Surf Rock, Garage Rock and Hot Rod Music Reviews

Selling Out with... The Astroglides
...by Emma Jade Gunn
The Astroglides have created their own huge sound. It's an outrageous, delicious sound that I love. What can I say about this incredible CD? It's totally bodacious. What can I say about The Astroglides? They're totally cool!

Jetpack: Surfin' to No Doubt
...by Wexler
Guitar fans will enjoy playing spot-the-influence (Dick Dale, Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Roger McGuinn...) and the musicianship, which is top-shelf. As far as production, reverb junkies are assured to get their fix many, many times over with the Jetpack Twin Guitar Attack!

The Razorblades: The Dark Side of the Beach
...by Emma Jade Gunn
The Razorblades did it right with The Dark Side of the Beach. This is seriously delicious ear candy. Talk about some smokin' tunes, The Razorblades pegged my heat-meter on sizzle. These guys are hot, hot, hot!

The Exotic Moods Of... The Cocktail Preachers
...by Emma Jade Gunn
They had me in their pocket, wet and mushy and melting at the touch of their hands like a Hershey's Kiss on a sunny day. Oh, Stevie, Phil, Bruce, Rick! What will I do with you boys?

FUZZnSURF Records: Lost At Sea
...by Duke
It's vinyl. Seven inches of magnificent vinyl. Lost At Sea literally is groovy. Spin that turntable, lower the needle and dig those cool grooves. The past meets the present thanks to the awesome folks at FUZZnSURF Records!

The Amino Acids: Destroy the Warming Sun!
...by Lisabeth Posthuma
If hyperactivity were communicated in sound wave, the result would be The Amino Acids' sophomore release, Destroy the Warming Sun! This album is a satirical, retrospective nod to 1960's B movies with UFOs floating via visible fishing wire!

Beyond The Sea
...by Commandante
Straight out of the Cordelia Records laboratory comes the newest compilation. This comp is mighty fun! You don't have to be ashamed anymore when listening to Barbie Girl, Super Freak, Take on Me or all the other hits. An ear catcher is an ear catcher!

The Breakaways: Time Surfin'
...by Stephen L. Robbins
I consider the day I was asked to review Time Surfin' to be one of my luckiest. This is a really fantastic collection of classic style surf rock. The Breakaways are a blast from the past and are deeply connected to some of the best traditional surf music you're ever going to hear!

The Lava Rats: Surfing the Magma
...by Ann Rein
Starting sultry like that winding mass of blacktop on a hot summer night and moving into some vivacious strings popping like the waves off the Point, Surfing the Magma rocks! These guys have some chops that will make them go far, and that I promise. The Lava Rats have it all!

The Tommys: Grow Fins
...by Duke
This is music with a switchblade edge, muscle on its bones and a strong hint of "don't screw with me" mixed into the brew. Grow Fins rips into your head with tidal waves of radical coolness. There's a far out mix of instrumentals and vocals, displaying a diversity of sound and ability rarely heard these days. Make no mistake, The Tommys are for real!

Get Cut by The Razorblades
...by Justin Hayes
Get Cut by The Razorblades takes you there, way out there, alternating between a roaring wave and a billowy cloud of sounds. Get Cut is filled to the brim with exceptionally good surf music. Everyone, including the purists, will enjoy this CD!

The Invisible Surfers: Dogs Killa Cat
...by Commandante
This instrumental three-piece combo from Greece plays fast rocking instros in a remarkable style. In 2002 the band released Dogs Killa Cat. The CD contains 14 songs (12 originals and 2 cover versions). Dogs Killa Cat has everything to make an instro nerd happy ... it is raw, it is authentic, it is cool!

Pollo Del Mar: The Golden State
...by Justin Hayes
I never was a surfer dude in spite of a deep desire to be one. I don't even own a surfboard. So, what should a self-respecting wanna-be King of Surf do? Decide that when faced with this particular dry reality, a wet fantasy might serve just as well. Enter Pollo Del Mar: The Golden State. It was destiny!

Wah Wah Willie: Cinema
...by Ann Rein
Dennis Nattrass is Wah Wah and he's outstanding. Nattrass doesn't need to howl or shock us with lyrics to make a point. There is an abundance of fabulous guitar playing throughout Cinema. Nattrass is nothing if not a master of his instruments. It's no surprise his work appears in movies. He has the chops to become one of the biggest soundmakers out there. I promise some of the best music you'll ever hear!

The Pyronauts: Live from the Pit
...by Duke
The Pyronauts were speaking my language. I was lit up like a Christmas tree. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end and chills ran up and down my spine. There is something about these guys. That special, intangible something that has PARTY written all over the place. Talk about party animals, The Pyronauts take the cake!

The Swiv-O-Matics: Music To Get Lucky By...
Or... Return Of The Fez-Men!
...by Emma Jade Gunn
I sure had the urge to swish and sway and swivel my hips. Oh, baby, I gyrated and hyperventilated and instigated a dance. This band never ceases to amaze me. Once again Baltimore's Big Boys of Surf prove they are second to none! Way to go, Swiv-O-Matics!

Surf Nation: Music for Dangerous Activities
...by Emma Jade Gunn
When I say these guys sizzle, I mean the middle of July five o'clock rush hour in Tucson, Arizona sizzle. Surf Nation is hot! A highly polished and professional sound mixed liberally with wit and fun. I'm talking A#1 high gloss Shinola, baby! Surf Nation isn't just good, they sizzle!

