A live album from the band that I can't help but think of as "that band with the boobs on the album cover". Great trad sound, really sunny and fun and well-played, with a few sound clips thrown on in-between songs. It definitely does sound live, but that really only becomes a factor on the few vocal songs, where the vocals dwarf the instrumental mix...Read more
Reviews
Post date: 10/06/2015 - 07:51
Las Olas may have a mostly trad sound to them, but they're not exactly going for a sunny SoCal vibe. Like the ashy cover art suggests, this is some dark, hopeless surf. Not necessarily slow and dreary - there are some frantic songs like "violeta", but definitely not smiling at you.
You can stream it on bandcamp, or just download it for free!
...Read more
Post date: 10/06/2015 - 07:33
It's been 50 years since Apache '65, the first LP by the Arrows, and Davie Allan has released TWO albums to commemorate this. He explained this in the interview I did with him the other day: he was working on the 50th Anniversary album and was worried that the people at Curb records were taking too long to clear the...Read more
Post date: 10/01/2015 - 07:59
From what I'm gathering, "Cojonudo" translates to "ballsy", which I think explains the near-nude cover of this record. I say near-nude not because of the guitar, but because I think I spy the strap of his tighty-whities at his hip. Then I realized I was looking at this way too hard.
Anyway, if you're not familiar with Surfer Joe, he's the hardworking surf entrepeneur behind Surfer Joe...Read more
Post date: 09/30/2015 - 07:34
I was a big fan of Die Krabben's Welcome to Surf Trash Island released last year, even giving it a Gremmy honorable mention. Mining the Gyre has the same weirdo creepy surf-meets-Beefheart thing going on, with a few good instrumentals, a few essentially surf songs with a deep trollish voice grumbling...Read more
Post date: 09/27/2015 - 16:42
Post date: 09/27/2015 - 16:33
Iowa's biggest surf act (probably by default, but by merit too) just dropped a nice live record. The sound is clean, better than plenty of studio albums I've heard. The songs seem to be all over the back catalog, a great place to start if this is your first introduction to the Surf Zombies.
The digital download is nice and cheap, but they've also got a CD that you can buy.
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Post date: 09/24/2015 - 07:29
Before we do anything here, I'd like to recognize The Special Edisons for calling an 8-song album an EP. I feel like 8 songs is becoming the norm for an album this year, and they're acknowledging that that's short!
The Special Edisons (not a typo) hail from Calgary, which is funny because the first thing that came to mind was Huevos Rancheros. No shared members, I checked, they're a 3-piece with a ragged, dry, and distorted guitar tone. It's rough and tumble ranch rock, and there's...Read more
Post date: 09/22/2015 - 07:43
At this point I've been doing this radio show in New Orleans for about 5 years, and in that time very few listeners have come to the obvious conclusion that they should start a surf band. So I was overcharged with excitement when I was shown a youtube video from a frequent listener of their new band Ghost Coast. A few days later, there's even a demo up on bandcamp!
Ghost Coast is a 5-piece (2 guitars, bass, keys and drums) and their sound is definitely surf, but on the pretty side,...Read more
Post date: 09/20/2015 - 08:13
The only surf band I can think of with America in its name is from Madrid, Spain. Sure, why not?
Surfing Way is a light-hearted walk through many different familiar sounds in the surf world: straight up surf, drag racing, spaghetti western, fuzz, etc. It's easy-going and sounds nice and vibrant.
From what I gather, this is a solo project from Sergio Leon. He's also released a number of less-surfy instrumentals under his name full of ukelele and pedal steel. I say bring those...Read more
Post date: 09/19/2015 - 10:16
Should I post demos as releases? Yes, because I'm digging this. Blackball Bandits clearly have a Western angle to them evidenced in their (great) medley of Ennio Morricone classics, but it also evokes the west in that wide-open-road way on "Azteca Verano", AND in the Roswell, New Mexico way on their opening track. It's got a great mean edge to it that sometimes reminds me of Speedball Jr, though maybe that's just name association. A lot of disparate sounds coming together naturally and...Read more
Post date: 09/19/2015 - 10:02
The Stingrays aren't hiding it: they're proudly heading straight for a trad 60's surf sound. They even named their album "The First Wave", which I assume to be a reference to that era as much as it is pointing out that it's their first release.
I haven't been able to find any previews directly from this album, but the videos and songs that they've posted are upbeat and energetic as a first wave band should be. You can get an idea from the soundcloud and videos below, or you could dive...Read more
Post date: 09/19/2015 - 09:03
Holy misdirection Batman! Not that I think all instrumental groups should religiously adhere to the agreed upon surf style guide, the cover of this album looks like it could be going for an El Perro Del Mar vibe (and a lot of guitarist Jeffrey Bützer's...Read more
Post date: 09/17/2015 - 07:26
For us English speakers, I believe the band name translates to Thieves of Guitars. This is their debut album, and self-recorded, and the result is a pretty easy-going modern-trad surf record with some glimpses of spaghetti western. Give it a listen!Read more
Post date: 09/15/2015 - 07:56
Mom's I'd Like to Surf may hold the crown for goofiest surf band name, and seeing what might even be a Resident on the cover can make you think "hooo boy, where's this going?". As it turns out, the goofy cover art is mostly just that; this is still comfortably within the surf realm. That's not to say it doesn't have some quirks to it. The singing on "Surf Blast Inferno...Read more
Post date: 09/08/2015 - 07:41
Surf is usually pretty analog, even in one-man home studio incarnations, so it's always a little strange to hear projects like this. While most tracks still have recognizable reverbed surf guitar, just about everything else is unabashed drum machine, electric keyboard, and synthesized sounds. And it's pretty fun! Definitely has a bedroom project feel, but still has a surf pace and surf song structures. Songs like "Todas las Olas" are really where this comes off strongest: a great surf...Read more
Post date: 09/04/2015 - 11:09
I was a fan of The Twang-o-Matics' Fretboard Mojo but they really let loose on their new LP Rock Havoc! The cover alone suggests a collision of surf sounds and spaghetti western, but there's also moments of the jungle, arab-esque themes, and it's hard to not think rockabilly with that stand-up bass sound. It's meaner, faster, angrier, and packs a bigger punch. Some of this might be from the stellar production (maybe they got some tips from their...Read more
Post date: 09/04/2015 - 07:37
Henchmen have it tough, so I appreciate that they found the time and space in their employer's lair to form a band and let off some steam. They've got a pretty dark twang going throughout that sets up a big vibe of mystery and evil. I mean I'm really buying this as a henchman sound, right down to the feeling of oppression - "Nikola Tesla Theme" even starts out with a bit of a march. The winner of the bunch to me is "Worthy Adversary" with its harsh buzzing and forboding trumpet buildup....Read more
Post date: 09/03/2015 - 07:42
Perhaps you can tell by the name, but Men from S.P.E.C.T.R.E are pointed in a global syndicate of evil direction than rather than southern California. If you didn't figure that out, then you need to watch Goldfinger. But what I really mean by that is you can expect plenty of organ with your guitars, and a swanky mod beat. Not so much John Barry, closest cousin I can think of is Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited. It's a sound I'd like to hear more of, and they pull it...Read more
Post date: 09/01/2015 - 07:49
We've got four songs of rough and raw surf here, all new tracks. As a live EP, the production quality takes off some of the crispy edge that was on their self-titled EP, but it's still fast and fun. I'm hoping we can hear some of these on an LP in the future
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