When you're always on the lookout for surf groups, it helps to have a good gut feeling for them based on the name of the band and album, maybe even the songs. That's true for both the new stuff and the vintage stuff. The Baltic Side would have failed that test: The band name doesn't sound surf, "Hope" isn't really something I associate with surf, neither are song titles like "Believe", "Pilgrim", and "Rainbow". Nothing wrong with those names, they just don't register as a blip on my surf radar.
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Well let's be honest, the names of your songs aren't terribly important in surf music, so I can't really blame Surf Out! for their lazy naming schemes. This EP starts with a fiery one out the gate, then chills out for the rest. Some of them build to a frenzy, some of them continue to take it easy. It's a pay-what-you-want album, so give it a shot.
I love Jean Claude Van Damme, so I want to thank Timecop Beach Party for linking him to the surf world via his movie Timecop. But putting the King of Kicking aside, this album came outta nowhere and surprised me. Timecop Beach Party play fast and their tone often dips into pretty heavy territory, but the overall mood is fun and light-hearted. I really think it all comes together especially well in their song "Set Phasers to Chill". Give it a listen for yourself
the astroglides - omar shariff ballad (sewer surfin' with)
the lively ones - surf battle (kfwb's battle of the surfing bands)
star and key of the indian ocean - Nitro (vintage soup)
mark brodie & the beaver patrol - jezebel (the shores of hell)
the ampFibians - watusi 5-oh (the surf guitar heard 'round the world)
Throughout his work in Stef & Arno, Antena Tres, The Irradiates, and Arno De Cea & The Clockwork Wizards, Arno de Cea has proven himself to be one one hell of a psycho, frantic, and all around excellent guitar player. At some point calling it "surf rock" sounds too leisurely, not desperate enough, no matter how big the imaginary wave. From the very first note of "Bug Terminal" it's loud, huge, bold, and so hyperactive that I struggle to come up with some sort of activity that this would be suitable for. Catastrophe rock? Apocalypse rock?
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