Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This mp3 comp from Revolcadero Surf, which promotes surfbands in Mexico, features some cool stuff and some lo-fi mung. It's an interesting cross section of surfbands from Mexico, and it's a free download to boot.

Picks: Apolo 13 - Salamandra, El Inodoro Asecino, Estatica, Big Mascara - I Wanna Be Sedated, Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, The Cavernarios - Chacmol, Chino Y Los Cochinos - Ahora Estoy Solo, Punchout, Espectroplasma - Plasma Forces, Los Pegajosos - Acido Surfurico En, Hoy Voy A Loquear, Titila En Cholula, El Gatito Mas Ara, Perversos Cetaceos - Mexican Mosquito, El Nuevo Nino, Santisimos Snorkels - Insomnio, Enterrado En La Arena, Telekrimen - Somos Zombies, Las Creaturas Del Dr. Moro, Ataque Fantasma, Daktari Freak, Cocktail Marciano, El Ultimo De Los Planetas, The Thunder Surfers - Ostras Y Langostas, Ultrasonicas - Camel De Sevilla

Surf (Instrumental)

This is very shallow sounding, and the playing is tentative, like a very early rehearsal. The long slides and uplifting melody riff show promise. You can predict this will evolve into a solid track, but more time needs to pass.

Surf (Instrumental)

In a partial merger between The Ventures' 1960 and 1964 versions, Los 4 Tikis play "Walk, Don't Run" in a tentative fashion, as if they were just weeks into early rehearsals. Very primitive.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Garage Night" starts off very rock'n'roll garagy, develops a cool rhythm and riff, passes through a metal pomp passage, and then flurries into speed. After all that, it evolves into big drama and thrash. Lot's of seamless variation here. Darn original.

Garage Surf (Instrumental)

This is a cool number begging for a more sympathetic treatment. Nice chords needing a bit of whammy, a tasteful melody, and genuine surf feel lurk amid a tepid mix and recording.

Surf (Instrumental)

Aggressive and rock driven double picked with harsh tone and a circular riff. It's hard to ignore instros with this much spunk. "Salamandra" also goes by the title "Sanblue."

Surf (Instrumental)

This is an aggressive and very dark double picked number with an ominous melody line, stinging whammy, wah wah bridges, and a compelling hard rock drive. The sound is pretty demo, but it sure does rock!

Surf (Instrumental)

A relentless and chunky chord chop opens with samples narratives, but then quickly evolves into a somewhat thrashy and harsh instro featuring a dark riff and some interesting guitar phasing effects.

Surf (Instrumental)

In a cross between seventies punk and surf, Big Mascara rock on this Ramones cover. Glissandos, spunk, some reverb, and big energy make for a solid ride. Very cool!

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a spunky version of The Ramones' "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker," with their humor and energy, but with cleaner lead guitar. Totally fun!

Surf (Instrumental)

Very rhythm dominated, "Chacmol" sports a double picked lead playing a Spanish favored melody, amped with glissandos and whammy chords. The melody is moody and dark, but the pace and rhythm are upbeat. A very cool song!

Surf (Instrumental)

Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now" is nicely converted to instro. While this is mid-fi mono at best, the arrangement is very good, and the song catchy. Too fun!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Punchout" is garagy and edgy, with double picked fire compressed and laden with distortion. Lots of energy and grode tone. The tuff glissandos are cool, and the melody reminds me of some of the eighties LA surfbands like Tommy and the Piers.

Cowpunk (Instrumental)

Chop cord rhythms drive this galloping cowpunk epic. "Plasma Forces" is dark and edgy, with an infectious rhythm and attack. More progression than melody, yet quite attractive. Lots of power and churning danger. It even sports some Theremin wailings at the end.

Surf (Instrumental)

Well, "Cabaret" is done i what sounds like the wrong key, and the performance and recording are, shall we say, primitive. It's not lo-fi, just really amateur. It doesn't really keep your attention.

Surf (Instrumental)

Fast and furious, with gross tone and psychedelic weirdness, like Shaft at the beach as interpreted by Tommy and the Piers on a very strange day. This is very fast and very disturbing. Kinda cool too!

