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The Untamed Youth - Git Up and Go

The Untamed Youth - Git Up and Go

This blog has a pretty strict instrumental focus, so I'm bending the rules a bit to review the new Untamed Youth, as it only has four instrumentals. But they're such a legendary group that is essential to the story of surf revival, and it would be a shame to leave it off.

OK that's not really why. I want to focus on these instrumentals, as they're pretty excellent.

Alright, that's not really it either. I mostly just want to write about one song.

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Preston Pfanz & The Seaton Sands - Return to Burnt Island

Preston Pfanz & The Seaton Sands - Return to Burnt Island

This band has been around for way too long for this to be their first LP, with EPs dating back to 20 years ago. While admittedly I'd never heard of them so I woudln't call this "long-awaited", it was certainly worth the not-wait. Very punchy, busy sound that can be just as much euro-instro or twistin'-oriented as surf but satisfyingly true to vintage sensibilities.

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Frankie and the Pool Boys - Endless Drummer

Frankie and the Pool Boys - Endless Drummer

Frankie and the Pool Boys' first record was kind of a kitchen-sink record, with Ferenc Dobronyi on guitar, Jeff Turner on bass, Dusty Watson on drums, and a bunch of friends on the other guitars and additional whatever. Then they became a real band with an established lineup for two great LPs. And now we've got back to the start with Endless Drummer, a Poolboys record with a different drummer on every track, not to mention a bunch of other friends joining in.

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Arno de Cea & The Clockwork Wizards - Rétrofuturisme Volume III

Arno de Cea & The Clockwork Wizards - Rétrofuturisme Volume III

Things have been relatively quiet for one of the loudest groups in surf. While Arno has snuck in a few small EPs, it's been 4 years since the last entry in the Retrofuturisme series/their last LP. But I'd say the extra time has paid off.

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Penza Penza - Hang Loose! I Got Dem Ol' Surfer Bloos...

Penza Penza - Hang Loose! I Got Dem Ol' Surfer Bloos...

The only artist on Bandcamp for whom I've clicked the "Buy digital discography" button is not a surf artist, but Estonian composer/producer/whatever Misha Panfilov. When I first came across his work it was mostly raw funk with a spacey element to it, and I've since appreciated his meanderings into jazz, ambient, and warbly synths. I almost always enjoy it, usually love it. One of his projects is Penza Penza, whose first album is some of the noisiest, stripped-down primal funk I've heard. Over the next three albums, Penza Penza seemed to become less overtly concerned with funkiness and more with making oddball instrumentals, none of which I'd call surf by any real stretch.

And then I guess it did stretch! For Penza Penza's fifth album I seemed to have been granted a wish: a Misha Panfilov surf album of sorts! It's on the album cover, it's in the album title, and it's in the music! Somewhat!

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The Surfrajettes - Easy as Pie

The Surfrajettes - Easy as Pie

It's been a thrill watching the trajectory of The Surfrajettes. Surprise youtube viral hit, then touring surf conventions, a few 7"s on Hi-Tide, and then a really fun debut LP. That was when I last wrote about them, and I felt that all the statements they needed to make were made, nothing left to prove. But I'm used to writing about bands that live in the surf realm. The Surfrajettes are one of the few legit instrumental surf groups that have managed to move beyond that, going on tours supporting Electric Six and Reverend Horton Heat. They've gotten press outside of surf zines! But that also means stuff matters more, and so they've weathered lineup changes, the stress of actual touring, and these things contribute to something smaller bands don't care about: the threat of the sophomore slump.

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Pekka Laine & The Enchanted - in Slumberland

Pekka Laine & The Enchanted - In Slumberland

Pekka Laine's previous LP is a can't-miss record. The thick layers of reverb and dreamy melodies make for one of the most engrossing listening experiences I've heard in (or at least very nearby to) this genre. The only real complaint I had was that there simply wasn't enough of it. And now there's more.

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The Scimitars - Desert Tales

The Scimitars - Desert Tales

From the moment they started playing shows there's been buzz in the surf world about The Scimitars, who blend surf and middle eastern music, often with the visual accompaniment of a belly dancer. There's enough reason to be excited just about the surf side of things, as Ran Mosessco's music with the Astroglides and The Sand Devils are great, and Jonpaul Balak on bass is always a big plus. They've been patient letting this sound and these songs develop, with only a single 7" released last year since they started up in 2018, and finally they're ready to debut a full length.

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The Impressions - Lost Legends of Surf Guitar

The Impressions - Lost Legends of Surf Guitar

Sundazed has really been leaning into surf recently, with last year's, , and . All three records were either entirely or in large part unreleased material, which certainly had me excited, but there was a fair share of disappointment. The Chantays record wasn't quite as surfy as the cover art might have you believe, and I just found the Kay Bank studio stuff to be generally lackluster. The Vaqueros record was pretty good, but a lot of it was vocal. I applaud Sundazed regardless for putting them out -- release everything! Let no surf go unheard! But I was admittedly a little worried what another unreleased surf record from a basically unknown band would pan out to be.

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The Babalooneys - Late to the Party

The Babalooneys - Late to the Party

For a band with a decidedly unserious name, The Babalooneys' craft is no joke. While there's been recent hype building up with two great Hi-Tide 7"s and a strong (I hear) Surfer Joe 2023 appearance, I had admittedly forgotten about an EP from them way back in 2012. That's a long time to wait before putting out an LP! Well, I'd say it was enough --  what we have on our hands is a true gem of the genre.

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