Splashdown is when a spacecraft hits the water upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere. When astronauts go from space to surf.  It's a great name for the splashdowns, who mix a semi-trad surf sound with a sense of cosmic wonder and adventure. Think The Spotnicks doing Rocket Man rather than Man... or Astro-man?, with a non-aggressive, thoughtful surf approach and not much reliance on out-there effects. There's a surprising amount of variety too.

This EP found its way into the word via a great viral video of a jarring way to wake up in the morning.

Oh man, this one flew under my radar, looks like it was released in late October, but I want it! Els A-Phonics have released some really upbeat, creative (and well produced) surf and they've teamed up with some of the best: Mike Barbwire, Nokie Edwards, Deke Dickerson, Jon Blair and others.

Personally, I choose robot. I love robots. Urban Surf Kings have been churning out releases like clockwork for over 15 years now, including side projects from Rev. Hank, but I believe this one has been in the works for a good while (their recording diary starts January 1st 2013). The format here is a little different: 4-song 7" vinyl that includes a download code for those 4 songs plus another 4. So 8 songs total, but only 4 on digital media.

Pretty nuts instro from France (I think?) that I hadn't heard before. Psychose is definitely the winner of the bunch, but the others are good too. Youtube video when you click read more.