Storm Surge of Reverb

Blog Stuff

Messer Chups - Dark Side of Paradise

Not to be a brat, but when I got an email about another Messer Chups record, my reaction was "oh ok, sure"

There's just a lot of Messer Chups. I think my digital collection spans 17 releases. And I can't really blame them, I once watched a guy walk up to their merch table and buy one of each album, which is when I realized that having a big back catalog helps you make more money! But aside from one record with a lot of harp, can I really expect a new Messer Chups record to be more than just more?

Actually, yes!

From: 05/31/2024 - 14:53

Tags: Messer Chups, vinyl, bandcamp, release, Hi-Tide, russia

Gremmy Awards 2023: Rest of the Best

Oh no. It's pretty much June and I haven't finished the Gremmys. I got sidetracked, a little burnt out,time to shove this out the door. This is my category for things that felt worth mentioning for whatever reason or another. I often highlight outstanding EPs in this section, but since it's gotten this far behind and that's the most time-consuming part, I'm forgoing it. These are probably the least serious categories, a lot of them don't exist from year-to-year. Anyway, let's do it.

From: 05/31/2024 - 10:38

Tags: Gremmy Awards, The Gremmys, 2023, Musick, The Doltones, sundazed, Fuzzy Loom, Surfin Burt, The Routes

Langhorns - Showstopper

While the recent Nebulas LP was close, I think the most anticipated surf comeback LP of 2024 is from Swedish trio Langhorns, who released a trilogy of LPs between 1998 and 2002. It's hard to choose a winner among these three LPs, with an impeccable sound, a mastery of mood and toughness, and versatility. Mission Exotica in particular showed a wide range of instrumentation, and some of the genre-pushing sensibilities shared by groups such as Phantom Four.

From: 05/29/2024 - 15:31

Tags: Langhorns, Sweden, bandcamp, release, vinyl

Playlist! 5-20-24

SURF STINK

From: 05/27/2024 - 14:29

Tags: playlist

Shitty AI generated image using the prompt "an electric guitar is smashed by a computer comic styling"

Surf music has been infiltrated by artificial intelligence, and it's probably going to get worse.

I have a compulsion to check for new surf music on bandcamp using their tag system. It's how I find a lion's share of what I play and review on my show and website, and I monitor it closely enough that I sometimes have bands send me promo codes only to find that I've already bought their music before they got the chance.

In April I found a record by God of Surf. It's a presumptuous name, but I have to admit the music did feel ambitious and interesting.

From: 06/03/2024 - 11:26

Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, God of Surf, Surf Music Records, The Beach Bunnies, Space Surf, Surf Pirates, Soviet Garage Rock, Udio, Amphibian Man, bandcamp