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After the European tour we're back to the road, now in Brasil to promote our new 7" called SURF'N'GOAT.
Next chapuletada :
23/Set . Curitiba/Pr . 92 Graus Pub
24/Set . SC a confirmar
25/Set . SC a confirmar
02/Out . Curitiba/Pr . Lado B . Psychobilly Fest
03/Out . Curitiba/Pr . Gravação Studio Tenda
04/Out . Maringá/Pr . Radio Cadillacs . Entrevista + Djzisse
05/Out . Maringá/Pr . Radio Cadillacs BAR Cultural . Live Session
06/Out . Londrina/Pr . Bar.Bearia . Seção Guerrilha
07/Out . AGUARDANDO CONFIRMAÇÂO
08/Out . Piracicaba/Sp . Point Skate . Lançamento do Surf'n'Goat em Pira
09/Out . Sorocaba/Sp . Lucky Friends Rodeo
15/Out . Goiania/Go . Martin Cerere . Rock Salsicha Fest
Foto por Rodrigo Melleiro / TMMMafia Euro Tour '16
Good day ladies and gentlemen of Surfguitar101,
We are The Me Gustas and here is our latest release for you entitled Madrugada. After a number of setbacks, we were able to finally finish it and we hope that you will give it a test drive:
https://themegustas.bandcamp.com/album/madrugada
This release and our previous releases are free to download. To all the fine folks we have met or interacted with through this site, thank you for the feedback and encouragement. Hope you enjoy our new music!
Mil gracias
Onedin aka Frankie 3ppo
Abe aka El Scumbrero
Bryan aka Boogie
Martin Cilia's "Sleepwalk" EP on Bombora label
Sleepwalk - This is Martin's cover of the title track (original by Santo & Johnny), with stellar playing as well as typically lush echoes. IMO this is one of those timeless tunes (or something like it) that everyone should have in their pocket for the moment when you need to get some folks close on the dance floor. A beautiful example. Evident here, and throughout the album, rock-solid drumming by Lloyd Gyi, who should be well-known to many here by now and is an established fixture it seems now on Martin's solo work - the guy is simply incredibly versatile.
Search for Surf - Prominently notable are some exotic keyboard/synth arrangements that really complement the guitar voicing. The tune is a bit haunting in its approach. There is a faint, chordal backing vocal credited to Carmine Warrington and the keyboard work is done by Jim Moginie. Cool stuff.
No Sign of a Pipeline - This is a driving instrumental ballad (composer Michael Simic) that reminds me of some of the best work done by Martin on the Atlantics' albums Flight of the Surf Guitar or Point Zero. I could visualize them doing this live.
Lost in Waikiki - A Martin Cilia authored straightforward surf tune, with almost a hip Nashville-picker structure, but laden with Martin's classic tone. I can see Brad Paisley sitting on his couch thinking he'd like to have a go at this, but he's gonna have to call Martin first. In concept, this tune would've fit hand-in-glove with the previous full album release, Going to Kaleponi.
Surf Explosion - A tune I have an earlier version of and this new version has a slow, foreboding intro with some grit and lovely tremelo before launching into blistering staccato picking for the song that is one of those 200bpm E-ticket rides. In my view, the new intro really sets up the song & makes for a much more finished piece. In the tradition of things like "Flight of the Surf Guitar" this is sort of like "get in, sit down, hold on & shut up." For those interested Martin makes the full tab & MIDI backing tracks (with and without melody) available here:
Martin's stuff continues to please and his generosity, both to players in answering questions and particularly to this site, is well-known. I'm often amazed at how down-to-earth some of the really great players are - and there are many here at Surf Guitar 101 - that one has a hard time imagining that rapport existing in many other styles of music. Folks who, absent the music, you could simply have a nice chat with, whether it's down by a canal under a city street or via email 12,000 miles away.
Sleepwalk is available here, along with the video of the title track. Get it.
A Visit to "Garageland"
Getting past the really cool and title-appropriate cover photo, this EP is a great one to snag for those who've been living in a cave & are not yet familiar with these Nashville "cats" where instro is alive & thriving. For the gear heads, I'm told the guitars were all through a Quilter 101 Micro - that should settle that. Jeff Senn can (hopefully) speak in the forum to any particular cabinets & effects used used.
