Sunday, September 30, 2007


The Infrereds

Sounds From The Darkroom

2004


About The Infrareds

The Infrareds are known across the globe, except for South America, Africa, and Asia, but it's surf, and as far as I know, nobody on those continents has ever even seen a guitar, let alone understands how one should be played. The Infrareds play music the correct way. Highly acclaimed, their second album, "Recorded on Microfilm," was regarded by critics as the best surf rock album of 2003, as well as receiving numerous other rave reviews for their intense live performances.
The Infrareds have toured extensively, traveling across Europe in 2005 and countless clubs and theatres within the continental U.S., including the mid west, the Eastern Seaboard & the Deep South. Audiences everywhere love their fast, intense, yet methodical tunes, except for Texas. The fact that they received poor feedback from their southern audiences is something I attribute to Southerners' generally poor taste in music as apposed to the bands musical ability. The Infrareds ROCK, plain and simple. People accustomed to listening to slow country music and really bad hip-hop just arent going to get it.
There can be no denying that The Infrareds play the fastest, most aggressive surf music in the nation. They grew up in the late seventies early eighties, listening to bands such as Agent Orange, Minor Threat, and Bad Brains, among others; which lead them to eventually discovering the origins of teenage angst and rebellion as embodied and expressed through the early sixties surf bands such as The Avengers VI, The Fender IV, (pretty much any band with a roman numerals), The Lively Ones, and Eddie and the Showmen.
Despite their current fame and fortune, The Infrareds had humble beginnings. Formed in 1999, they cut their teeth playing smaller venues in northern California, such as the Lucky 13 Club in San Francisco, Fernwood in Big Sur, U.C. Santa Cruz, and clubs all over their original hometown of Monterey, including the last show ever at the famous Dream Theatre.
Their members include Rory Fortune, embattled front man and lead guitarist. Raised on the mean streets of Fresno, California , Rory grew up a small time hustler before finding salvation in the form of an electric guitar. Escaping Fresno was a turning point for Rory, who now has developed his own brand of vegetarianism, which includes nothing but coffee and cigarettes indeed; nobody has ever witnessed him consuming anything else.
Bass guitar is handled by Kiegan Skydecker --possibly a stage name-- who can effectively be termed the "bad boy" of this group, in that Rory is saintly and their volatile former drummer, known only as "new Matt," has left to pursue a solo project. Kiegan hails from the sleepy town of Monterey, California, where he grew up hanging around the National Steinbeck Center. His bass styling's and personal appearance have been said to take after the immortal Billy Cox best known for his work with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Few people dispute this.
New to the band is rhythm guitarist Benny Hammond. Even though he spent most of his adult life pretending to be Buddy Holly, enjoys playing volleyball, and makes a living in Los Angeles as an "artist," be assured that Benny is all man. Picture General George S. Patton Jr. standing, in full uniform, in front of the United States flag. Now picture him playing rhythm guitar in front of said flag.. That's Benny.
Also new is the drummer, Clinton Cameron. Clinton grew up in the massive shadow of older brother, "Brush Master" Clayton Cameron, drummer for such stars as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. Eager to distinguish himself from him, Clinton does his best to stay as far away as possible from the easy-listening pop music "wuss rock" -- that earned his brother such fame. Formerly of the band Fishbone, Clinton is new to the Surf genre, but he is so immensely talented that it makes little difference.
The future looks bright as The Infrareds prepare to release their fourth album, and be sure to check them out on their next tour.
Rick Britton, July 2006
*
1 The Rambo Kid
2 Kli
3 Change In The Water
4 Matte Blood
5 Pictures Of Your Girlfriend
6 The Lost Air
7 Third Star To The Left
8 Deluxe Images
9 Half Moon Bay
10 Sounds From The Darkroom
*

Where The Hekawi???


Hekawis

Scalp Surfin' 7"EP

1995




Formed by James Pierce aka Eagle Mania (formerly of the Apaches and also concurrently in Shutdown 66) as a shtick on "F-Troop". They play excellent garage rock n roll and wear fab head-dress live and put on a really wyld live show. If you d'ont wanna lose your scalp listen to their releases, and let's pow wow!.
The Hekawis are a four piece original band. They play high energy Rock ‘n’ Roll with roots based firmly in the mid 60’s and anything cool that came before and after. While a mixed blend of 60’s Garage and Pop, 50’s Rock ‘n’ Roll and Blues, Australian 60’s Beat, and tough Soul is predominate throughout their original tunes, their originals range from screaming freaked out Nasty Rhythm & Blues / Soul “Give it Soul”, “Back to Mexico”; to Beatles style Pop of “Flowers in the Night”; soulful moody Ballads like “Tribute to Del” and flat out rockers like “Hekawi Stomp”.
They list some of their heroes as The 13th Floor Elevators, Kinks, Little Richard, Wilson Pickett, The Easybeats, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and Iggy and the Stooges. An Hekawi gig is not complete without a few choice cover tunes and their scorching versions of “Shake” by The Shadows of Night and “L.S.D.” by The Pretty Things have to be heard to be believed. With a repertoire of over 150 songs, The Hekawis have no trouble with cover material either.
The guys formed in 1993 to play some parties and to cut a few records. After playing a couple of club gigs, they soon developed a huge following and landed support spots with Kim Salmon, The Dirty 3, The Fireballs and Dick Dale. In late 1993, The Hekawis debut single was released on Giant Claw Records out of Melbourne. The song “Indian Giver” received instant airplay on 3RRR and PBS in Melbourne and is now a sought after collector’s item both overseas and here in Australia. While touring Victoria to promote this release, The Hekawis were approached by Corduroy Record’s head Nick Phillips. “The Spook” (EP) was recorded for Corduroy and promptly sold out within a few weeks. This EP still holds the record for fastest selling single on Corduroy. The band’s next release was for the huge independent label Telstar Records in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.A. The “Scalp Surfin’ With” EP on Telstar became an instant classic, receiving airplay on college radio stations all over the U.S.A. It peaked at #35 on KTRU out of Houston, Texas. Although an amazing feat for a Brisbane (or even Australian) band, this chart success went mostly unnoticed and ignored here in Australia. Also ignored was other chart successes in France, Italy, and New Zealand.


