The last EP from Los Blue Marinos was back in September of 2014 and it was pretty solid. This one's been out for about two months now and there's even more to be excited about. This is still a very trad surf sound but with an even better momentum than before. The musical thoughts behind these songs are really concise and...Read more
Reviews
Post date: 07/29/2015 - 07:39
Based on their barely started facebook page, this record is a "Hello World" moment for the Lurids. For coming out of nowhere, it's surprisingly well put together. The Lurids have a bit of an ominous tone played over aggressive instrumentals with a good bit of punch to them. Give it a listen.
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Post date: 07/24/2015 - 10:37
At last the debut album from Boss Fink, featuring members of the Ghastly Ones, Thee Cormans, and The Huntington Cads -- definitely some A-list pedigree. They had a great 7" out on Double Crown last year that confirmed what we had hoped out of them, but I think everybody was *really* waiting for the full length. Wait no longer! From what I've heard this is a pretty straight-ahead trad sound but plenty aggressive and mean. Here, watch some youtube
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Post date: 07/23/2015 - 17:05
If you've listened to my show enough you've probably figured out that I've got a thing for Peruvian chicha music, and the similarities to surf rock should be apparent enough that that wouldn't be surprising. I find it amusing that while there's some great surf in Peru, the bands that seem most faithful to the sound appear to be everywhere else. Mexico especially is home to...Read more
Post date: 07/23/2015 - 08:32
This looks like the first record in about 5 years from the masters of moody surf The Aqua Velvets, and if you were already a fan you should feel right at home. If you're new to them, expect slow, perhaps lonely surf guitar with flamenco touches, sparse percussion, and still plenty of reverb. I'd put them close to a band like Friends of Dean Martinez but still on the surf side. Big Lazy sound similar as well, but the Aqua Velvets predate them significantly.
This one is on...Read more
Post date: 07/23/2015 - 08:16
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...Read more
Post date: 07/22/2015 - 08:35
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.
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Post date: 07/22/2015 - 08:23
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
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Post date: 07/13/2015 - 07:49
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...Read more
Post date: 07/13/2015 - 07:27
Here in New Orleans I rarely get an opportunity to see the bands I write about, but I was lucky enough to catch Steelism - at a bar with excellent sound no less. Jeremy (electric guitar) and Spencer (pedal steel) were effortlessly masterful at their instruments, and the songs from their 2014 LP "615 to Fame" really came to life.
The Drawing Room has just as much variety and mood as their LP material - perhaps even moodier with less for a trad surf nut to raise their eyebrows to. You...Read more
Post date: 07/08/2015 - 07:47
Beertubes are one of the few (if only?) surf groups representing Indonesia, and they do it with burlap sacks or a red cloth covering their head. I don't know. They've got a pretty trad sound played with gusto and a few sound clips interspersed. This is a warmup as they get an LP ready before the end of this year
It's streaming on bandcamp or if you'd like one shipped to you, check out their...Read more
Post date: 07/08/2015 - 07:23
Susan & the Surftones have been regularly releasing material since the mid-90s and according to Wikipedia this is Susan's 18th LP. Very nearly an album a year, and I have to admit I just haven't been able to keep up.
We've got 7 songs on this one with the title track listenable in its entirety on Reverbnation
Post date: 06/30/2015 - 08:04
Not using google translate on this one: I think the name means secret beekeepers. This LP is loud, fun, and playful. It's got 3 vocal tracks, sure, but it's also got about 3 theremin tracks and one kazoo track (perhaps meant to simulate bees?). Give it a spin on bandcamp!
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Post date: 06/19/2015 - 09:45
The Out of Limits descend pretty clearly from the Man... or Astro-man? lineage of surf with zonked out effects, vintage sci-fi sound clips and, most importantly, mind-enhancing scientific headgear. They also have a healthy chunk of that raw energy. Even for a demo, this is loud, frantic, big, and fun stuff. It's pay-what-you-want, so watch the video and give it a download.
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Post date: 06/19/2015 - 09:34
The Surf Mist make their debut with this 4 song EP. Their sound has trad beginnings, but with small moments of surprsingly tricky jazzy/progressive sounds. Fun and sunny release throughout.Read more
Post date: 06/19/2015 - 09:23
USF are often trying to think outside the box. Last year's Penguin Vs. Robot was an interesting release strategy (4 song vinyl EP with 4 extra songs included as a download). This idea isn't necessarily new, or even their own entirely, but one that I haven't seen others do. In homage to the Play Guitar WIth the Ventures albums, they've made an EP that has two songs: Livorno Twist (a tribute to Surfer Joe festival!) and Calafuria Nights. Then it has versions without the guitar, and includes...Read more
Post date: 06/19/2015 - 09:00
If you listen to Storm Surge of Reverb regularly, you might have picked up how much I love the Peruvian take on surf. Bands like Los Belking's, Los Holy's and Los Jaguar's had a truly unique mix of surf rock, psychedelic music and cumbia that come together into something I have heard since from anywhere else in the world.
So naturally, any modern Peruvian instro groups immediately have my attention. While Los Protones are not trying to replicate that sound, there's one thing that they...Read more
Post date: 06/18/2015 - 07:35
The Messer Chups don't quit! The Russian trio have been moving at a steady pace of one album every two years (or better). This one's got plenty of the semi-trad off-kilter instrumentals they've been at for a while, but with a small helping of rockabilly and a little more saxophone than we've been accustomed to from them!
Still weird. And the album art plays well to my Louisiana tastes.
This is up for download on...Read more
Post date: 06/16/2015 - 07:01
This is a live set by Kingargoolas on the Brazillian radio show Rádio Cadillacs. It definitely doesn't have the studio polish you can get from their great 2013 self-titled LP but you've got a lot more songs than you'll find there! That includes a number of covers such as Eddie & The Showmen's "Squad Car" fit to their signature off-kilter syncopation. ...Read more
Post date: 06/11/2015 - 07:58
Alabama is a hotspot for instro music. Louisiana is... well, it has some. Mississippi, to my knowledge, has Buddy & the Squids. This is the second release by the lone Mississippi group, and it's more ambitious than their last, with a progressive Mermen-ish sound to it. Unfortunately shortly after the release of this record the band has geographically split up, with their drummer Daniel Guaqueta heading up to California (where he tells me he's been hanging with The Mermen's guitarist...Read more
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