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 tabs with the download.

Gee Whiz! The Mighty Swells have been dripping songs onto Soundcloud and Reverbnation for years, but finally went ahead and made a long-player. They've got a well polished very trad sound where the fun finds its way through. This LP is predominantly covers, but originals like "Lone Rhino" and "Mr Infiltrator" really hold their own amidst the time-tested classics. Apparently they've got another LP of originals on the way!

Luau or Die have been a part of the Toronto surf scene for a good while now (there's videos going back to 2009 on Youtube) but for us way far away from Toronto, we can dig this EP. "Dead on the Floor Vol. 1" is comprised of four originals and a cover of "Llorando Se Fue" (I had to look up the original) with quickly picked guitar and tight playing.

A tsunami... of panties... the imagery....

Panty Tsunami has a good mix of quick dangerous songs and slower, dare I say sexier songs. Including a cover of Angelo Badalamenti's "Wild At Heart". There's even a sort of country influenced track "Red Sky".

This Machine Kills Monsters have a sound all unto themselves. Metal and surf rub up against each other plenty, but TMKR seem to grab the speed and intensity of metal (and perhaps the drumming) and otherwise stick with modern surf tones and structures. Like The Madeira cranked up to unsafe speeds. On a quick listen, this might be my favorite work of theirs so far: more emotive, more ambitious, and more interesting instrumentation choices, with a big satisfying finish.

The Reverb Syndicate have done spy, space, western... all themes well known to the instro realm. However, the sort of TRON take on this one isn't something that you see much. Love the nerd jokes in song titles like "Hello World" and "Kernel Panic in E Minor"

The Flat Duo Jets proved a while ago that two people is not a limitation in garage/surf rock. The Green Reflectors have a similar ragged sound and similarly do well with it. And at 26 tracks you're getting some bang for your buck. Give it a listen.

The saxophone seems to divide surf fans, but Grand Kahuna know exactly where they lie in the argument: they've got two of them. I really liked their last record, especially their longer takes on songs like Surf Beat. These are all covers again, they're shorter and there's less of them but they make them fresh! Glad to see more from them!

Edit: As pointed out in the comments, they've expanded this one to 8 tracks! Yes!

Hailing from Ontario, Supertoke have a sorta fun, off-kilter Shadowy Men vibe. That's about all I got on these guys!

Huaraches were nice to enough to send me a preview copy on this one so it's been played on the show and in my car for a few weeks now. Despite the fun, summery baseball album art, I get a pretty dark, ominous and dangerous vibe on this one. Perhaps it's not the music: I did first listen to it on the way back from a haunted house, the luchadore mask-wearing figure on the cover kinda freaks me out, and I've had a fear of getting hit in the face with a baseball since I watched it happen to a kid in summer camp a long time ago.