With the onset of the short-lived “Pulp Fiction” Surf Revival, The Hekawis decided to drop the instrumental part of their sound and to concentrate more on a pop/vocal sound. This paid off with the release of “Flowers in the Night” and “On This Day” - recorded at Wild Eagle Records (a small Brisbane label) in 1996. To this day, they are still receiving airplay around Australia (and the world) on 3RRR, 4ZZZ, and PBS and others. In 96/97, the boys supported Hoodoo Guru’s on the Queensland leg of their “Blue Cave” tour. This earned The Hekawis the respect of Queensland’s Guru fans and The Hekawis opening slot for the Guru’s at the Mansfield Tavern is still talked about.
The Hekawis later received rave reviews for their role as support band for You Am I on the “Pop and Soul Review” tour, and then hooked up again with the Hoodoo Guru’s in summer 97/98 on their “Spit the Dummy” tour. This led The Hekawis through QLD and NSW, and on into Victoria, finishing in Melbourne for the Guru’s last 3 shows at the Palace and Transformers. Needless to say, The Hekawis thrived on the experience, warming up and then rocking the huge crowds at the Guru’s final shows, and whipping them into a frenzy before leaving the stage - leaving the crowds begging for more.
The Hekawis are no strangers to touring, having played over 50 times in Melbourne at the Esplanade, Greyhound, Public Bar, etc. on at least a dozen different occasions, and have a large following there.
Although only a young group (no members over 30) The Hekawis have over 40 years of combined experience. They are professionals, wily veterans, and young upstarts all at the same time. Their live shows are legendary - whether playing for crowds of 300 or 3000, The Hekawis remain unfazed. They have never failed to win over an audience of any type. Giant smiles appear on the faces of punters everywhere whenever The Hekawis play.


The Hekawis are:

Screamin' Stevie: vocals, organ, harmonica

Eagle Mania: bass, backing vocals

The Sheik: lead guitar

Voodoo Man: drums, backing vocals




1 The Sadist

2 Sclap Surfin'

3 Pork Chop Beer Slop

4 Rumble



*
Sorry for the bogus scan but it was all I could come up with. Anyone with a better resolution shot of the cover is more then welcome to shoot one my way.




http://rapidshare.com/files/59442769/Hekawis_-_Scalp_Surfin_.rar

Surfin' Sunday


All I can say now is "WOW!"


Just got back from seeing The Duo-Tones + 2. The lengendary Paul Johnson (Bel Airs, Surfaris, PJ & The Galexies, The Packards and more) and Gil Orr (The Chantays) combine to crank out every classic surf and twang tunes you could ask for. For this particular gig they made some additions to their usual duo lineup.


Ron Eglit who played bass for many years with Dick Dale and The Deltones, as the newest member of The Surfaris, and, belive it or not, going back to 1963 with Adrian & The Sunsets (how 'bout that Friesan, Sandy, and Brandonio) and Dusty Watson just bangin' on them drums like a madman (Jon and The Nightriders, Agent Orange, Dick Dale, Supersuckers, SlackTone, and with Becky Barksdale)


After the first hour of reverb bliss they added Steve Ashcroft - Drums (Dick Dale's drummer from '66 to 93) Dave Wronsky - Guitar (SlackTone) and Kerry Chester - Organ (Dick Dale & The DelTones, Chesterfield Blues)
After another hour of excellent classic surf tunage, Dean Torrence came up and selected the winners of the raffle held to support the International Surf Museum.
All of this surf talent in one small space, generated a very appreciative crowd, including many musicians diggin on the tunes. Dave Arnson - guitarist with The Insect Surfers was a dancing machine.

A most rocking afternoon was had by all.


I was lame and did not bring a camera or any sound equipment on this bike ride today. I could just kick myself in the ass again!


Next time...
Make sure to catch the Unplugged DuoTones album here and the Live/Plugged in version over at The Fat Cigar Lounge. (link in sidebar) It will make your week.

Paul Johnson W/ The Chesterfield Blues - Ramrod

Right across the street from me but I was out of town! Crap again!

but you can see it all "hear"

Friday, September 28, 2007

Dangerous and Heavy


Black Diamond Heavies
Every Damn Time
2007
Makes me want to bite off the top of a longneck!

