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Greetings - here's the latest news from The Nebulas....

The official website has been repaired... www.thenebulas.com is once again up and running and open for business! Merch page has been updated with our new CD and all rarities that you wish you had purchased but didn't, have been duly labeled "sold out"

Fall 2006 Shows: after a few weeks off golfing during thunderstorms, mooching free internet access at Dunkin Donuts or whatever it is that we do in our spare time, The Nebulas are back with a few killer shows:

Sept 15th: Rebel Roots Festacular @ Geno's Rock Club (Portland ME) - two days of roots, rockabilly, garage and an overall great time. More info about the fest is here. The Nebulas headline @ midnight, but come early and get drunk - this is our first show in a while!

Sept 22nd: Slacktone and Agent Orange @ Asbury Lanes (NJ)...with some Nebulas sandwiched in between these two legendary west coast acts. A show not to be missed!

Oct 7th: Otto's Shrunken Head Tiki Bar (NYC) - The Nebulas are proud to be appearing at another Surf Rock Shindig presented by the inimitable Unsteady Freddie: Atomic Mosquitos on @ 11; The Nebulas @ midnight followed shortly thereafter by Venice Beach Muscle Club.

Lastly, word has it that The Nebulas may be appearing on an upcoming compilation...details are scarce at this point and we all know what happened with that Frankie Stein tribute, so stay tuned for now...

that is all

TFJ

I first became aware of Joe, aka norcalhodad, during the 2005 mp3 compilation during the Yahoo Group days. I received an mp3 along with an intriguing picture of a guy with a red Mosrite standing next to an Ewok (which I later learned was his daughter in a Halloween costume). I don't think Joe had posted to the group yet, so he was a complete unknown to me. The song was a cool lo-fi rockin' little party number called "Drink, Stomp, Twist". Since then, Joe has periodically sent me little mp3 demos, usually with a cool little photo. Joe also contributed the topics and Downloads icons for this site.

So I was really excited to receive a CD-R demo from Joe's band, The Closeouts. Now get this: Joe's band is actually just him. That's right, Joe plays all the instruments. Let me repeat that. Joe plays ALL the instruments: guitars, drums, bass, baritone guitar, keyboards, wacky sound effects, all of them.

I am pleased to announce the SurfGuitar101 2006 MP3 Compilation. Just like last year, this is a way for all members to share music, recording tips, and to just have fun. The main emphasis is fun, so please send in an entry no matter what your skill level is.

Here are the rules:

1. You must be a member of this website to submit an mp3.
2. You may submit only 1 mp3.
3. The mp3 you submit must not have appeared on any "official" release before. Likewise, please don't submit anything that is destined for an official release in the future.
4. The mp3 must be 8 MB in size or less.
5. There is a good chance the comp will end up on Archive.org. Therefore, you must agree to their Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives) License for your mp3.
6. The deadline for submitting an mp3 is Friday, December 1st, 2006.

I have created an Official 2006 MP3 Comp Forum Thread. Please use that thread to discuss the compilation and to get information on how to submit an mp3.

Please use that thread if you'd like to find a fellow member to work with on the project. With the magic of digital recording and the internet, remote collaborations are possible. Make your own virtual surf band!

Let the comp begin!

The Beloved Invaders third CD "Tamarindo" is now available on CD Baby.

Mainly originals and a few innovative covers.

Clips of all 13 tunes are on the CD Baby site.

Okay, I recently bought a Gomez "G" Reverb-Amp. Here is my review.

The semi-important stuff: The amp was completely immaculate & clean. The wiring was done with great craftsmanship. The amp is ascetically gorgeous. The vintage blonde is very pleasing to the eye, and it has the complete retro surf vibe. It is also very light weight, I think around 36 pounds.

Customer service was top notch: In all honestly, Dario seems like the kind of guy would wants his customers satisfied and nothing less. I recieved good communication on the phone and email from Dario. I thank him for that. Also, everything is covered for 5 years, something you can't say for an amp you bought of ebay.

The real important stuff: The "G" Reverb amp sounds awesome. The 15'' Weber alnico speaker is very crisp and clean. There are no harsh highs with this amp and the bass sound stays well defined and clear. You can have an extremely bright sound or a nice bassy sound which I prefer. It really nails the vintage surf sounds that groups like The Chantay's, The Bel-Airs, and The Pyramids have made so famous. One of my favorite bands of all time is the Ventures. I have never been able to match their tone, although I have not been able to do it with the "G" Reverb Amp, I have come closer than with other amps I've used in the past.. But they were not a surf band anyway so that is beside the point.

Reverb: Really good surf reverb without using an outboard! To me an outboard is unmatched, but this is pretty damn good. Now Dario told me he was including a 3 spring reverb pan, but it comes with a 2 in stock. I forgot to check it, so I will have to ask him which he included with mine. I will get back to this when I have more detail.

Tremolo: Sounds good to me, and I won't need a pedal. Good work here Mr. Gomez.

Okay let me wrap this up.

Sound / Features 9/10
Value 9/10
Customer Service/Support 10/10

As Eddie Katcher has pointed out, today is Leo Fender's birthday! He would have been 97!

From Wikipedia: "Clarence Leonidas Fender (August 10, 1909 - March 21, 1991) was an American luthier who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, now known as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and later founded G&L Musical Products (G&L Guitars). His guitar, bass, and amplifier designs from the 1950s continue to dominate popular music more than half a century later. Marshall and many other amplifier companies have used Fender amps as the foundation of their products. Fender and inventor Les Paul are often cited as the two most influential figures in the development of electric instruments in the 20th century."

Read more here.

Here is a Free Information Society biography of Fender.

And let's not forget the 60's surf bands who were early adopters of Fender gear. It has been said that it was the surf bands who cemented the popularity of "The Fender Bass" as a viable electric instrument.

Happy Birthday Leo Fender!

The Madeira - Ruins CD-EP

Hot on the heels of their debut full-length CD comes a great new 5 song CD-EP by The Madeira. Released just in time for their 2006 West Coast tour, this disc features covers of songs by Dick Dale, The Treble Spankers, Paco de Lucia and The Surf Coasters, but done in a way that sounds 100% like The Madeira! Pick this up from the band at any of their upcoming shows, or order it through Double Crown Records.

Tracks: The Victor - Dilmohammed - Almoraima - Intruder #1 - Intruder

The Madeira - Ruins CD-EP - #DCCD25 - $6.00

You may order online at www.dblcrown.com/catalog.html or you may send a Paypal payment to: records@dblcrown.com. Please add $2 for shipping to any US address, $3 to any Canada/Mexico address or $4 to anywhere else in the world.

Just received from the Ghastly Ones email list

BLAST OFF to HORROR!!!!

TARGET: DRACULON, our brand spanking new CD is now available!!!

Go to our MERCH page at www.ghastlyones.com.

Featuring 19 tracks of reverb-drenched, fuzz fueled terror for your spook-a-phonic listening pleasure. We even have a couple of garage-shakin’ vocals to keep your hips twistin’ and your neck snappin’. Here are the tracks…

I've created a new Photo of the Day feature for the site. A new picture is chosen randomly each day, and registered users can leave comments on each photo. If you have a photo you'd like to add, please send it to me along with a title and description! Dig it!