Eliot James and the Snakes

Eliot James and the Snakes started in 2000 as the songwriting vehicle for Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist James Eliot Jones, a 20+ year vet of the Music Business had done stints as a touring musician, with Butch Walker and Marvelous 3. Lead guitarist for,Keni Thomas, the Pleasantdales and Supermatic.and Engineer/Producer for Rock City Dropouts, the El Caminos, Rockets to Ruin,Open Sky Separators,SKID ROW,GARGANTUA,JJ and the Hustlers,Etc. Before stepping to the mic himself with Eliot James and the Snakes. The fourth release "Back to the Land of the Burning Sun" (out 9/29/2011) see's Jones shedding the band and handling everything  himself for his first truly solo release. The six song EP is a stylistic departure for the Artist moving from the familiar hard rock of his past work, thru country tinged Alt/Folk  to the Instrumental slack key guitar stylings of Jones' home state of Hawaii. 

 The guitarist James Jones of Atlanta, not to be confused with other rockers with this name from bands such as Bim Skala Bim or Pere Ubu, came to attention in the second half of the '90s with a group named the Pleasantdales. That moniker may bring to mind shaded porches, mandolins, and perhaps the lilt of a chromatic harmonica in the distance, but in reality this group was pure hard rock and about as pleasant as a building demolition. Jones, the lead picker, would go "through every pose emulated by hard rock guitarists-in-training the world over," at least according to one Atlanta rock pundit in comments about the band. An album by the Pleasantdales, effectively titled Pretty Scars, came out in 1998. Jones gave the band a few more years but by 2000 had gone on the road with the Marvelous 3, apparently to give that group an assist in re-creating its guitar-heavy album sound on-stage. At least some of the publicity created by the group refers to the guitarist simply as "J.J.," inviting confusion with at least eight other performers who rely on these initials as a stage name. The guitarist also launched a side project for his own songs called the Snakes. Members include Mark Green on bass, Nick Volpe on guitar, Rob Hammersmith on drums, and backup singer Lauren Betty. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide 

I have been playing , performing, writing and recording music since I was 11 years old in 1979.   I was raised in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. I cut my teeth in the metal scene there during the 80's. Marty Friedman of Megedeath fame was the biggest fish there. Followed closely by some true badasses like Tom Azevedo (Rat Attack), Sacred Rite, AARONSROD,and many many more. In 1987 I moved to Hollywood to "Make it" You know the story, me and 10,000 other kids moved there that year to try and become Rock Stars!!! We were living the dream. The Sunset Strip was Rocking 5 nights a week. Little did we know that the end was in sight!The band that I was in "United Snakes" was the real deal...we had a world class singer(George Baisch), and the songs were really good. We were selling out the Coconut Teaser, and the No Bozo's Jam @ the Whiskey within a year or so. We scored a big shot lawyer, (Dennis Ryder) who had a shitload of happing bands(Love/Hate,Ugly Kid Joe, Southgang, etc)and the next thing you know were in the studio w/ the Badlands Music Group...at Cherokee, Secret Sound, and Indigo Ranch.It was on...Jimmy Iovine signed us after listening to about 30 seconds of the rough mix...no bullshit. . there was only one problem...U guessed it. Drugs...lots of them, of all kinds, everywhere. We fired our strung out badass singer, and as we auditioned guys from all over the US, the rest of us got strung out too...the next thing we knew, it was '91. No deal, No singer, just great big drug habits. hell I even lived with Steven Adler of G-n-R fame for about 6 weeks, while Izzy was hiding out in his loft (Izzy had gone missing and was on the back of a milk carton in the Dont Cry Video)Needless to say, we were done...the Bass player (Aaron Abiellra, also from Hawaii!)and I put together a new band. Jonas Grumby, (a funk rock band w/ a sax player and chick backup singer!!) we did really well for awhile. But the juice was gone in L.A. Nirvana had hit...it was over. In '92 I hooked up w/ Actor Billy Wirth (Lost Boys, War Party, Red Shoes Diary) and we put together a really cool band called "the Nest". That band turned in "Majoun" where I would spend the next 6 years. we moved to Portland, Or. in 93' then to Atlanta, Ga in 94' we did 2 full length records and 1 EP. In 96' I opened Slims Rehearsal Studios/Koda Recording, In Decatur Ga. I Had 7 rehearsal rooms, a fully functioning recording studio and an apartment for me to live in. This would be home base for the next decade. In 97' I joined the Pleasantdales, we did 2 full length CDs' and toured the east coast from NYC to Miami. In 99' my old friends from Hollywood Butch, Jayce and Slug from Southgang, were
back home in Atlanta hitting it big as Marvelous 3. they needed a 2cd guitar player, it was a perfect fit. Ready, Sex, Go came out on Elektra Records that summer, and we hit the road HARD! we did 29 show in 31 days right out of the gate. the next 4 years flew by. I started fronting my own band "Eliot James & the Snakes" in 2000 while still touring w/ M3, and in the meantime was also engineering alot of bands @ Koda Recording Studio's. In 02' Butch left M3 and got a solo deal w/ Arista and I came on board as the Bass player. we toured our brains out again, made more videos played more gigantic outdoor festivals...it was awesome, and I'll never forget it. By 93' I was needing to do my own thing, the Snakes had a booking agent and a bunch of shows, a new cd, and some radio play as well. So I told Butch goodbye and the Snakes hit the road for real. In 06' I sold my studio and moved to Austin, Tx. the new Snakes cd "Wind up World" came out on Uncle Punk Records at the end of last year, and I'm still Writing, recording, and performing music full time..."It's all a big part of Rock -n- Roll"