Biography
by Mark Deming
Stripping the deep blues to its frame and running the music through a big stack of amps while shaking it into a cold sweat, the Black Diamond Heavies are a band from East Nashville, TN, who prove that in terms of sonic impact and soulful energy, size doesn't matter much at all. The Black Diamond Heavies were formed by keyboard man and vocalist John Wesley Myers, Mark "Porkchop" Holder on guitar and harmonica, and drummer Van Campbell. Myers was previously a member of the feral blues-punk combo the Immortal Lee County Killers, while Campbell had kept time with the Invisibles and the Rum Circus. The Black Diamond Heavies started gigging in 2004 and self-released an EP called You Damn Right in 2005. The record and especially the BDHs' wildly frantic live shows won them a rabid fan following, especially in the South, but in early 2006 Holder amicably left the band, unhappy with the rigors of life on the road. Myers and Campbell opted not only to continue without Holder, but to not replace him; stripped down to a two-piece, the band's music became even more raw and intense than before, and in the summer of 2006 the band scored a record deal with noted garage punk label Alive Records. The Black Diamond Heavies' first full-length album, Every Damn Time, was released in early 2007.

Review
by Mark Deming
As role models for young musicians go, Tom Waits is a pretty good man to follow, but John Wesley Myers' clear admiration of the guy gets to be a bit much on Every Damn Time, the debut album from his band, the Black Diamond Heavies. Here Myers sounds like he spent the better part of a year locked up in a closet with a copy of Small Change, mastering every nuance of Waits' raspy croak, and though Myers conjures up no small amount of soul along the way, the similarity in their vocal styles (which doesn't sound spontaneous or coincidental) gets to be a bit much over the course of 40 minutes. Which is a shame, because otherwise this is a pretty impressive introduction — with just Myers on keyboards and vocals and Van Campbell behind the drums, the Black Diamond Heavies generate a mighty wall of sound and the duo cuts a hard, bluesy groove on songs like "Fever in My Blood" and "Leave It in the Road." Myers' electric piano work is especially impressive on "Poor Brown Sugar" and "Signs," and the anti-cocaine salvo "White Bitch" is a more effective anti-drug message than the "Just Say No" crowd has ever offered. Someone get John Wesley Myers a vocal coach and some less obvious influences and the Black Diamond Heavies ought to deliver a killer second album; even with its flaws, Every Damn Time is an impressive set of messed-up 21st century blues.

A Must Hear/Must See Group



The Duo-Tones

Surf Music Unplugged

2001










Review
by Bradley Torreano
An interesting idea that could have potentially have sucked, the Duo-Tones' Surf Music Unplugged is a unique oddity among the countless surf albums out there. Recorded on nothing more than two electric guitars, this is an album that runs on the talents of the two players alone. If this had been handled any differently, it would have been a disaster, but luckily the two guitarists happen to be Paul Johnson and Gil Orr, instrumental figures in the genre overall. Their chemistry is fantastic, resulting in gorgeous surf anthems that lose none of their drive and energy and instead become sweeping acoustic showcases for their plentiful talents. Capturing the airy, exotic mood set by most surf instrumentals, they focus their strengths on the pleasing rhythms and melodies that can result from this style of playing. This takes attention away from the "gimmick" involved and gives the recording the sense of balance it needs to come off successfully. Surf fans may be hesitant, but this is a side of the genre that is rarely evoked by the typical band setup, and it results in a very satisfying record.



1 Crystal-T
2 Mr. Moto
3 Baja
4 Apache
5 Walk, Don't Run
6 Baja Nights
7 Hide Away
8 Outside
9 Scratchy
10 Last Date
11 Kamikaze
12 California Dreamin'
13 Pipeline
14 Song for My Father
15 Beach City Bop
16 The Lonely Bull
17 The Wedge
18 More Love, More Power
19 Last Night in Waikiki



***Make sure to drop on by the Fat City Cigar Lounge for a plugged-in version of The Duo-Tones. Da Big Boss Man will fix you up with evertin' that you could want. Spy, Lounge, Surf and Rock. Ya gotta hook a feed on this site. http://fatcitycigarlounge.blogspot.com/


Thursday, September 27, 2007

It's Gettin' To Be Monster Time!!!


Famouse Monsters

Around The World In 80 Bikinis
1999

Biography
by Vincent Jeffries

After separating from their more conventional rock bands (White Zombie and New York Loose respectively) in the mid-'90s, bassist Sean Yseult and guitarist/vocalist Brijette West dawned dual surf guitars and glittery horror outfits, and formed the unlikely joke-band Famous Monsters. After varying degrees of success (much for Yseult, much less for West), the two friends invaded New Orleans — perhaps in order to get away from Coastal showbiz life — to enjoy themselves in the Big Easy. Having worked so long with Rob Zombie, it could hardly be a surprise that Yseult would want to dive headfirst into campy garage-surf degeneration, but West's grittier musical past had nothing whatsoever to do with the goofy theatrics of Famous Monsters. To get things started, the two musicians worked up rudimentary surf tracks and new monster names for themselves. Yseult became Devil Doll (or the red one), while West dawned the equally original moniker Vampire Girl (or the black one), and the pair were off and running. The first recording of the duo (plus one-off drummer Frankie Stein) was a 7" on Estrus Records, and then the "ghoul-band" hooked up with She-Zilla (Carol Cutshall) and Bong Load Records. In 1998, the full length debut In the Night!!! was unleashed by Bong Load on the unsuspecting masses — including more than a few very disappointed White Zombie and New York Loose fans. Breaking preconceived ideas about the musicians involved may have indeed been one of the goals Famous Monsters set out to achieve, but instead of Zombie's larger-than-life metal, or West's sultry, ragged pop-punk, the banal garage-surf of In the Night!!! simply fills space. The recorded presentation was neither funny, nor all that interesting, and besides the bizarre (and to be fair, somewhat creative) song titles, Yseult and West offer little musically. Response to the record was a real love-it-or-hate-it situation, and judging by the lack of real interest in the group outside hipster circles...hate might be a strong word actually, but confusion mixed with apathy could describe things. With such an emphasis on costumes and outrageous science fiction publicity, it would make sense to assume that Famous Monsters had to be more of a live attraction that failed to translate their campy onslaught to silicon and vinyl, but attendees of the band's performance were just as likely to not be in on the joke as record buyers. The outfit's performances could often be a little dry or stilted, making the mystery of Famous Monsters, even their very existence even more puzzling. In 1999, a collection of singles and live tracks was released on Estrus, entitled Around the World in 80 Bikinis, and nothing significant was heard from Famous Monsters afterward.

Review
by Heather Phares

On its second album Around the World in 80 Bikinis, the "ghoul" group Famous Monsters creates more spooky garage-surf mayhem with songs like "Monster Girls Are Go!" and "The Werewolf Wiggle." The album collects all of the band's early, limited-edition singles and EPs along with an "Actual Monster Party!" (a live monster mash secretly recorded by the group). Full of kitschy, catchy fun, Around the World in 80 Bikinis proves she-vampires and lizard-queens can crank out mutant garage rock with the best of them.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Three, Two, One, Zero, Minus One???


The Metalunas
X-Minus-One
1999


*

Surf-revival guitarist Mark Brodie — previously of Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol — formed the Metalunas upon his return to Vancouver from Japan, where he had lived from 1996-97 fronting another surf combo called the Saboteurs. Featuring a rhythm section of Mike Cinnamon (bass) and Rod Moore (drums), the Metalunas made their recording debut in 1999 with X-Minus-One.

*


The Metalunas' take on the Dick Dale/Ventures-inspired surf-revival sound mixes in plenty of Farfisa organ, giving the musicm on X-Minus-One a mock "space-age" feel similar to the sound effects on early science-fiction radio serials. AMG


*

1 X-Minus One
2 Blast Off!
3 Satellite of Mystery
4 Enemy Approaching
5 Shield Up!
6 Moon Relay
7 Interlude
8 It Came from the Nebula
9 Meteorite Mambo
10 Celluloid Planetoid
11 Jupiter Doo Dah
12 Twilight City
13 Ballistic Bikini


*

http://rapidshare.com/files/57997310/The_Metalunas_-_X_Minus_One.rar

Are You Lost?


Lost In The 60's Mutant Surf Classics

2004
*
Brought to you by the mysterious Charles Vine
*
2004 Spanish only compilation of Australian all-surf instrumental songs, featuring a few bands known to Not Lamers like Safari Season and The Neptunes and Majestic Kelp, Dom Mariani(DM3, The Stems, The Someloves) surf band, 16 songs total and ALL surf with some excellent fret work, it there should be! Fans of the genre, this is a most excellent pick-up and one that is only seeing a very limited pressing in Spain and is going to be very hard to find here soon. A Timeless genre captured here by some Australia`s finest bands of the genre.
1 The Beach (Edit) - Safari Season
2 The Gasser - GT Stringer
3 Surf's Up - The Atlantics
4 Freakout - The Atlantics
5 Bombora - The Porkers
6 Roulette - Majestic Kelp
7 Safari-So-Good - The Wetsuits
8 Trigger Mortis - Thurston Howlers
9 Gamma Wray - Fez Perez
10 Kahanamoku Kick - Navahodads
11 Night Surfer - The Raouls
12 Walk The Plank - GT Stringer
13 One Eyed Bikini Monster - The Crusaders
14 Shake It - The Riptides
15 Endless Summer - The Neptunes
16 The Beach - Safari Seasons
*

Sunday, September 23, 2007

They Stick and They Sting


The Sandblasters
Cactus Stingrays
1999
*
Thanks go to Brandonio for this one.
*
After several years of development, Mark Stultz’ band the Sandblasters has delivered a very solid CD of crunchy sounding Spanish influenced western visionary surf and twang. The thing that struck me about this disc is the quality of the performance. It is not just solid, but Mark doesn’t need to rely on volume of speed. Much of the material is mid tempo, yet it’s powerful and magnetic. His bandmates Spencer Clarke- drums and Drew Shuller- bass provide a crisp foundation. Much like Mark’s work here, it is conspicuous in it’s most appropriate and well defined support role, instead of obviated by the players egos. There is a definite sense of ensemble here. Most of the songs are longer, some are quite dramatic, all are very artful solid CD. Phil Dirt
*

Saturday, September 22, 2007

The Revelaires * Bear Rock

Groovy Flemmish Guys

Friday, September 21, 2007

The Chantay's - Pipeline (Lawrence Welk Show 5/18/63)

Yes, The Lawrence Welk Show! He's sooo cool!

It's Surfme'n'tal


Estrume'n'tal
Surfme'n'tal
2003
What could be a cooler cover! My two favorite things together, Surf & Tiki.
Estrume'n'tal formed in mid-1997 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, by Claudio Rocha (drums), Fred Maia (bass), Lino Rodrigues and Guilherme Mendes (guitars). Along its history the band has performed on several important indie/alternative events in Brazil, such as the Goiania Noise Festival, National Garage, Hellsurf, Ruído Festival and Primeiro Campeonato Mineiro de Surfe (First Minas Gerais State Surf Music Championship), alongside with bands like Man or Astroman?, Guitar Wolf, Autoramas, Ratos de Porão, Matanza and others.
Estrume'n'tal's first album, Surfme'n'tal, was released worldwide by the American label Golly Gee Records and had a significant impact in the American and European alternative scene. Because of this, Estrume'n'tal was invited to participate in a number of international instro rock / surf music compilations. The band also featured in Brazilian compilations, produced two videoclips and provided the soundtrack for short films, American mountain boarding DVDs and several surf programs on Brazilian TV.
The new album, Neander'n'tal, has been released worldwide also by Golly Gee Records.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

One Thee Seventh Day Let There Be Surf Re-up


Hawaii Samurai
Let There Be Surf
2003
Re-up

Watche Diffusion

(translated via Google Translator)



Go, I stick myself to it. I am really not a specialist in surfing music, but it should be said that with what arrives to my turntable in this moment (Fantastic 3, the Orientals,… and thus Hawaii Samurai) I felt obliged me to stick to it! What to say? They are four (guitar, low, battery, and sax!!) and come from the east of the hexagon. They trainent with excellent groups (Two Tone Club, for example) and belong to a small label, “the Productions of impossible” which agitates side of Montbeliard. They have also black glasses (on the photograph)!! Let there Be Surfing! 12 titles of surfing and environment “psychotic & cryptic” (odd odd!!). The titles of the pieces express a whole universe of the American bd/comics the Sixties: between “voodoo princess terror”, “our favorite Martian”, “astrocrypt hellsurfers” (but that is what it is that that?!), “come polished”, and even “surfing' destroy” and small “a mariachi' S fever”. And the worst, it is that Hawaii Samurai succeeds in perfectly making stick these titles to environments and atmospheres which they are supposed to represent. Perfect music for films or other short-measurings. I am fan!



Me too!!!


1/ Voodoo princess terror
2/ Our favorite Martian
3/ Surf'n'destroy
4/ Astrocrypt hellsurfers
5/ Pacific darkside
6/ Surf or die
7/ Ocean's devil
8/ Venus polis
9/ Toxic avenger
10/ Ride the snake
11/ Run chicken run
12/ Mariachi's fever





Get Your Coffee Black And Gritty In The Morning


Popa Chubby

Black Coffee Blues Band




Between two world tours and two recordings of his own, (the 2nd Volume of "Presents NYC Blues" and his new studio album "The Good The Bad & The Chubby") Popa Chubby likes to spend some good time and play the real thing with his band "The Black Coffee Blues Band" , with his wife Galea,on bass and helping out on vocal duties; Arthur Neilson, on guitar (who has a critically acclaimed album "A Piece of Wood, Some Strings & A Pick "DFGCD 8511) Dimitri on drums, and Mister New-York City Blues himself on lead guitar and vocals.So this is a Limited Edition release for hard-core fans - and lovers of down-home, greasy blues, guaranteed to burn the house down, with Popa and Arthur trading solos like straight shots of bourbon. No Popa Chubby originals here, but a selection tasty cover-versions - some well-known, some less so, and including material by Junior Wells, Johnny Winter, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters, Ma Rainey, Willie Dixon and Neil Young





01. Messin' with the kid

02. Motorcycle mama

03. I can tell

04. Seventh son

05. See See Rider

06. That's what love does

07. Cocaine blues

08. Bumblebee

09. Slip away

10. Boppin' the blues

11. Blow wind blow

Jackie and the Cedrics in Namba 5-26-2007

A Little Jackie

Jackie & The Cedrics







Jackie & The Cedrics
20 Singles
Another outlet for Rockin' Enocky and Friends
From the land of the rising surf. ROCKIN' JELLY BEAN and clazy pals! Tokyo's surf samurai squad offer six pounders recorded in a wild NYC one day studio sesh!
Sorry, this was found NOT to be "Presenting Jackie & The Cedrics" but a 20 song compilation put together by the mysterious "Anonymous". I am checking into finding the correct file for the first EP.
Anonymous, thanks for keeping me honest.

Miles and Miles Of Endless Beach


Mercury Four

Endless Beach
2000
Mercury Four formed in the fall of 1998 in Seattle, WA as a collaboration between guitarist Chip Doring of The Splashdowns and keyborder Jim Sadler - formerly of The Deep End.They soon added Natalie Parks (Bad Apples) on bass and the ubiquitous Marshall Scott Warner on Drums.Endless Beach, their first release was recorded Summer of 2000 at Private Radio studio in Seattle under the direction of Jack Endino. CD Baby

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Get This & Get Your Ass Sandblasted!


Sandblasters
Space Bar B Q
1996

Pipeline Instrumental Review, Surrey, England

A reverb snap opens up Weird Satellite, the punchy surfy, space theme that sets the tone for this, the first CD from The Sandblasters. Mark Stultz’s biting, echoey guitar sound takes the lead with plenty of tremoloed chords to savour. Organ provides support on this and a couple of other tracks, a second guitar is also used to good effect on occasion. Dramatic acoustic work introduces the Wave King with more of that tough lead guitar. Our European friends will recognize the term piggtrad (barbed wire) which was used in the 60’s to describe a tough electric guitar sound, it was never more appropriately applied than to The Sandblasters! Both of these tracks clock in at around 2 ½ minutes to provide a dynamic start to Space Bar-B-Q.
Next up is Petrina , actually Jerry Lordan’s evocative Santa Ana and presumably therefore a tribute to the great songwriter. A fine arrangement from the band contributes significantly to his theme. Naked Piranha takes it on with crashing chords and cascading runs to create a Latin-surf feel with a neat arrangement that incorporates a bass & drum break alongside more from the guitar. This tasty track and the surfbeat section of Fiberglass Camel are the closest to traditional surf-styled pieces. The mean and moody Body Bag links in a touch of Rumble for dramatic effect while the slow Tarantula Taco has a deep lead allied to a strong acoustic rhythm in a fine Latin arrangement. The acoustic feature Myan Sun Dance is a brilliantly tense and dramatic number, using only guitar and hand percussion instruments. It’s an amazing achievement that provides variety to the set in an unusual way. Elsewhere the album is filled with solid power guitar rock with a surfy edge, but it’s those special arrangements which will ensure The Sandblasters’ future.
Space Bar-B-Q is a significant step forward from their cassettes and a satisfying debut, I have a feeling they are going to be even better next time around.
~Alan Taylor
Weird Satellite
Wave King
Petrina
Naked Piranha
Water Gunn
Myan Sun Dance
Tarantula Taco
Mookiest Limbo
Fiberglass Camel
Oyster Wax
Body Bag
Jupiter Beach

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Something/Anything


Todd Rundgren
Something/Anything
1972






Got a chance to see Todd Monday night in Anaheim. Great show. Also got to meet him backstage after the show. After being a fan for over 35 years, it was a very special night for the Trustar.





*




Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Others had recorded one-man albums before Todd Rundgren, most notably Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, but with Something/Anything? he captured the homemade ambience of McCartney with the visionary feel of Music of My Mind, adding an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music from Gilbert & Sullivan through Jimi Hendrix, plus the crazed zeal of a pioneer. Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album, since each side of the double-record is a concept unto itself. The first is "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies"; side two is "the cerebral side"; on side three "the kid gets heavy"; side four is his mock pop operetta, recorded with a full band including the Sales Brothers. It gallops through everything — Carole King tributes ("I Saw the Light"), classic ballads ("Hello It's Me," "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"), Motown ("Wolfman Jack"), blinding power pop ("Couldn't I Just Tell You"), psychedelic hard rock ("Black Maria"), pure weirdness ("I Went to the Mirror"), blue-eyed soul ("Dust in the Wind"), and scores of brilliant songs that don't fall into any particular style ("Cold Morning Light," "It Takes Two to Tango"). It's an amazing journey that's remarkably unpretentious. Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, indulging his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. There are a ton of loose ends throughout Something/Anything?, plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context — they're what makes the album into a kaleidoscopic odyssey through the mind of an insanely gifted pop music obsessive.




1 I Saw the Light
2 It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
3 Wolfman Jack
4 Cold Morning Light
5 It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls)
6 Sweeter Memories
7 Intro
8 Breathless [instrumental]
9 The Night the Carousel Burned Down
10 Saving Grace
11 Marlene
12 Song of the Viking
13 I Went to the Mirror
14 Black Maria
15 One More Day (No Word)
16 Couldn't I Just Tell You
17 Torch Song
18 Little Red Lights
19 Overture-My Roots: Money (That's What I Want) /Messin' With the Kid
20 Dust in the Wind
21 Piss Aaron
22 Hello It's Me
23 Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me
24 You Left Me Sore
25 Slut

*
2 parts to this one. Get them both

*

http://rapidshare.com/files/55019994/Something_Anything__Disc_1.rar

*
http://rapidshare.com/files/55026689/Something_Anything__Disc_2.rar

Ya Gotta Shoot Them In The Head!


The Surf Trio
Safari In A Living Graveyard
1989
*
*
Portland, Oregon's legendary garage/punk/surf combo, The Surf Trio kicks it out on their second long player. This CD reissue of their 1989 LP includes a bunch of extra tracks. Wild guitars, cheezy Farfisa, primal rhythms and Ramones-style rockers make this one of THE classic releases of the modern garage/surf era!
*
*
1 Hang Ten
2 Skaterdater
3 Girl With No Name
4 Gold Beach
5 Another Song Called Over the Edge
6 Never Gonna Hold Me
7 Mile Zero
8 Go, Go, Go
9 Barbary Coast
10 Deep in Your Eyes
11 Something Like an Angel
12 Walking to Florida
13 Couldn't Care Less
14 Let Her Dance
15 Starlight Place
16 My Real World
17 Is My Girl Really Gone
18 Out of Limits
*

Grab Your Eleki and Go Man Go!


The Royal Fingers
Wild Eleki Deluxe

2001


Review
by Charles Spano
Wild Eleki Deluxe is the Royal Fingers' rip-roaring surf rock ride for Del-Fi. With riffs and grooves that move with the best surf tunes of yesteryear, the Japanese trio draws the listener back to a time of beach parties, longboards, woodies, and surfer girls. There are covers of other Japanese songwriters on here, like Kosaku Dan's hard-rocking "Black Sand Beach," the countrified "Running Donkey," and the garage jam "The L.A.," as well as originals that crystallize the band's love for such an American genre. "Ace of Toyota," an amazing name for a song, is like Link Wray sped up for cruising in a compact car. "Wild Datsun" takes the theme to street drag racing. "Crazy Sue Sax" is a hand-clapper that brings on the saxophone. The atmospheric Echo Rocket 66" finishes things up with a Pulp Fiction flair. This is a pretty straightforward take on surf rock and doesn't sound entirely new. But Wild Eleki Deluxe is pure fun, and one can't ask for much more than that.
*

Monday, September 10, 2007

Isn't It Strange


The Strange
Nights Of Forgotten Film
2004

Thanks go out to Al Zombie for hooking me up with this very cool set of tunes. Braaaaaaaains!

