Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
Collection: Surfbands.com - The Summer of 2003dotdotdotdot
artworkCD number two from Surfbands.com, with plenty of surf for all us punters. All have been released before.
Picks: Nervous Tic, 365 Day Weekend, Still Life In Byron, Surfin' Spies, Punta Baja, Shredder, Greenroom, Java Jump, Mohawk, Tripwire, Suzy Space Cadet, Surfin' Buena Park, Rincon, Summer Gill, Surf Alone, Roswell Surf Report, Atlantica, Shark Island, Swami's Holiday

Track by Track Review


Nervous Tic dotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

Fuzz guitar, edge-o-rama tones, and an almost Davie Allan melody lone from bassist Don Parra. A bit repetitious, but not offensively so. Shredding second guitar double picked under the intense fuzz lead is a nice touch. Go Go surf.

365 Day Weekend dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Steve's Soest's ode to eternal surf and sand. It laughs with Mexican fiesta warmth and exotic percussion. Happy and carefree, as any self respecting "365 Day Weekend" should be. Playful and bouncy.

Still Life In Byron dotdotdot
Light Jazz (Instrumental)

Spatial ambiance, piano-like keys, bluesy guitar... They come together in an ethereal blend of liquid coastlines and forlorned swamps. Not really a song - more like a film soundtrack scene setter. Hard to buttonhole, but if I had to label it (and I do), I'd say it verges on light jazz.

Surfin' Spies dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This is a medley of spy flick tunes, as well as some original bits. Fun and entertaining.

Punta Baja dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Like "Dawn Patrol," this is rhythm dominated. It's Spanish elements are strong, and it's reverb is more present. It floats through the rhythm and the whammy, drifts into a dribbled double-pick, eventually arriving at a dramatic high powered screaming sax break. Very nice tune.

Shredder dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Rhythmic and thick, "Shredder" sports a fine lead line and lots of chunk. Smooth, yet fluid like green tubes at the edge of a storm. It's not often a chorus adds to a surf instro, but it does here. A really cool track!

Greenroom dotdotdot
Tribal Third World Mood (Instrumental)

This is more mystical, with the wobble board giving it a Southern hemispheric tribal ambiance. Melodic, eerie, distant, interesting. It's more a mood piece than a surf song, yet it does invoke sunset shoreline images. Nice track.

Java Jump dotdotdot
Jump (Instrumental)

Backwoods jump and jive fun ooze from every corner of this happy number. Bouncy and very well played, "Java Jump" brings grins all around.

Mohawk dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Slow war drums and bass rhythm grumble under a moody Indian progression. The pace picks up and the war whoops rise to a tribal frenzy. "Mohawk" is a mighty cool number, not melodic, but rhythmic and infectious.

Tripwire dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

"Tripwire" is a lighter instro with a more surfable melody line, and a superhero feel. Whammy sting and circular licks are augmented with swirling Theremin and a solid beat. Infectious and well constructed, simple and interesting.

Suzy Space Cadet dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

"Suzy Space Cadet" is a quirky song that's more than a little friendly. A splendid and fun melody, a groovy bass line, and interesting drums combine to create an off beat and intriguing song. I like this a lot.

Surfin' Buena Park dotdotdotdot
Aggro Surf (Instrumental)

This is a demo version of one of the Ziggens' more bipolar songs. It opens as a reggae based floater, descending into a faster big surf guitar rage, and eventually producing a speedy glissando. The melody is catchy, partly because it's reminiscent of War's "Low Rider," and partly because it's so edgy and tight.

Rincon dotdotdotdot
Surf (Vocal)

Beautiful island chords call to the tourist in you, and the chorus cements the feeling. "Rincon" is a vocal that's warm and inviting. The multifaceted Ziggens have an extreme knack for using any-all genres they feel like to make their songs work. A great modern surf song.

Summer Gill dotdotdot
New Age Tropical Surf (Instrumental)

Smurph's up, dude! "Summer Gill" floats a very pretty mood on the eys, and some squishy fills too. Too slushy for me.

Surf Alone dotdotdot
Haunted Jungle Surf (Instrumental)

Flutes echo distant jungles, while the guitar haunts the foreground with a moody riff. haunting and misty, "Surf Alone" is quite visual.

Roswell Surf Report dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Sirens emanate from the theremin, warning of the bruising rhythm and circular riffs to come. The melody line is unusual, and circles several times before settling into a dissonant chord basher. It's a little like the rolling swells that rise to curl before crashing into the rocks. It's all here.

Atlantica dotdotdotdot
Discotheque Surf (Instrumental)

High flying, spacy, whale-call echoed, and very modern, "Atlantica" is exotic, Latin, infectious. The scream of the guitar is very modern and intense. A bit noodly at times, but quite cool.

Shark Island dotdotdotdot
Discotheque Surf (Instrumental)

The intense rising rhythm gives way to an almost spaghetti western melody line. Shredding glissandos, soft western melody lines. big chords, and that beat. Very interesting.

Swami's Holiday dotdotdot
Ambient Surf (Instrumental)

"Swami's Holiday" floats on a soft jazz foundation. While very pretty, it seems like an intellectual exercise in surf without water. I like it OK, but it just doesn't stay with me. Not melodic, more like a progression through and idea.