Surf-a-Tomica made their debut earlier this year with a flashy 7-song release full of great guitar lines and a great, punchy beat. Did they know they were going to release another 7 songs within the same year? While a full album would have suited them well, they took a good formula and made it great here.

Chewbacca’s have released two great Astro-Man styled records back in 2002, resurfaced with a great split LP with Espectroplasma in 2012, and that’s it until now with this full LP on Sharawaji Records.

Every Durango14 album has built significantly on the last one, and while 2016’s Vol. 3 was very close, I believe this is the album they were striving to make.

Cyclist Conspiracy - El Beso de la Muerte

Definitely some ambition in this group. Two of the tracks have a middle-eastern sorta vibe and can be a little more experimental and less rock&roll minded than your average surf group. The tracks that aren't in the East are firmly in the West! The third track (sort of a vocal track) is a goofy approach to a Spaghetti Western sound that really captures the vibe -- I love it. This is their third release and their others seem a little less surf, more psychedelic, but just as pleasing. This one is a free download.

This short debut EP from Llobarros gets a lot done.

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? 

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 unique sound and it doesn't lose that core rock & roll feeling.

For 25 years Spain's Los Coronas have been pumping out first-rate surf records. It's been 4 years since their last LP Adios Sancho and Señales de Humo (Smoke Signals for us english speakers) builds on that sound, but even after one listen I think it exceeds their last effort.

Here's a short release from the Spanish modern surf foursome Surflamingo. Everything I try to write about this is avoiding what I really want to say: there's a surf cover of "Green Hill Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog.

Five Fingers with Parasol are a trad surf band with with an energy that matches their look. Entirely upbeat, and lighthearted enough to mix The Simpsons theme into their song "Piedra, Papel o Cangrejo". For a trio it sounds surprisingly full, though they are sometimes helped by a fourth guitarist. Sometimes it's hard to convey how good a plain ol' trad surf record can be, but Five Fingers here have done a great job of tapping into that simple essense of fun that real surf is all about. It oughta put a smile on your face.