MoonDawg_
Bitch Boys, Ride the First Wave. Sharp playing, boss arrangements.

Welcome, Moon Dawg!! Good to see you here.

Strato

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

The Nebulas S/T
Jon & The Nightriders - Fiberglass Rocket

Both are great!

The Ventures Stars On Guitars is the latest surf instrumental album (CD) that I've bought, although I've had it for about 3 years by now. I should probably get me some more surf instrumental CDs, sometime soon.

Matt in Indiana

Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!

Let's see, the last one I bought...that would have to be when Ivan sold me "Sandstorm" at the Madeira's CD Release. No wait, after I bought that, and he noticed that I was full of surf-filled enthusiam & beer, he also sold me "New World" - the tribute to Los Relampagos...then his watch, cuff links, red sash...

Actually, for the birthday I celebrated a couple of days ago, I received a compilation called "Beyond the Beach". Includes a great mix of bands.

Jet Sterling, Cosmic Spy
www.surfabillyfreakout.com

best of the EssBee cds vol.1 by the sprague brothers

quite a mix of styles, surf-rockabilly-early british rock, etc

surf relevance--penetration
you only live twice
green arrow
praying mantis (with deke dickerson on rhythm)
sunset in tokyo

www.surfintheeye.com

I'm still waiting for pay day...........................

(but I have The Best of The Atlantics on order)

Over the last few months, I've gotten a few CDs, that have been in rotation and all worth mentioning:

Madeira - Sandstorm (Double Crown) - nothing short of a great CD - like many others have said, this is probably where the Cossacks would have gone had they made a third album, but, due to personell changes and style, this is definitely not a 3rd Cossacks album. I had the rehearsal demo CD and had been enjoying that for a few months before the CD came out - hell, I would have mastered that rehearsal CD, released it and called it a day, but new CD is a bit more polished. Highly recommended, but you also must see the band perform if you can - they are just as precise on stage!

Space Cossacks - Bolshevics... Best of (Musick) - again, this Cd is also a must have - even if you have the two studio albums from this legendary band. Not only do you get the best songs from their illustrious career, including stuff from their 7"s and first cassette, but also some live stuff. I think Art found a niche in releasing these best of comps from the great bands from the 90s - perfect for an up and coming generation of fans that may have just missed out on the third wave and now are paying out the arse to get the original recordings through the auction market. There aren't too many surf bands you could do this for, but the Cossacks and Pilgrims are certainly two worthy candidates. The addition of the live/unreleased songs makes more sense to repackage as a new CD than just merely rereleasing the out of print stuff.

Pollo Del Mar - Year of the Rooster - (PDM cd - fans only release) - I got this Cd from Ferenc in Seattle when he came up for the our show with the Pilgrims in March (I'm still trying to replace the xtra large tshirt I had procured for him in trade, that unfortunately met with an untimely accident). This CD compiles live recordings spanning 3 continents - all recorded in 2005 - even the full time touring bands don't accomplish this feat - playing in Europe, Japan and the US within a 12 month period, so for a band with wives, kids and jobs to do this, makes it even more special - kudos to them for being able to document this. They managed to get good recordings from all over the world, including some featuring Shigeo Naka of the Surf Coasters. I was really impressed by the quality of the ambient recordings in Europe, only because we had tried do to the same with only marginal success. The mix of songs on this disc is also really good - old covers, new covers, medleys, originals & long songs played impeccably. Gotta get this disc, not only for the music, but for the pictures and lengthy narrative in the liner notes - all make it worthwhile, plus you know these "fans only" limited edition releases don't hang around long, so in 3 years, people will wonder where they can get them!

tfj

Tikimania
Like Ferenc, I find something unique about Ivan's style of playing.

totally. Ivan's got incredible technique, speed and the 'world music' melodic appraoch, absolute top league by that account. but what I find special about Ivan's playing, is delicacy. of course he can be hard hitter, but when playing with dynamics, the soft parts sound really delicate. of course there are plenty more dynamic players, but if you compare for example Ivan's playing on the Oasis with Dave Wronski's playing on (the opening part of) bells of St kahuna (these are the two songs that come to mind, there must be plenty more examples, I only have what's on my uncool mp3 player with me. btw, it's not a value judgement about who is better, just an observation about differnces. phew.) Same thing with phantom frank, whose 'soft' parts still seem to cut through with some aggresiveness. I find Ivan a more, well, sensitive player. It reminds me a lot of andy tielman's playing, and of (the later, post-dentures) Chet Baker. also the Atlantics, and shadows. I hear somewhat of the same thing in the bradipos IV and Il Cosmponauti at times. influences of Balkan gypsy music and euro-instro? maybe some jazz too?

It's not necessarily about (lack of) power in a song though. I hear the same thing in that first 5-b5-3 riff of tsar wars, or in ricochet, which are very powerful songs. at first i thought it was the strat, but there's JM players with the same thing and strat players without. it's defintly a matter of tone as well as playing though.

Ivan, care to join in?

WR

Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."

https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/

WR
Ivan, care to join in?

Well, Wannes, I'm VERY flattered by your description! I'm a bit uncomfortable discussing my own style, since it's not a deliberate thing, it just happens. And I don't know how to talk about this without making myself sound very vain, conceited, self-important... So, I'll just say that if I have any greater sensitivity, I believe it comes straight from good old Hank. Still love the Shadows, as I have since I was 11. Hank's touch and playing style have been hugely influential on me. The main (though not the only) reason why I started playing the guitar was the Shadows. It's not about jazz, which I never listened to before the last ten years (and still don't listen to THAT much), it's not about any Balkan influences, since I never listened to the Balkan folk music, either when I lived in Croatia or since, it's not about Andy Tielman from whom I've only heard a couple of tracks.

And thanks so much for all the nice words, Wannes, Tiki Tena and TFJ. I'm very grateful. I have to laugh about the 'precision' comment, though, cause at every show something goes terribly wrong! On Saturday night in Detroit, I plain forgot half of the first verse of our song The Secret Route, and had an extended free-jazz moment as a result. That same night I also - like a total dumbass - forgot the final verse of The Quiet Surf, which is almost identical to the first verse and which I played a few moments before that just fine! Well, that's part of the excitement of live playing - will you remember all the parts? The answer almost always is 'NO!' But that's OK, it makes it a bit more fun as a result.... 'Precision' is not the first word that comes to mind when thinking of our live shows, but it's nice to know that's how we are perceived.

Ivan

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

IvanP
if I have any greater sensitivity, I believe it comes straight from good old Hank.

okay, Hank it is! I must say i find it pretty funny, 'cause I listen to jazz, Balkan folk music and indorock on a regular basis, and hardly ever play any shadows. typical that i would hear all kinds of things in your playing that aren't there - just goes to show how communactive music really is, I guess very cool!

WR

Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."

https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/