Reviews

Post date: 06/29/2018 - 09:15
The Bradipos IV = Lost Waves

In 2016 The Bradipos IV after 11 years The Bradipos IV released their comeback record The Partheno-Phonic Sounds Of… It was a great record, and gauging by the hype at Surfguitar 101, a lot of people agreed. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait very long for the next one.

While Partheno-phonic was comprised of traditional neapolitan songs, the new record is a bit more of a straightforward instro record, especially as they tend to be today. That means a few covers, some dipping into other...Read more

Post date: 05/29/2018 - 08:23
King Ghidora - The Secret Origin of an Unknown Planetary Destroyer

In surf music we don’t deduct points for being derivative so I’ll go ahead and confirm what you have already deduced from the album art: there’s a pretty heavy Man or Astro-Man? influence here But who among us thinks that the universe couldn’t use another Project Infinity? That’s basically what’s going on here: not so much the experimental, sciencey side of MOAM but the loud guitars and punk energy.

“Punk energy” is a hard thing to quantify, but the important thing...Read more

Post date: 05/24/2018 - 18:40
I Fattones - I Fattones

We are gathered here as worshippers of the vibrations of the guitar string, but stand before you today telling you that good surf music can be made with the guitar firmly relegated to a supporting role. Many of you may be quick to cry heretic, but the elders know that the saxophone was once a very respected rock & roll instrument, including in the surf realm.

The saxmanship displayed here is, I think, palatable to even the most skeptical surf fan as the energy...Read more

Post date: 05/20/2018 - 09:16
Tor Jones - Toro Jones EP

Always cool when somebody that listens to my show shows me their music, and it’s especially cool when it’s good! This EP comes out swinging with “Bat Outta Hell!” and “Bone Vampire” which have a Huevos Rancheros vibe except with a beefier low-end. Then “Lighthouse Point” cools it off a bit, reminding me strongly Los Straitjackets’ classic “Close to Champaign”. Then “Noche Sin Luna” goes for the creepy vibe before a cover of Sandy Nelson’s bouncy “Big Noise from the Jungle”. Then...Read more

Post date: 05/17/2018 - 08:15
Volcano Kings - Midnight on Switchblade Street

If I’d have known that Volcano Kings were going to release three more EPs after , I would have rationed my hyperbolic praise for them to span the next review. I don’t know much about them, and though they label themselves as a group that makes soundtracks (among many...Read more

Post date: 05/17/2018 - 08:09
The Cameramen - The Cameramen

The first track of Sunken City gives you a good cue of the album to follow: atmospheric lead-in giving a sense of setting and narrative, some vocals reinforcing that, then breaking into unmistakable surf guitar.

But yes, vocals. I usually focus on entirely instrumental bands but I think this is a pretty palettable approach for a surf fan, with a vocal style that sits somewhere between Boss Martians and Man or Astro-man. It’s hard to describe, but the vocal stylings...Read more

Post date: 05/16/2018 - 09:41
Frankie and the Pool Boys - Spin the Bottle

Frankie and the Pool Boys are still allowed to be a called a supergroup (because they’re super!), but I think they’re done being a side project. For one, they’re a band now -- a core group of members playing on every song instead of a hodgepodge gang of guest artists. And at three LPs they’re starting to rival or exceed the output of some of the bands their members were known for.

Despite slashing the guest list, this still sounds very much like a Frankie and the...Read more

Post date: 05/15/2018 - 09:41
The Madeira - Center of the Surf

Center of the Surf is a live recording of surf giants The Madeira playing at the 2017 Surfguitar101 Convention in Torrance, CA: essentially the center of US surf music fandom and surf music history. Present in the audience was Mark Linett, a 3-time grammy winning producer and engineer capturing it all.

Also present was me. I’ve already talked about that show and...Read more

Post date: 04/14/2018 - 12:16
Sonido Gallo Negro - Mambo Cosmico

Sonido Gallo Negro isn’t a surf band but I’ve noticed that they’ve got a lot of surf fans. After months of drifting around on Spotify, their third LP has finally seen a proper release.

