Photo of the Day

If you have ever been curious about music conferences, this is a good one to attend.  I'm not affiliated with them in any way except by prior attendance / performance...
Terrific music industry panels, lots of bands but not too many.   I have considered organizing a Surf Music Conference and this is the one I'd model it on...
Millennium Music Conference (MMC12)
Harrisburg, PA
Radisson Hotel

www.mmc12.com

Witches In Bikinis is performing on the main stage at the Radisson on Saturday night, 10:45 PM
We're not doing our surf song,  "Alien Surfer Babes" but we are doing "Moosejaw Millie", a kind of rockabilly song, and "Mermaids In Outer Space", just generally cool.
And another new song: "Freak Show Safari", and other favorites such as "Horror Flick Chicks" and "Zombie March"

Send me an email if you want to know more - we attended / performed last year.

julie@witchesinbikinis.com

I am passing along an email I received from Lou Brutus  -- BN

Hello!  I've been hearing from a lot of bands who I believe heard about myself and the surf music on play on XM Satellite Radio.  I host Kowabunga Uber Alles on the punk channel Fungus 53.  I also created the Wax Your Woody show that airs on XM 60's on 6.

If you could pass on to all the bands...they can mail their music to me at the following address:

LOU BRUTUS
C/O XM SAT RADIO
1500 ECKINGTON PLACE
WASHINGTON, DC 20002

Two copies of each disc is appreciated.  I collect stickers and pins too is you wanna send 'em!

Hang Ten,

Lou Brutus
XM Satellite Radio & Former Manasquan NJ Surfer

From an email from Dave Wood:

I have chosen not to renew web hosting and the domain registration for
Zptduda.Com, which will be effective at the end of January.  This will mean that
the Cowabunga links pages will be going away.  If you have not already, I highly
recommend that you join SurfGuitar101.com and add your site to their links pages.

I will also be closing down the Cowabunga webring.  If your site is currently a
member of the Cowabunga ring, please feel free to remove the banner graphic and
web ring controls from your pages.

Thanks and best regards,

Dave

The Cowabunga Web Ring was an important web ring in the 90's, back when search engines weren't as good as they are now. I fondly remember clicking on the random site link and discovering all kinds of bands and web sites. Thanks go out to Dave for all his hard work on this and his contributions to the surf music community!

After a break of almost one year SurferJoe web site is back online. Surf bands from all over the world join us now on surferjoemusic.com!

(what have I done during all this time??? probably just working too much...) SurferJoe web site is back with some changes. The main domain has gone from SurferJoe.it to SURFERJOEMUSIC.COM and from now on we will list bands from all over the world. As usual, it is possible to leave news, updates, gigs, suggestions, booking requests and so on. No registration required. We are still working on the activation of many sections...

We are working to go back organizing events in Italy for next summer, especially the 3rd edition of the SurferJoe Summer Festival that has seen in the past the participation of many friends: Charades, Slacktone, Bambi Molesters, Surfin' Lungs, Bitch Boys, all italian bands (from Cosmonauti to Pipelines, from Bradipos IV to Wet-Tones...). We will keep you up to date. Thanks also to all the other artists that have been booked with our help or by us directly such as Dick Dale, Surfaris, Beach Boys, 5678...

The online store is also re-opening and you will find a lot of stuff and updates, including the possibility to buy musical instruments (new and used) directly from Japan through us. Cool, cool, cool (trust me...).

Finally a great thank you to surfguitar101.com that is carrying on this brilliant community with so many surf music fans! We look forward to work together!

Seasonal Favorites - Volume 2 (Double Crown Records)

Just in time for the holidays - we are proud to announce the sequel to one of our most popular releases. This time we have gathered 20 songs from bands located all over the globe - sending their best wishes for the holiday season straight to your hi-fi!

Tracks:

From the Yep Roc mailing list:

Enter to win the "Turtlenecks Required" Los Straitjackets Photo Contest!

Big fan of Los Straitjackets? Remember the days when Jimmy Lester banged on the drums and Pete Curry shredded on the bass? Well, go to the attic and dig up your live concert photos from those days!

Send your live concert photos to LosStraitsContest@gmail.com by October 3rd and your picture may be selected to be used as the artwork for the upcoming Los Straitjackets DVD (out early '08)!

The grand prize winner and five others will receive a Yep Roc Los Straitjackets package, which will include the entire Yep Roc Records catalogue from Los Straitjackets, autographed by the band! 

Remember: If they aren't wearing turtlenecks and it's not a concert, the photo doesn't count!

Compilations are a great way to get your music out to a large number of people. Recently our band was put on a compilation and it has boosted our internet sales! Go-Kustom Records, from Washington, is looking for surf bands to release a compilation as soon as they get enough bands for the CD. Our band, Retroactive Gamma Rays, has submitted a song for the compilation already. There is no cost to be on the compilation! You just need to send in your songs. I spoke with the label owner recently and he told me he has only had five bands submit for the CD. There is a very good chance to get on this comp. as he is looking for at least 10 more bands. Go-Kustom is a great indie label with CD distribution through Hep-Cat Distro.

Go to:

www.go-kustom.com

and click on Go-Kustom Records (The label also has T.V. & makes indie movies) and contact D.A. Sebasstian.

John Blair, noted surf historian and founder of Jon & The Nightriders writes:

I've been working on my own website and it's finally online. Please check out: www.johnblair.us

As indicated on the site, Jon/Nightriders' 1986 LP "Stampede" is going to be released on CD for the first time by Crossfire Publications later this year. The CD has been mastered from the original 2-track tape and will include several bonus tracks. I don't have a street date yet, but I'll post it here when I find out. There are other projects in the works, too. Check out my website for further info.

Keep on the lookout for a new 4th edition of his “Illustrated Discography of Surf Music, 1961-1965,” revised and greatly expanded!

And finally, please welcome John to SG101!

Flying Saucer Rock N' