DNAdude
Joined: Aug 01, 2008
Posts: 404
North Carolina
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 12:36 PM
I have no objection to surf being more popular. It would mean more places to play. But I do want to play surf (by which I mean that the word means to me). If a song works as a surf song, fine. If it doesn't, I have on interest in forcing it.
You might make arguments about being true to the genre or spirit of the music (whatever that means) or you might make arguments about musical integrity (again, whatever that means) but for me it comes down to something really simple: I want to play music I like. I don't like most top 40 (well, I probably don't like any top forty) so I don't want to play it in any form.
— Ralph
The Storm Surfers
Be at one with the universe. If you can't do that, at least be at one with your guitar.
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 12:59 PM
ElMonstroPorFavor
Death Proof was sort of an exaggeration but the 5678s definitely got a rise in popularity and nobody can deny that the Pulp Fiction soundtrack exposed a lot of people to surf. I've seen people on this board say that it was their first exposure
So now we've gone from "everytime Tarantino drops a soundtrack, surf becomes more popular" to "well ... they're pretty close?" Ted said soundtracks other than Pulp Fiction - and his other soundtracks might get people into Joe Tex or obscure 60's soundtrack music or a Japanese garage band that happens to do a few instros, but not surf.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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cricket853
Joined: Jul 26, 2008
Posts: 16
Springfield, VA
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 01:33 PM
What I like about the surf instrumental genre is that it is composed of fans and bands in a close-knit community. Where else can you converse back and forth with those that make the music and those that listen to it on such a regular basis. A few years back I saw Slacktone in a little club in Arlington, Va. They were on their way to a European tour and this was one of their few Eastern US appearances. It was great! After the show, you got to engage one on one with them. The thing that struck me was their love of the music without the need for huge financial gains.
I don't know how many times I have contacted surf bands around the world and have had the courtesy of a quick response. This is what it is all about. Heaven forbid it would change because of a sudden surge in popularity by employing Top Forty in their repertoire. I can't see it happening. I can't imagine any surf band wanting to distance themselves from their established fans by attracting new. IMO, there is a certain amount of snobbery associated with today's Top Forty artists. Maybe I am totally off base here, but that is how I feel. I do not see the artistry in the top 40 music that I hear in the underground surf bands. For these bands to do today's top 40 would be a step down.
Having said this, there is a precedence for top 40 in surf music. There are the American Graffiti Revisited, Surf Tribute to Burt Bacharach, Tribute to Jesus Christ Superstar CD's out there among others. The Aqua Velvets latest release is a tribute to the Shangri-Las. The Clams latest has a very nice cover of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready". And Susan and the Surftones are no strangers to covering vocal rock hits as evidenced by their versions of the Yardbirds' "For Your Love" and Terry Knight and the Pack's "I (Who Have Nothing)". However, most of the attempts to cover such hits are with older songs that seem to be more suitable to a surf instrumental style. I do not believe today's music fits that bill. Today's top 40 listeners are too interested in lyrics and drum machine rhythms to be satisfied with a mere instrumental version. As my daughter would say, where are the words!!!
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ElMonstroPorFavor
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 2732
New Orleans, LA
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 01:39 PM
CaptainSpringfield
So now we've gone from "everytime Tarantino drops a soundtrack, surf becomes more popular" to "well ... they're pretty close?" Ted said soundtracks other than Pulp Fiction - and his other soundtracks might get people into Joe Tex or obscure 60's soundtrack music or a Japanese garage band that happens to do a few instros, but not surf.
-Warren
5.6.7.8's definitely have surf rock influence and if somebody were looking for more songs like the Jack Nitzche song I'd point them towards surf bands. Is this so hard? I don't really care how loose your definition of surf is, you can just ignore those bands altogether. My point, the one he was responding to, was that Pulp Fiction turned people on to surf rock and I don't see how that's negated by whether or not two bands were surf.
— Storm Surge of Reverb: Surf & Instro Radio
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emerpus01
Joined: Aug 13, 2007
Posts: 28
Queens, New York
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 01:58 PM
DNAdude
I don't like most top 40 (well, I probably don't like any top forty) so I don't want to play it in any form.
It was probably a mistake on my part to use the phrase "Top 40" (and an even bigger mistake to post this weeks top 10 as examples). I was just using it as an example of a list of whatever is most popular today.
Also, I didn't mean to suggest that I think this could be a method to propel surf to the top of the charts. I don't think that's ever going to happen. The best case I see is that if more people are drawn in to surf music, surf-associated labels will sell more records, bands will emerge in more cities, more people will attend shows, and musicians will make a little more money.