Surf (Instrumental)

On the psychedelic side, with party shouts and fun galore, "Hoy Voy A Loquear" is more like a frat instro with reverb than a surf instro. It's choppy and stompy and fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Titila En Cholula" starts slowly and lushly with cool lagoon chords and whammy. The punters screaming doesn't drive them faster, which is a good thing. This is a very cool slow number with liquid tone and round bass. Great drums too. It fades out too soon.

Surf (Instrumental)

Rhythmic and groovy, "El Gatito Mas Ara" is playful, on the speedy side, and loaded with energy. In some ways, it's more rockabilly structured than surf. The drum production is harsh, but the kitty calls are funny. Really fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a traditional song transmuted into pure Mexican fun. Party shouts and real garage band feelings emote from "Mexican Mosquito." This is basic primal rock'n'roll in a surf format.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a demo version of "El Nino Que Se Llevo El Mar." Like the demo ahead of it, it's significantly more persuasive and attractive.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Marea Roja" borrows a lot from tunes of days gone by. From the opening chords throughout, this seems like string of things you've heard before. Under developed and lacking chemistry, but showing promise.

Surf (Instrumental)

Murky and fast, "Insomnio" is a double picked menace that apes Dick Dale and others with complete abandon. This is a spunky and very fun track. demented laughs add to the thrill of the riff.

Surf (Instrumental)

A slow kick drum brings on whammy chords and island images as "Enterrado En La Arena" flows beautifully from the guitar. The melody is a little sad, but the gray water images also foretell of returning sun. This is a very fine track.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is an instrumental cover of "Poison Ivy." It's surfy and fun, with some nice bass slide notes. Its sound is thin compared to other songs from Santisimos Snorkels.

Space Surf (Instrumental)

Liquid chords and moody bass support the weird keys and serial guitar lines. "Somos Zombies" is quite a disturbed track, like surfing at the nut house. Very cool!

Space Surf (Instrumental)

Big chord reverb distantly warns of the dangers of Dr. Moro's creation (reference to The island of Dr. Moro). The organ whistles in the most ominous way before taking on an almost carnival madhouse run. Way cool.

Space Surf (Instrumental)

Kinda "Telstar"-like, this choppy dark space instro is robotic and space invader dangerous. Very much like a fifties b-movie.

Space Surf (Instrumental)

Mid tempo weirdness, keyboard warbly, and almost amusing. Sorta surf guitar plays an Eastern melody line against whirring keys and crude bass and drums. Like others here, once you get what Telekrimen are doing, their weirdness becomes enchanting in a tortured grin kinda way.

Space Surf (Instrumental)

Slow and sludgy, "Cocktail Marciano" has grown on me over time. What began as repulsion, transitioned through disbelief into an odd kind of warmth. The note warping is disquieting, or more precisely, it's unnerving. Very strange, and quite imaginative.

Space Surf (Instrumental)

"El Ultimo Delosplanetas (ultimo master)" starts out like it's going to be pretty normal, with a great and creative eat and guitar lines, then settles into a sad guitar run and funeral organ. I hate to admit it, but I like this a lot. It's disturbed, aurally difficult, oddly mixed, repetitious, and yet it's fun and cool.

Surf (Instrumental)

A moody bass, cymbals, gradually rising snare rolls, and then a scream bring on a super simple riff rocker. It's chunky and riffy, but not very interesting, though the panned glissando is cool, as are the occasional double picked lines.

Surf (Instrumental)

Country guitar twang plays a riff in the Eddie Angel mold. It's not as varies as I'd like, but it sure is a solid nod to Los Straitjackets.

Surf (Instrumental)

While the sound here is definitely demo, the song is really cool. It's very simple, but features great drums and lonely surf guitar. There's something going on here that needs to be developed more. A whistler comes in, and there are some female spoken lines too. Really cool! A better recording would easily get another star. There's another song just past half way - probably supposed to be separate. It's fast, much more trashy, and much less interesting.

Surf (Instrumental)

Geez, is this primitive. With horrid tinny sound, this is an obvious ambient rehearsal recording. This is the worst sounding thing I've heard in quite a while. The riff just goes on and on. Did I mention how awful this is?