Well, sometimes my all-seeing surf eye doesn't see things when they come out. And I think I'd be remiss to not mention them anywhere on the site, so we're playing catch-up here.
Sleazy Records rarely steers you in the wrong direction. This is a self-titled 7" (vinyl) with an accompanying CD totaling 8 songs. Love that vintage-styled cover art by...Read more
This EP found its way into the word via a great viral video of a jarring way to wake up in the morning.Read more
OK I think the pun here is that normally Huckleberry Finn has Two N's, whereas this band has one making them sea creatures. I don't know a whole lot about these guys, other than that they seem to have been playing shows around NY state for one or two years now. They've got the full range of purchasing options available: LP, Cassette, CD, and digital download. You can any of those from their...Read more
The Tiki Creeps' debut last year was definitely a standout, so I'm glad they've kept that momentum up by releasing a followup. They haven't shaken up the formula much: a solid mix of cool low-tempo numbers (perhaps the tiki part of their name) and a few with the guitars howlin'. "Ride Creeps Ride" is actually a bit of a twistin'...Read more
Ever since they released the video for Tunak Tunak Tun on Youtube over a year ago, I've been getting more and more excited for the release of The Tomorrowmen's new album. Looks like tomorrow became today hur hur. Their Double Crown Records debut "It's About Time" was the exactly the sort of forward-thinking brand of instro that keeps this genre alive. It's immediately apparently that that spirit was kept intact on Futourism, and that a tremendous amount of thought and love was poured into...Read more
We've got four songs from the sci-fi horror group the Hithcocks, absolutely drenched in reverb, complete with some echoey and ominous synthesizers and spooky ghastly voices. They choose darkness over speed, with most of these songs finding more of a zombie-shuffle pace. Dig the retro sci-fi video then give it a spin on bandcamp
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Well here's something else for ya. Surfin' Krautlifornia is an odd mix of synthesizers, sound effects, psychedelic meanderings, and strange thoughts standing on a foundation of surf guitar bubbling underneath. With an airplane, a storm trooper, graffitti, and a cool-lookin' dude wearing shades on the cover, I'm not even going to try to piece together what they're after. Maybe it's just to get you to approach this thing with some curiosity.
Apparently they've...Read more
With a name I don't look forward to ever pronouncing, Los Antideslizantes have released a nice four-song EP here. While not straying too far from the well-known surf sounds, they manage to capture a mood until themselves. It's easy-going but not boring, and the use of the trumpet (in very appropriate amounts) is refreshing.Read more
This is the first I've heard of Appalachian Surf Team but they've been around since at least 2013 and seem to have honed their craft pretty well by now. A live album suits them well; this album is bristling with energy and it sounds like a ton of fun even with a bit more crowd chatter picked up than you normally hear on a live record. In fact, it's pretty great when you hear one of the women in the crowd talking loudly lose her marbles when they launch into their supercharged cover of "Eye...Read more
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
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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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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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
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
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
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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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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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
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
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