In an era of mashups and rampant genre cross-fertilization, I suppose a collaboration between the founder of The Walkabouts-- one of the greatest and most prolific American Gothic bands of the past two decades-- and a Croatian surf-rock band with the nerve to call themselves The Bambi Molesters should come as no surprise. What is perhaps more unexpected, is that this collaboration is a resounding success. Then again, The Walkabouts' Chris Eckman's whispery rasp (which is similar to The Auteurs' Luke Haines) and the copious echo and tremolo of prime surf aren't that far removed from each other-- Johnny Cash and old trucker songs are good precedents. When The Molesters lower the lights and inject a hint of blues and jazz noir into their sound, it's a perfect match. The Croatian band's music is already spectacularly stormy and dramatic, and Eckman had previously delivered an arresting spoken performance on "Ice & Pinewood Trees", from The Molesters' excellent second album Sonic Bullets, so there was some collaborative comfort between the two parties.Anyone who thinks of surf as expressly sunny music will have their mind changed by this record. The dual guitars of Dalibor Pavicic and Dinko Tomljanovic are dripping in cavernous spring reverb, but Hrvoje Zaborac's roomy, understated drums and Lada Furlan Zaborac's slinking bass keep them rooted on dry land, free to roam every deep old-growth forest and poorly lit alleyway they can find. Occasional piano, organ, and trumpet darken the edges, and Eckman is the deadpan centerpiece, breathily narrating the blackness of the night with a delivery perched in the gray area between spoken storytelling and melody. He goes the furthest in the latter direction on "These Lies", a beautiful, mostly acoustic piece of jazz-inflected folk that somehow combines the feel of a campfire in the woods and the pools of light on an empty city street.
Elsewhere, guitars swirl in stately rings around Eckman, and it's quite clear that this is an equal partnership. The Molesters are never relegated to backing band status-- Pavicic dances with Eckman in a melodic call-and-response on "Tonight, I Will Say Anything" and then trades off with Tomljanovic's Spaghetti Western rattle in the spaces between verses. "Tonight, I will say anything/ Any stupid, fucked-up thing/ Anything that helps," sings Eckman in a moment of desperation, a slight sneer rising at the corner of his lips. At his most intense, he whispers his lines with utter malevolence, like Jarvis Cocker on "I Spy", and his frantic take on Echo & the Bunnymen's "Villier's Terrace" is thrilling. "See It In the Dark" is the kind of frightening waltz a SoCal Tindersticks might dream up, with lyrics about intra-marital homicide and a two-pronged guitar attack that hits with tangled leads in the high end and grinding, swaying chords in the low.
Nights of Forgotten Films doesn't even feel like a collaboration-- the dynamic interactions between the players seems natural and consistently bracing. I already thought The Bambi Molesters were the best surf band in the world today, but it turns out that they're far, far more than just that, able to sublimate their thrashier tendencies in the service of a vocalist. Perhaps where this album succeeds is that there's nothing forced-- each party involved gets to play to its strengths and they effortlessly complement each other. So give credit to Eckman and his Croatian crew: Nights of Forgotten Films is everything a collaboration should be.
-Joe Tangari, December 06, 2004

1 Nights Of Forgotten Films

2 Tonight, I Will Say Anything

3 River Of Twilight

4 See It In The Dark

5 Long Shadows

6 Comin' Undone

7 These Lies

8 Gone Missing

9 Run With The Hunted

10 Villiers Terrace

11 The Girl On Death Row

http://rapidshare.com/files/54743290/The_Strange_-_Nights_Of_Forgotten_Films.rar

'

Friday, September 07, 2007

It's A Panic!! A Surf Panic



The Surf Coasters

Surf Panic 95'
1995












1
INTO THE SURF SPACE:サーフパニックへの誘い
2
CUT BACK:波をブッちぎれ!
3
THE CLASH:哀しみのイモラ
4
ULTRA Q's THEME:ウルトラQのテーマ
5
DOLPHINS:恋するフリッパー
6
MR. MOTO:ミスター・モト
7
BEACH MONSTER:怪獣天国
8
BIKE MEN!:シェイク・ホンダ・シェイク
9
MISIRLOU:ミザルー
10
CARTRIDGE WAVE:波といつまでも





http://rapidshare.com/files/54036291/3-46e64.zip

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Surf Is Dead?? Don't Think So Jimi!






The Surf Coasters

Surf Is Dead

2000














1
Surf is dead
2
Hawaiian Daylight
3
Surfing And Spying
4
Space Spade
5
Baja
6
Cyclone
7
Love is dead
8
TUSK
9
Crossfire
10
Funny Corn
11
Rumble
12
Jack The Ripper












OLD NEWS

Bonehead Alert!!


Sorry folks. Did not even notice that track #1 was missing. Will try to find it and post it separtly.

Anyone have it handy??? Can you help a poor alterboy out?





***Good news!


Thanks to the 'Ol Crow, here is the link for the missing track#1 Surf is Dead.