Scorpions - This track is by (normally) rhythm player Kiwamu Stewart. You know, the guy that helps keep that groove going as well as filling out an unreal number of parts that make their live performance so full and "record-like." So this is Kiwamu's composition, rhythm & lead played, and it's got a VERY definite Crazy Ace familiarity to it. Somewhat reminds me of an anti-hero who gets in his very fast car in the dead of night & is blowing town, but has heartstrings being tugged as well as some some payback remaining to be dealt out. Nice to have Kiwamu expand his role in this way.
Rudy's Revenge - I'm told the basic groove comes from Alex McCollough ably holding down the bass duties, with the rest fleshed out by the band. Throw the parasol out of your cutesy drink and get moving on the floor. As often with Crazy Aces there is a brief foreboding bridge but one that maintains the groove. (The beat on this one is grand-daughter-approved.)
Trail of the Mystery Men? - I had to listen to this one several times over several days. It begins with a familiar Crazy Ace like western vibe that recurs - and a sound I would've sworn was the setup for Eastwood Outlaw on their first album, Greatest Hits Vol. 2. (But, as mentioned, this is Quilter 101.) The composition is something a bit different and it seems the cinematic good-idea-faerie struck Jeff Senn, as it segues to sequences that could be a summary of several themes that would be evident throughout an old-west tale, but used for different scenes. I came to visualize two antagonists, neither good or bad, but rivals who may or may not do each other in. The story can weave as the imagination takes it, as they dance through the plot. There are brief stops to more orchestral movements that are somewhat whimsical when juxtaposed against the obvious Crazy Aces nod to the genre. The acoustic guitar work from Jeff is stellar; almost thought I was listening to a Tommy Tedesco lesson from the back of a GP mag.
Modelo Uno - A clearly Latin-flavored tune (to my ear) that really showcases the Model One guitar. Those who've seen the demo of the Eastwood-produced/Jeff Senn-designed Model One will be familiar with this tune. Lovely tremelo at no extra charge. (Can't wait for my own Modelo Uno.) For me, it's a happy tune and hearkens to heading down a cul-de-sac & finding that someone's garage door IS open and, "hey!, there's a band!" (But then I'm in my sixties goin' on 15, so...)
Chop and Channel - This final track said hot rod to me immediately. Probably a dated analogy but, for me, it's headed out of town for the proverbial chicken run as depicted in many films from James Dean to American Graffiti. There is a building climax that still comes back to the groove, which is like an anchor allowing some melodic departures that are cool when executed this well.
This is one of those bands whose members clearly play for the good of the song, with their egos resolutely checked before walking through the door. Plenty of sonic room allowed in the mix for everything that matters. (I can often recognize Jeff by his humorous quirk of sometimes just taking the finishing note of a V-chord and hitting something a 1/2 step higher or lower, bending optional, and it says "I'm havin' fun.")
Pre- and post- Surf Guitar 101 Convention Crazy Aces will be:
at Don the Beachcomber's, Friday, August 12th at, 9:00 PM, along with Outerwave, as well as
Huntington Beach Pier Plaza: Huntington Beach, CA, Sunday, August 14th, with a full lineup starting at 11:00 AM.
I hope lots of SG101 Convention goers will hit the early slot in the day and catch Crazy Aces - they will not regret it. You can sleep when you get old; suck it up buttercup.
Crazy Aces are: Jeff Senn, Kiwamu Stewart, Alex McCollough with Justin Amaral joining on very solid drums for this release. Hope we hear more from Justin with them.
SLEEP WALK is an instrumental song written and released in 1959 by Santo & Johnny Farina (and Santo’s wife, Ann). It’s been recorded hundreds of times over the years by many diverse artists including The Shadows, Jeff Beck and Brian Setzer.
Now, in 2016, it’s time for Martin Cilia to release his version, accompanied by Lloyd G on the drums.
"As can be expected from Cilia, production is slick as all get-out with reverbed electric guitar floating on for miles on Sleepwalk."
Hunter, Storm Surge of Reverb
Martin Cilia is Australia's premier surf rock guitarist, a member of legendary Australian surf band, The Atlantics and currently on the road with Mental As Anything. He has released six successful solo albums, with this latest, the 5 track Sleep Walk EP being released in August 2016.
Watch the video here: Sleep Walk
You can buy the CD online from martinciliasleepwalk.com (free worldwide postage) or download from CD Baby.
