Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This 1996 bootleg is an all instrumental collection of oddities and small indie issues, many of which are dismissible. Mastered from vinyl sources, this LP has a few tracks that could fit in with a surf set, or be surfed up.

Picks: Scrub Bucket, Devils Run, Wasted!, Gulley Washer, Look-Out, Round Rock Boogie, Shutdown, Saw Mill Run, Sham, Safari, Do It, Zombie, Screaming (Part 2), Fast Track, The Lion Is Awake, Race Riot

Rock (Instrumental)

"Scrub Bucket" is one hell of a chunky song, with throbbing tom toms and edgy guitar. It's like a damped chop reinvention of a Sandy Nelson classic. The chunk wins you over. Great stuff!

Rock (Instrumental)

Demented guitar warble leads the foray over tribal tom toms. More or less melody free, yet with a simple progression that is cool enough in this arrangement to carry it off. Very nice track. This single features Herb Kleibe.

Sax Surf (Instrumental)

This raw sax rocker is supported by primal drums and chunky guitar. It's more than a fifties frat rocker, with reverbed and damped rhythm guitar pretty buried in the mix, yet fundamental to the power of the tune. At the end of the day, it's just a riff rocker.

Rock (Instrumental)

Throbbing vibrato guitar grumbles with sustained simplicity, noodles circular riffs, twangs mindless chord jams, and beats that fifties sound to death. More than ho-hum, but not really notable.

Rock (Instrumental)

Exotica flavored bongos beneath a two-chord progression and even shallower lead. Hardly worth publishing the music for, yet kinda cool as an example of minimalist back room rock jammin'.

Rock (Instrumental)

The Rel-Yea's "Round Rock Boogie" has been comp'd several times before. It's an interesting track, typically theirs in style. A boogie riff with an Eddie Cochran feel to it. . The band was from the Midwest.

Frat Rock (Instrumental)

Shout "Shutdown" a few times, holler "get it baby" and other mindless frat party phrases, play an overused progression, stop-start a couple of times, jam your brains out, and... viola... you have a completely forgettable track.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a minimalist surf jam - just a couple of chords and no direction. Only the rhythm guitar's reverb chunk keeps this interesting. Still, it's an obscuro with garage appeal.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Sham" is an unusual track for the period. EchoPlexed low grind spacy sound - very heavy. This was taken from an acetate from Chicago's Joy Recording Studio. Minimal chord chunk and stinging guitar notes.

Near Surf (Instrumental)

The near surf chunk of the rhythm guitar ominously supports the nasty sax lines. Tribal and mean, "Safari" gets the nod for it's dangerous nature and surf sensibilities.

Fifties Progression (Instrumental)

"Do It" is little more than a raw progression. Edgy and gutty, but directionless.

Fifties Progression (Instrumental)

The "What'd I Say" introductory melody becomes the main course as the Robins make nice with deep vibrato and evil tone. haunted and desperate, "Zombie" grabs you and makes you worry about that bump in the night.

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Primitive screaming guitar rock, chooglin' along at a blinding clip, with screaming interspersed. This grodie fifties instro is just ahead of the surf revolution in style. Very cool guitar work.

Rock (Instrumental)

So, the magic question is, just how many bands have used the moniker Sting Rays? I'll bet it's in the hundreds at least. This is a fast moving freight train drivin' monster, with excellent damped rhythm guitar, something like the Fendermen might have done. This is reportedly from the unreleased LP Sting Rays Beach Party.

Rock (Instrumental)

Sammy and the Five Notes recorded this really neat jungle number. The title is an obvious reference to the Tokens' hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." It's a tune that should be surfed up by some enterprising band. This arrangement is tom-tom laden, full of howls and animal noises galore. It's the garage exotica arrangement that makes this so cool!

Rock (Instrumental)

Los Perdidos oddly titled "Race Riot" has a really lo-fi quality, but it is melodic enough to be developed and surfed up. A genuine curiosity.