While I don't think we'll ever see a surf band on the cover of Rolling Stone or playing arena tours (and that's probably a good thing), I do think that it is a music the general public likes without knowing it. Witness the use of surf as background music on commercials and reality TV shows (and I'm not singing the praises of commercials and reality TV here - damn them both! - just that it shows the public is receptive to this kind of music).
As far as Tarantino, the surf content of his later soundtracks may have been minimal, but wasn't Pulp Fiction an enormous contributor to launching the whole 'third wave' of surf music in the 90s?
(Absolutely-superfluous-to-the-conversation note here - while Kill Bill didn't have any straight surf on it, it did feature both the Green Hornet Theme and Morricone's The Mercenary, leading me to believe Tarantino might have been listening to the Ventures in the Vaults vol 3, where they cover both pieces!)
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DNAdude
Joined: Aug 01, 2008
Posts: 404
North Carolina
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 03:01 PM
If you hear a song and you think, That would sound great as a surf piece that's one thing. If you think, Let me take a song and do it as a surf piece so that I can attract more people to the genre that's something else. I think that it strikes a lot of people as pandering. (I guess I'm one of those who feels that way).
I want to make good music. If there are people out there who agree with me that it's good and want to listen to it, wonderful. I hope there are! But it doesn't sit right with me record a song just to attract people. I'd rather record it just because it's good music.
I don't have any objections to having million of adoring fans, mind you. It's just that, if I get them, I'd like to get them on my own terms. I still want to respect myself in the morning. 
— Ralph
The Storm Surfers
Be at one with the universe. If you can't do that, at least be at one with your guitar.
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ElMonstroPorFavor
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 2732
New Orleans, LA
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 03:34 PM
Some of you live in areas where there are plenty of people that have heard of/listen to/are receptive to surf. Meanwhile, for the few surf shows I've been to I had to drag my friends into it. I don't think surf can get popular enough for the "masses" (nor do I think it should be), but I think it would be cool if there were enough people interested in it that I could go to shows, have people there and bring people.
As a DJ I found that some of the songs that piqued people's interest were songs like the Tremolo Beer Gut's cover of Death Valley 69 (Sonic Youth), one of the billion Misfits songs or a cover of Das Model, and it proved to those people that surf musicians were savvy and pretty cool instead hawaiian shirt-wearing Beach Boys worshippers. I can't speak for Emerpus01 but since he doesn't play surf either and wouldn't be the one making these "top 40 hits" I bet we're getting at the same thing. The novelty appeals to people and gets them listening.
— Storm Surge of Reverb: Surf & Instro Radio
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CaptainSensible
Joined: Nov 08, 2006
Posts: 649
Leesburg, VA
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 04:43 PM
emerpus01
Here's the current top 10:
1. "Whatever You Like," T.I. Grand Hustle/Atlantic.
2. "Disturbia," Rihanna. SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG.
3. "So What," Pink. LaFace/Zomba.
4. "Forever," Chris Brown. Jive/Zomba.
5. "Paper Planes," M.I.A. XL/Interscope.
6. "Dangerous," Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon. KonLive/Geffen/Interscope.
7. "Viva La Vida," Coldplay. Capitol.
8. "Closer," Ne-Yo. Def Jam/IDJMG.
9. "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz. Atlantic/RRP.
10. "I Kissed a Girl," Katy Perry. Capitol.
Wow. I didn't realize the popular music scene today was this bad. Remember when people used to, like, play instruments?
— Sean
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JeffLeites
Joined: Mar 27, 2006
Posts: 343
North Hollywood, California
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Posted on Sep 08 2008 06:45 PM
Brian
This has been an interesting discussion. I haven't listened to Top 40 in several decades as I slowly descend into angry old man syndrome,
I'm with Brian. I haven't listened to Top 40 since Fleetwood Mac and Santana. The names of today's artists are a mystery to me. image
— My Web Site - Tunes - Pictures - Guitar Projects - Hard Rock Cafe Guitar Pins
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25597
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 01:30 AM
I could hear a instro version of The Coldplay song,
but would I want to?
prob not.
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19304
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 07:45 AM
JeffLeites
image
Ha-ha, I'm so using that.
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me
"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea
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Abe
Joined: Mar 12, 2008
Posts: 1237
Bay Area
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 02:18 PM
 That's funny.
 I don't know about you guys, but I can't see Surf Music reaching the mass audience, nor do I care. I think it's completely fine the way it is right now, and doesn't need any type of improvement. It would be nice to see a lot of Surf Bands do tours, that way you can reach some people and we don't have to depend on having a "Top 40 hit". I also think that a lot of the bands don't play this music for the money obviously  it's more in the intention of making some real good tunes. Although some extra cash is nice, "We're Only In It For The Money" would be a cool album title for a surf band because of the irony, but its already taken. 