The Swiv-O-Matics: She Walks On Bars
...by Emma Jade Gunn
Summer can hit a surfer girl like a tsunami and waves can break clean and cool, but great music is a year-long rush. The Swiv-O-Dudes not only cut fourteen Balto Rockin' surf tracks on this uber cool CD, they tracked new territory in the surfrock genre. Another great one by The Swiv-O-Matics. Play it again, Sam!

The Concaves: Warning, Heavy Surf Advisory
...by Tammy Tenino
I've had a few mind-altering experiences come out of Santa Cruz. One of them was Warning, Heavy Surf Advisory by The Concaves. This power trio takes surf rock music another step further into new waves of sound. Warning shows the prowess of this talented and highly experienced group.

The Swiv-O-Matics: Charm City Surfer
...by Emma Jade Gunn
These dudes are so easy to listen to that you feel like you're oozing off the couch with your buds, splashing waves of fantastico music over your bod, just like in the heydays of the old surf, garage and party bands. And they're from Baltimore! BaltoRockoSurfers! How spiky is that? Uber. If this is Baltimore surf, I want to go!

Dave Lemon: The Pepper Song
...by Tammy Tenino
Lively, upbeat and dynamically played, it's not surprising to hear that Lemon wrote it as a response to his penchant for hot peppers. Lemon has dubbed The Pepper Song, "Latin Instrumental Surf Rock". There is a distinct southwestern flair to The Pepper Song, evocative of the grand old mixture of surf instrumentals and movie westerns.

Spruiker: Music for toe-tappin� FREAKS
...by Tammy Tenino
The original tunes are chock full of fast guitars just as you'd anticipate from a vintage surf rock band. Baby, it just doesn't get any better than this! I can't imagine not having a copy of Music for toe-tappin� FREAKS in my car, in my bedroom, in my living room, at work, at the beach, mountains, desert, Australia, USA, the moon.

The Diamondheads: Surf Guitar Instrumentals
...by Cerulean Ravenwing
From the opening note The Diamondheads flood your auditory canals with wet, drippy, slappy, body drenching reverb. This is what it's all about. The pure essence of surf rock. These guys are just perfect. There�s no other way to put it. Even the name of the band harkens back to the glory days of surf rock.

Laika & The Cosmonauts Local Warming
...by Ann Rein
A truly memorable CD from Laika & The Cosmonauts will be hitting the streets on January 13, 2004, marking the first studio album release in six years for Finland's #1 surf/instro band. Local Warming offers a dazzling array of genre-crossing music!

Bitch Boys present: Behind The Hound Dog Walls
...by Stephen L. Robbins
This Slovenian band has everything going for it and no drawbacks, except they're over there and we're over here. Come on over to the USA, guys. The drama of this group of musicians is to be found in talent!

Los Straitjackets: Supersonic Guitars In 3-D
...by Emma Jade Gunn
Emma Jade Gunn does not squeal easily, but those masked guys have gone and done, done, done it again. She gets the vapors as her hooded hunks stick out in 3-D! Aw, c'mon, get your mind outta the gutter!

Channel Surfing With... The Astroglides
...by Cerulean Ravenwing
A powerful, double picking phoenix screams through the jungle on wings of reverb. Right from the first track Channel Surfing With... The Astroglides grabs the jugular, holds on tight and takes you for a wild ride deep into the Reverb Trench. No let-downs. Consistent quality!

Bitch Boys ...in heat
...by Duke
Waves of slappy reverb, shimmering tremolo, high energy drumming, great bass lines and vast amounts of hot double picking make this All-Instro CD a surf rocker's dream come true. After she listened to the album, Emma Jade Gunn told us that the Bitch Boys aren't the only ones in heat!

The Metalunas Instrumentals of Terror
...by Emma Jade Gunn
Emma Jade Gunn relives the thrills and chills of The Metalunas release. It was recorded, if you read the small print which (of course!) Lil Em always does, in Horrific Stereo. What we get as a result is mash to bash, stomp to romp, and beats to heat ya of the most horrific kind and that's a good thing!

The Dynamic Subarashii
...by Duke
This trio of Midwesterners prove that you don't have to live near the ocean to ride the surf rock music wave. This CD houses some terrific stuff, courtesy of some very high caliber musicians. These guys can play. And they have imagination. Pass the margaritas, I'm on the beach.

Los Straitjackets Live CD �Damas Y Caballeros!
...by Emma Jade Gunn
Recorded live at the Foothill Tavern in Long Beach, California. This is rock, baby! Woooooo! Emma Jade Gunn fantasizes, pants and grabs for oxygen, but never asks the one question that begs to be answered, "Who are those masked men?!"

Monster Summer Hits Wild Surf CD
...by Emma Jade Gunn
Emma Jade Gunn treats us to her unique way of looking at things by giving us her slant on a CD filled with old surf songs... some by hard to find artists!

The Ventures in Space
...by Duke
Remember those 33 1/3 LP discs that used to populate the record shops? You know, the cool, grooved 12" pancakes that slid neatly into lavishly decorated cardboard jackets? Here's a look at one very influential album from the pioneer days of Space Rock!

Speaking of The King of the Surf Guitar
...by All of Us
Dick Dale possesses a masterful blend of power and finesse. Here's a look at one of his later albums, Calling Up Spirits!

The Surf Rock Model Guitar Pick
...by Duke
We scope out BIGROCK Engineering's latest innovation. This one's got the curves, boys!