2008

Snock a/k/a Michael Hurley

Snock might pull up in his 1973 Dodge Coronet, the Blue Alligator. He’s also driven a 1968 Chevy Impala known variously as the Elston and the October Bird of Death. If you think this is bonkers, check out the idiosyncratic cartoons he draws. He tells the tales of two wolves, Boone & Jocko, who chase women and slurp wine; the latest installment goes on sale June 1, the same day as his 7:30 pm show with Ida at the Nave Galley in Somerville. Snock (a/k/a Michael Hurley) is a banjo-strumming Woody Woodpecker whose campfire is a constant blaze of dreamy, peculiar Americana. He knows longing and tenderness, and his latest, Ancestral Swamp (2007), on Devendra Banhart’s Gnomonsong label, blends all the best of Snock — an original, delirious bend on blues, old-time country, and folk.

“Werewolf”
This toned-down howl off Armchair Boogie (1971) re-creates his signature 1965 ode, “The Werewolf Song,” which might sound familiar to fans of Cat Power’s “You Are Free.” Snock’s best-known song, it’s about a lonely bum — filled with unadorned guitar, a quiet fiddle, and his high falsetto.

“Sweet Lucy”
This bouncy Have Moicy! (1976) collaboration about drinking and driving ain’t music for your grandma. With a twangy guitar, this colorful homespun tale recounts backwoods cooking, women chasing, and a call home from jail. It’s either a revelation or a bunch of loonies letting loose.

“Knockando”
Off the 2007 Ancestral Swamp, this one finds a wandering old man settling down to a glass of make-believe. It’s full of winding bluesy guitar and a whimsical spirit that follows Snock’s distinctive, intoxicating take on traditional folk.

“Uncle Smoochface”
Combining simple, repetitive banjo lines and a voice as bumpy as back roads, this funny-uncle song off his 2005 Down in Dublin combs the remote rural landscapes of 40-plus years with long hair and no fixed address. He still doesn’t sound ready to settle down.