— The Deadbeats
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 04:01 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 19:12:49
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BlueStingRaye
Joined: Nov 13, 2007
Posts: 75
East Coast
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 04:52 PM
Actually, there could be money in surf music. With the right effort or should I say Motivation, and managerial skills, why the heck not? I'll tell you why: laziness, apathy, stupidity or a plain old "glass is half-empty attitude". I have time for none of those things.
If you take a listen to TV commercials, show themes, radio (yes, regular mainsteam commercial radio) and movie soundtracks you will hear surf and plenty of it. You need to open your ears as well as your mind. These days many performers have found their audience through a background song to a commercial and use that as a jumping off point for their career. Have any of you heard of Yael Naim? Look her up!
The negativity here shocks and disgusts me. You can keep it. I don't need it. And before you surf elitists get up on your high horse and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, let me just say Piss Off!
Now, if any of you want to do more with your music than just whine about it, contact me: Blue Stingraye, Blue StingRaye Productions, actively promoting and booking surf & rockabilly bands! thestingray@att.net
— Aloha,
Blue StingRaye
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 05:27 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 19:12:52
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wooza
Joined: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 1618
Ithaca, NY
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 05:29 PM
That was a welcoming proposition. 
I've definitely noticed that surf, or at least crappy derivative surf, is quite widespread in TV commercials, but I think that's mostly just studio musicians--no money being made for actual surf bands. It's usually just hokey surf reenactments that does no real good for actual performing bands. Most of the stuff I hear on TV ads is actually just cheesebally garbage that in my opinion damages the public image of surf music and hurts the efforts of bands putting thought and effort into the songs they write.
Even still, I'm not sure these media have all too much to offer surf. There have already been bands on TV ads (Wronski for Slim Jims, for example) or movie and video game soundtracks (Surf Coasters), radio bed music (PDM), etc but the public hasn't rushed out for their material. What I've noticed about the few surfy bands that have gained popularity--Dick Dale, Moam?, Los Straitjackets--is that they put on a happening live act and tour like hell. I think for surf to break out of its rut it's gonna take a lot of bands making a huge investment in public appearances, and I don't think anyone really has the financial means or the personal desire to do it.
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dp
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 06:02 PM
i think that today's surf bands need more:
fire
lights
smoke
hair
skin
attitude
tattoos
catchy lyrics
and distortion.
then everyone will dig it!
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19304
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 06:32 PM
BlueStingRaye
Actually, there could be money in surf music. With the right effort or should I say Motivation, and managerial skills, why the heck not? I'll tell you why: laziness, apathy, stupidity or a plain old "glass is half-empty attitude". I have time for none of those things.
If you take a listen to TV commercials, show themes, radio (yes, regular mainsteam commercial radio) and movie soundtracks you will hear surf and plenty of it. You need to open your ears as well as your mind. These days many performers have found their audience through a background song to a commercial and use that as a jumping off point for their career. Have any of you heard of Yael Naim? Look her up!
The negativity here shocks and disgusts me. You can keep it. I don't need it. And before you surf elitists get up on your high horse and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, let me just say Piss Off!
Now, if any of you want to do more with your music than just whine about it, contact me: Blue Stingraye, Blue StingRaye Productions, actively promoting and booking surf & rockabilly bands! thestingray@att.net
Wow. You mean all of us lazy, apathetic, stupid people who run websites, create podcasts, wikis, organize tours for out of country bands, organize a highly successful "convention", promote shows, help each other out with chords and tabs, exchange gear and music advice, etc. etc. No, I'm not talking about me, but the many other fine members of this forum who you have just insulted. Sure we may not agree on how to best expose the masses to our favorite form of music, but we didn't deserve that rant. You are free to leave if we suck so bad.
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me
"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea
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outsides
Joined: Jul 08, 2006
Posts: 460
NorCal
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 07:29 PM
BluStingRaye,
I was curious, what kind of commercial success have you had with the bands you are "actively promoting and booking"?
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11058
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Sep 09 2008 07:31 PM
Brian
Wow. You mean all of us lazy, apathetic, stupid people who run websites, create podcasts, wikis, organize tours for out of country bands, organize a highly successful "convention", promote shows, help each other out with chords and tabs, exchange gear and music advice, etc. etc. No, I'm not talking about me, but the many other fine members of this forum who you have just insulted. Sure we may not agree on how to best expose the masses to our favorite form of music, but we didn't deserve that rant. You are free to leave if we suck so bad.
Well said Brian. There was no call for that kind of a rant.
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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