Already listening to the following: Surftronics (they only have one album, but it's a killer one! check it out on Youtube) Ventures S.C.O.T.S. (they have recorded a fair number of surf-ish tunes over the years) R.E.M. (they have a few too: White Tornado, Airliner, Surfing the Ganges, Tricycle, 165 Hillcrest) Still trying to locate a few Surfaris recordings. I also have a Beach Boys compilation. Are there good modern bands like the Surftronics playing instrumental surf music?
Speaking of surf music, I was looking at Ventures albums on Amazon yesterday and I saw this: For twelve bucks and change it looks like a deal. Does anyone have this?
Los Straitjackets have been around for a long time. Back in the 90's, there were a lot of bands doing surf instrumentals. I have stuff by The Bomboras, Boss Martians, Huevos Rancheros, Jon & the Nightriders, Phantom Surfers, Satan's Pilgrims and probably several others.
Keb Darge has some great compilations you should look for, mostly older stuff but great tunes. A friend of mine runs a surf rock radio show online. Good place to find bands. The Surfphony of Derstruction 2000 - SURFROCKRADIO.COM A big, annual live show I've been missing here in Toronto is he Great Lakes Surf Battle, great roster of current bands every year. Log into Facebook (the link should take you to the page here) Probably the most well known from this area is the Surfrajettes, they tour a lot so keep an eye out for them in your area.
Bandcamp has a decent surf selection and so does Green Noise Records. Surf The only issue is a lot of surf is on European labels so finding domestic distribution is sometimes hard. Sundazed Music has some compilations called Lost Legends of Surf Guitar. They are really good and available on Ebay.
There is tones of great surf music out there right now, check out releases on Double Crown Records (US) and Green Cookie (Greece). I would recommend any release from the following: -Frankie and the Pool Boys -The Mermen -The Madeira -The Exotics -The Atomic Mosquitos -The TomorrowMen -The Surf Coasters -The Insect Surfers -Slacktone
Surf music is great! Some of my favorite lesser-known groups are: The Impacts Jim Messina & His Jesters The Sentinals The Lively Ones The Challengers The Chantays The Ryhthm Rockers Those are all from the early 60s. I don't know much surf revival, but I can reccommend the SurfDusters (from the 90s I think). And if you want a comprehensive compilation of vintage and revival surf I would suggest hearing this: Cowabunga! - The Surf Box (1996, CD) Here's a link to the opening track off of that Jim Messina/Jesters album (and yes, it is that Jim Messina). The whole album has great energy and is one of my favorites.
I'm curious as well. So far have only found the back cover. The bottom note makes it iffy Also Reel To Reel music is the successor of Real Gone music.
I was really surprised by this tune when I got Marty Stuart's Way Out West; I didn't expect surf music at all!
Recommended reading while you're surfin' these tasty tunes: Taschen's Vintage Surfing Lots of great images and graphics. My only complaint about it is the small format. They really should've issued this as a big coffee table book.
My brother played the album Five Summer Stories by Honk endlessly in our house: Honk - Pipeline Sequence
I am not overly familiar with contemporary surf music, but I have a number of fantastic compilations of vintage surf music. A great starting place is Rhino's Cowabunga! The Surf Box, which not only covers key years and key recordings from the 1960's, but has a 4th disc that showcases some latter period work from the late 1970's through the mid 1990's.
Funny I picked this c.d. up at this year's r.s.d. as I am not a vinyl person......I also highly recommend the 2 albums by THE RAYBEATS.....only 1 was ever properly reissue on c.d.....the other remains vinyl only.....sadly!A great late 70's/ 80's band!
Some newer acts like the Allah- la’s self titled album and also Real Estate have a melancholy surf sound that hits the right spot for me sometimes.
