November Birthdays 
Surf Explosão by The Dead Rocks – CD Review by Noel
The Dead Rocks are a very popular surf trio from São Carlos, Brazil, who formed in May of 2002. Surf Explosão is the band’s sixth release, and is an album rich in tradition, and not just in the sense of traditional surf music. From the inception of surf music in California in 1961, surf musicians drew on folk songs from other cultures for inspiration and material. This album, Surf Explosão, from first to last, is therefore as traditional as surf music itself. Call it Surf Roots Music if you like, but with a subtle Brazilian sensibility.
Johnny Crack Corn (traditional)
Turning traditional folk songs into danceable surf music started even before surf music itself, with the music that is part of the DNA of surf music, instrumental rock and roll. The arrangement and orchestration of this song could have easily been from before the dawn of surf. Guitar, sax, and organ are combined here to create a highly energetic and really joyful sock hop of a song that would have had all the kids out on the dance floor for a good time. When this song starts wailing on all instruments, you won’t be able to keep your feet still, either.
Nas Ondas da Emoção
Literally, “In the Waves of the Emotion”, this is a modern classic surf song. The catchy melody happily bounces along to a surfer stomp beat. And the melody will catch you and keep you. This is a wonderful song to dance to, barefoot on the beach with someone special, or anyone with a lot of energy. The song just smiles warmly at you while it plays its captivating melody that carries you along. And you’ll smile back, glad to be caught in the waves of the emotion. “Nas Ondas da Emoção” is a delightful song.
Jece Bagidonof (Jim Messina & The Jesters)
They’re having some playful fun with the title. Get it? This song is “The Jester” and The Dead Rocks do a terrific job playing it on this record. They’re tight, precise, energetic, and drenched with heavy reverb. I think it’s a good thing anytime a Jim Messina & the Jesters song gets a high horsepower, full-throttle performance, and The Dead Rocks play the living daylights out of this classic surf song. No foolin’!
Les Yeux Noirs (Florian Hermann)
Is any song more romantic than “Dark Eyes”? Eddie Bertrand and the Showmen recorded their famous hi-speed surf version back in the first wave. The Dead Rocks do a terrific job paying homage to that classic and timeless surf song, without being a copy. “Les Yeux Noir” starts slowly, with a very traditional Russian folk song sounding Intro. Then it spends the body of the song at delightfully high speed. The Dead Rocks alternate between passages that sound very Russian and those that are pure surf. Very enjoyable and musically effective. Then The Dead Rocks change things up completely and throw down a drum-driven dance gauntlet at the ending you could dance the Kalinka to if you could dance the Kalinka. And the Outro is a fantastic surprise; I love it. You will too, and I predict you’ll love the whole song just as much as I do.
Mr. Antonis (Manos Hatzidakis)
He wrote “Never on Sunday”. ‘Nuff said. Another song that calls on surf’s tradition of interpreting music from other cultures, this is from Manos Hatzidakis’ 1964 album, “15 Vespers”. As with “Les Yeux Noirs” The Dead Rocks have created a fabulous interpretation of the original song, alternating back and forth between the musical sounds of traditional Greece and early 1960’s California. You will want to dance to this song. Whether you dance the Katevas or Surfers Stomp is up to you.
Baile na Matriz
Such a sentimental, lovely song. The gentle melody could be a serenade. Maybe it is. Marky tells me the title means something similar to “Church Dance”, so its innocence is intentional. It takes me all the way back to school dances long ago, when they still turned down the lights for the slow songs. Remember? I can easily imagine slow-dancing to this way back then with someone I had a crush on. The interplay between the organ and guitar helps convey the sense that this is a song from that time long since gone but fondly remembered. The tones and chord changes are timeless and beautiful. The way they carry the melody creates a strong sense of that earlier, more innocent era. Listening to “Baile na Matriz” brings me back many fond memories. I hope it does the same for you.
La Venganza del Chico Salvaje
“The Revenge of the Wild Boy”. There’s a saying so old no one remembers its origin, “Vengeance is a dish best served cold.” meaning it is most delicious to wait so long to exact revenge the cause is forgotten, like at the end of “Once Upon a Time in the West”. I wouldn’t accept the invitation uttered as the song begins, because I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of the confrontation this song portrays. It’s fast, forceful, and dramatic, and one-sided. “La Venganza del Chico Salvaje” does justice to the legacy of surf songs which inspired it. The reverb is strong in this song, which ends with the final act of revenge. I like being on this side of my stereo, listening.
