Brian
I tried to answer this question to someone else recently too. It was very hard to do. I don't know, music is such a highly personal and subjective thing. There is just something about the sound, the moods, the danger of wave riding, the reverb, the intense emotions it can generate, the aggression, the exotic scales, the surf beat, the rolling toms, the glissandos...its just magical when it is done right. The lack of vocals has something to do with it too, allowing for more imagery I think. When done right it seems to transport you somewhere in time.

I was thinking something like that too.

It's very visual. Every time I hear a glissando I picture a surfer sliding down the face of a monster wave, or a roller coaster zooming down a long drop. That first bit of bass, the glissando, and the start of the main melody in "Pipeline" is like paddling to catch the wave, sliding down the face, and then riding it out, making small adjustments left and right to stay up.

It creates its own music video in your head without resorting to lyrics. So does Spy, Space, and Spaghetti Western. They all transport you to somewhere, which is also A Good Thing for literature and movies.

I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing.

It has music without words, rage without malice, story without ending, sound without noise, energy that doesn't weaken, a creature that grows and expands to fill the void to purge the mind of all the crap that passes through one's mind.

And above all, it's clean.

Reverb for everybody, on the house.

Lately I am asking myself the same question....why do I like surf music?

Lately too I don't have a good answer for that one.
I like playing it but it seems I am a anomaly outside of this forum.

What day is Surf Rock's birthday? Looks like Surf Rock and I was born the same year. Maybe we are both Libras?

Why do I like it? Cool guitars and drums. No crappy singing.

Why do I play it? Chicks and free beer.

The Exotics 1994-Current
The Chickenshack - www.wmse.org
www.thedoghouseflowers.com
www.uptownsavages.com

Surfabilly
For me, it's hard to stay in a bad mood, when listening to surf guitar and instrumental rock.

Matt

I know just what you mean.

Thunderhead
Simple, Surf Music has Lots of Guitar!!!!!!

Yep. I've loved the guitar since I was old enough to know what one was. Surf is a great medium for the guitar.

Pappa_Surf
The guitars don't hide behind a 2 foot thick wall of distortion to hide the fact that the person holding it can't play.

This is a big one for me. I like some distortion, especially in Blues but after Hendrix came along it seems like everyone was just drenched in distortion and a lot of guitar music became boring to me.

Pappa_Surf
When I'm playing surf on my MP3 on my way to work I feel like I'm in a movie and surf is the soundtrack.

Maybe the unique surf rhythm and notes create a harmonic that is in tune with the body's own rhythm and harmonics and so surf music "resonates" with your body.

Then again, maybe it's just really fun and you can dance to it.

One thing I find interesting is that a lot of Surf is minor key music but not sad music. One of the things I love about Meshugga Beach Party is the fact that the songs are minor key, yet joyful. For some reason, a lot of Western culture music equates minor keys with sorrow or gravity but it's not that way in many other places. The thing I like about minor keys is the fact that they are fascinating. Using natural minor, harmonic minor to melodic minor tone centers adds a lot of variety.

elreydlp
One word-MELODY.
That's why I prefer the early Ventures with Bogle on lead. Nokie is a better guitar played, but I think his embellishments obscure the melody. Findicator likes pitching the lower volume level without vocals blasting from the PA, but it's hard to beat the sound of a Showman at full-tilt!

Agreed. You can't hide a lukewarm composition behind lyrics when there are no lyrics. There was some great music during the singer/songwriter are of the late '60s and onward but there was also a lot of drivel. Instead of hiding behind a 2 foot thick wall of distortion you had people hiding behind "contemplating your navel" lyrics and acoustic guitar cliches.

Ultimately, for me, it comes down to remembering and loving a style of music that was popular when I was a kid. I heard a lot of Surf in the early '60s and I still love those sounds. I ventured into Jazz in the'70s and developed a taste for the bizarre harmonies and rhythmic devices of Thelonius Monk but Surf Rock still appealed to me. The thing about Surf is that it's right our front. The melody is clear and distinct, the harmonic structure is simple and straightforward (there are exceptions to this) and as a result it's right there, plain an unadorned, drenched in 'verb and beautiful.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Nigel Tufnel
"D minor-the saddest of all keys."

Some truths transcend all cultures.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

One factor I like is the expression of pride, like a matador. He doesn’t talk, but his body says all - so do some melodies. I like the inventiveness of old recordings/tunes. It’s musical impressionism and expressionism at the same time. And it came from an aesthetically great time.

P.S. But honestly, I’m only in it for the money.

mmmuhahahahahahahahaha!

The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann

You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy.

set as my computer desktop now,
sorry Norm, the new EP art is great, but that collage rules.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

shivers13
They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

That's a great selection of pics and pretty much sum it up for me as well.

Donna Loren and the Surfite

T H E ✠ S U R F I T E S

Yeah, the Surfite show car is very typical for the stuff we dig! We also thought that it would work great for a band name. And yes, Donna Loren! Imagine she was only like 16-17 when doing the beach party movies and Shindig shows!

I'm glad you like our stuff and think you're doing great work too! Even more so as it's also really important that the scene have at least a couple of prominent bands like yours. You've also showed that it's possible to be both successful and still keeping strong influences to what made surf music/culture cool in the first place, which is worth a lot in my book.

T H E ✠ S U R F I T E S