For those who d/l the earlier, incomplete .rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/53792063/01_Surf_Is_Dead.rar.html




Complete archive HERE


Thanks to da Crow & Brandonio



T


Just Livin' In A Surfside Village


The Space Coasters

Surfside Village

1995








1
Reverb 1000:シェイクNo.1
2
Tsunami Struck
3
Rampage:さすらいのサーフギター
4
Code Name SG7:秘密のアクト
5
Sea Knows:(海のみぞ知る)
6
Jaws Theme ~Shark Attack:ジョーズのテーマ~人喰い鮫との死闘
7
Test Driver
8
Dreams:銀河の彼方に
9
Vamos por ahi:麗しのアカプルコ
10
Boogie Man:怪人天国
11
Chasing Shadows (Album Version):チェイシング・シャドウ
12
Death Rage 2000:ラウド・サーファー
13
Penetration:恋のテレパシー
14
Tornado: エス・エス・イー
15
Let's Go Trippin' ~Live(CDのみ)
16
Scratch ~Live (CDのみ)*15-16 LIVE at YOKOSUKA PUMPKIN on 1995.3.7

http://rapidshare.com/files/53473673/Surfside_Village.zip

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Who's In The Shadows By The Back Door


The Shadows Of Knight

Back Door Men

1967






Biography
by Richie Unterberger
"The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch." The Shadows of Knight's self-description was fairly accurate. Although this mid-'60s garage band from the Windy City did not match the excellence of either their British or African-American idols, the teen energy of their recordings remains enjoyable, if not overwhelmingly original. The group took a tamer version of Them's classic "Gloria" into the American Top Ten in 1966, and also took a Yardbirdized version of Bo Diddley's "Oh Yeah" into the Top 40 the same year. Their patchy albums contained a few exciting R&B covers in the Yardbirds/Stones style and a few decent originals in the same vein. The group's original lineup splintered quickly, and the Shadows faded in the late '60s after briefly pursuing a more commercial pop sound.






Review
by Bruce Eder
The original LP version of this album, the second by the legendary white Chicago garage punk/blues outfit, was one of the most sought-after artifacts of mid-'60s punk rock. Back Door Men was a loud, feedback-laden, sneering piece of rock & roll defiance, mixing raunchy anthems to teenage lust ("Gospel Zone," "Bad Little Woman"), covers of Chicago blues classics (Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," Jimmy Reed's "Peepin' and Hidin'"), raga rock ("The Behemoth"), folk-rock ("Hey Joe," "Three for Love," "I'll Make You Sorry"), and a blues-punk grab off of commercial Top 40 ("Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day") all on one 12" platter. What makes the record even more startling is that every one of these tracks, however far afield they go from one another, works. The band strides across the music spectrum with a reach and boldness that most listeners usually only associate with the likes of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, and a grasp that, for a moment here, may have exceeded either of those groups, as they slide from electric guitar into extended Chess-style blues instrumentals ("New York Bullseye").
*






Alwaro Negro
Clean!
2006


Alwaro Negro

Is Dead

2004








ALWARO NEGRO is a quartet based in Latina, Italy and plays instrumental spy-psycho-punky-surf'n'roll music. The band was formed in the fall of 2002. Members of ALWARO NEGRO are RO and WA on guitars, Crasto on drums, A.N. DR. on bass. ALWARO NEGRO loves classic and modern surf music like Dick Dale, The Ventures, Link Wray, The Trashmen, Man or Astroman?, The Phantom Surfers. ALWARO NEGRO loves the rock'n'roll gods Sonics and Ramones. ALWARO NEGRO loves labels like Estrus, In the Red, Crypt.RO has been guitar player in a hardcore band called Opposizione from 1991 to 1996 and has played in Campionato Italiano, an electronic music project, Bambino Stanco, a schizo-surf band, and in Sigariforme, an alien surf band.
WA has been member of Mistral On Tiga, noise-funk-surf-punk band, 42° Parallelo and Niuz Pus, a freaky mr.bunglish band.
Crasto has been guitar player in Opposizione and played drums in Bambino Stanco, Niuz Pus and Nihil. He actually plays drums in an obscure band called wedontcareaboutnames.
A.N. DR. has been guitar and bass player in Opposizione, Bambino Stanco, Niuz Pus and actually plays in wedontcareaboutnames.


Three Dog Night

Suitable For Framing

1969








Review
by Jim Newsom
Suitable For Framing followed Three Dog Night's debut disc by only a few months, sharing the charts with its predecessor for a while. This second release contained two Top Ten chartmakers: "Easy to Be Hard," and from the rock musical Hair, and "Eli's Coming," written by quirky songwriter Laura Nyro (who also wrote "And When I Die," a hit for Blood, Sweat and Tears the same year). It also introduced the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin to American audiences with a version of "Lady Samantha," from Elton's British-only first album release, that was also a hit single for Three Dog Night. Another popular song from this album was the classic "Celebrate," with its blaring horn lines and easily sung, "Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music" chorus and coda. Suitable For Framing also included a soulful take on Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and provided the first popular cover version of Dave Mason's soon-to-be-oft-recorded "Feeling Alright." Although the hit singles were plentiful, the album only reached number 16, showing the gap between the singles-buying audience and those that purchased albums. Nonetheless, Suitable For Framing confirmed the group's musical strength with the AM radio audience while appealing to more "hip" listeners as well.