Fingerboard
Pure fuzz surf guitar heaven! The sound and feel of the Intro and first verse immediately made me think of the classic fuzz tones of Davie Allan combined with the melodic style of Duane Eddy. And the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint. Not listening to the song for fifteen minutes and one conversation later, I’m still humming the vintage, clever and catchy melody to myself. One of the five original songs written for the CD, “Fingerboard” is as firmly set in the soundscape of surf music’s roots and development as any of the covers on this wonderful album. Oh, and I dare anyone not to tap feet to it. But you’ll really want to jump and dance.
Vamonos (Paul Johnson)
If none of the previous songs have managed to take you back to the exciting, early days of surf music, this one surely ought to. From the clean, dry sound of the lead guitar to the playful conversation between guitar and sax, it has all the innocent musical fun of anything by The Belairs. Throw in some very Ventures-sounding choruses (think Mexico) and you have a song that, if it wasn’t written and recorded back in the day, it should have been. But it’s actually by Paul Johnson, so it really was! “Vamonos” is another song that is part of the tradition of surf music, drawing on the sounds of another musical tradition, in this case Mexico, and combining it with the energy and feel of surf music during its formative years. We should throw some boards in the back of the wagon and let’s all go to Mexico!
Surf Explosão
“Surf Explosion”. I listened to the entire album over and over, to let the music get inside me, mind, body and soul. The Dead Rocks place the title song (the last original) next to last in order. I think it makes perfect sense. This song is pure traditional surf music. It could easily have been from surf’s first wave. The energy, danceable surf beat, heavy reverb, memorable melody, and enthusiastic performance are all signature sounds of surf music. The album contains songs that could have been or actually are part of the outburst of creative energy that was the first wave of surf music. I ultimately think the album is a tribute to that new and exciting music that was the first wave, when surf music exploded on the scene.
Surf Man (Sixto Rodriguez)
Sixto Rodriguez is legendary. How else would you describe an artist who was thought to have died in obscurity, at the same time his music became famous around the world, and who became the subject of the recent award-winning documentary, “Searching for Sugar Man” about the search to find him, or where, when and how he died? A genre-busting 9:26 of amazing, this tribute to Sixto Rodriguez’ signature song, “Sugar Man”, invites the listener to go on a magic surfboard ride of tradition, invention, interpretation, inspiration, and exploration. “Surf Man” is a fantastical journey through the possibilities of musical creation. The extensive middle is entirely improvised and is at the cutting edge of contemporary surf music. It’s psychedelic, shoegaze, free jazz, avant-garde. It’s stargaze music. Yet the song returns to its source at the finish, reminding that it remains surf music. And it’s wonderful surf music at that.
Conclusion
No one really knows what surf music will sound like as the new century moves through the decades. Surely first-wave traditional surf music will continue to be performed and new songs written in the original style. And the modern incarnations of surf will push at boundaries, as new ideas continue the original tradition of adopting and incorporating musical ideas from other genres and around the world.
“Surf Explosão” is an extraordinary album. From music which surely could have been recorded at the dawn of surf but wasn’t, to music which is part of the history of the first wave of surf played with new verve, to contemporary surf that transcends conventional boundaries, this record proves that surf music has no boundaries. Any genre of music, any kind of song, can be made into surf music. Always was. Always will be. The added satisfaction that comes from hearing this creative, fascinating music, so well played and recorded, on an album so well-conceived, is sheer delight. “Surf Explosão” is a fantastical journey though surf music that never was, is, and will be in times yet to come. It’s fabulous. Let the surf explosion continue!
The Dead Rocks are Johnny Crash on acoustic and electric guitar, Paul Punk on bass, and Marky Wildstone on drums and percussion.
Guess artists on Surf Explosão are Ed Thomas on sax, Netto Rockfeller on guitar, Fernando Trz on organ, and Emilio Martins on percussion.
Surf Explosão was recorded at Papagaio Records and was mastered by Otavio Bertolo. Art direction by Marky Wildstone, Photo by Alexandre X. Barros. Illustration and design by Marcelo Ducatti.
Surf Explosão is a co-release by Deep Eddy Records and Green Cookie Records, and is available from
Deep Eddy Records at www.deepeddy.net
and Green Cookie Records at http://greencookierecords.bandcamp.com/
The Dead Rocks on the Internet at www.deadrocks.com.br/
and Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedeadrocks
—This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Dec 17, 2014 11:20:25