Let’s back up a little bit. In the late oughts Barbes records released the Roots of Chicha compilation, which brought attention to the chicha music of Peru. The folks behind this compilation were in a band called Chicha Libre and released their first LP Sonido Amazonico, named after the Los Mirlos...Read more

Post date: 04/14/2018 - 12:01

Go to their bandcamp page and it says released January 18th and I've been listening to this one since then, but they told me their album release date was March 30th so I waited a bit. With that extra time I've been trying to nail down what it is I like about CARLO but it remains elusive. It's hard to even pick out a real standout track, as I've found this record is best taken as a whole. It's the mood really, laid-back and adventurous at once, like a day trip to a swimming hole. While...Read more

Post date: 04/10/2018 - 22:59
Arno de Cea and the Clockwork Wizards - Retro Futurisme Volume I

A new album from Arno de Cea and the Clockwork Wizards is a stop-what-you’re-doing thing. He’s on top of his game and delivering a surf sound that nobody else has. But admittedly, two tracks in I found myself a little apprehensive about writing this review. What more is there to say about his nearly-perfected, patentable Brutal Surf? After two albums of the stuff, are there any worlds left to obliterate? 

...Read more

Post date: 03/23/2018 - 11:48
Shark Attack - Chum Punch

New Orleans’ instro scene is a weird one but as of lately a surprisingly active one. We’ve seen releases from surf punks , the au naturale and the unnatural...Read more

Post date: 03/11/2018 - 10:30
Blackball Bandits - The Lost Mission

It’s been great watching Blackball Bandits find their way from a couple of bandcamp so-called-demos to a proud members of the Double Crown roster (and featured on the soundtrack to a ). They’ve done a great job of retrofitting retro surf feel and attitude to more modern surf song structures.

The Lost Mission is...Read more

Post date: 03/09/2018 - 10:03
Volcano Kings - Crime-Jazz and Film Noir (Volume 1)

Everything Volcano Kings has released has warped surf in exciting ways and done so in such an expert way that it seems like it must come easy. Despite the title, this is surf guitar before it's crime jazz and noir, but it you can find that pounding forward-moving drive of crime-jazz and some smoky mystery from a noir. But then you've got "Mechanical Beast" like some sort of steampunk wild west soundtrack and some cyberpunk electronic mayhem on "Night Life". They're all over the place, but...Read more

Post date: 03/09/2018 - 09:45
The Terrorsurfs - Mutant Surfin' Trash

The Terrorsurf have a new LP of trashy surf tunes and even pressed it to vinyl. Bands with a lo-fi sound like theirs often seem like a weird fit for vinyl but it turns out this is a bit nicer of a sound than they had on their 2016 debut under this name. They’re not really lo-fi anymore (they claim to be Zombiphonic Hi-Fi) and they’re better for it: it’s still got a punk momentum and it’s still usually dealing in a low, scummy mood (but not always!). They’ve also added a second...Read more

Post date: 02/09/2018 - 09:40

Hypnotide's debut LP  was a surprise favorite from 2015. With only 6 tracks, Hypnotide can't possibly show the same flexibility with their sound that they did on the LP,...Read more

Post date: 02/09/2018 - 09:21
Y Niwl - 5

After 6 years without a release, Y Niwl (pronounced Ur Nyool) have emerged with a new sound. For lack of better terminology, it's a bit more "indie' with guitar tones more in-line with modern music and with the keys (still prominently featured) expanding to different tones as well. I like it. They keep their whimsy from earlier works but have moved into something a little more expansive sounding.

This album is a bit front-loaded, slowing down and perhaps even reverting to a more...Read more

Post date: 01/31/2018 - 15:10
The Irradiates - Lost Transmissions from the Remote Outpost

It's been 4 years since The Irradiates' last LP Revenge of the Plants and though we've had some Arno de Cea & the Clockwork Wizards albums to keep us happy in the meantime, it might be a little disheartening to see that this is a collection of rarities, unreleased tracks and live cuts if you were expecting an album.

Do not be disheartened. This will absolutely serve as the Irradiates LP you've been waiting for. The opening track should convince you...Read more

Post date: 01/26/2018 - 10:32
Los Kosmos - Los Kosmos

Let me suggest that you skip the first track. It's a good song, but it's got a thin garage-surf sound that gets the wrong idea across.

OK now we're going. You've got brass, a lot more low end, and some whammy bar. This is a much better idea of what to expect from Los Kosmos. This is fun modern surf with playful progressive leanings. I get moments of later Los Straitjackets and maybe even early Laika and the Cosmonauts (especially "V Jope Fantik"). Give a listen...Read more

Post date: 01/17/2018 - 10:30
De Surfures - Fino a Go Go

The sophomore release from De Surfures has me wondering why I didn't pay much attention to their first. This album is full of punchy modern surf instrumentals with a great grit and momentum to them, with a few fun twists thrown into the mix. The mix on this is a little funky, with the percussion way up there and guitars at sometimes nearly subliminal levels, and it feels like that mixer is moving around pretty often. It takes some getting used to, but in the end I think I like it. It's a...Read more

Pages

Subscribe to Reviews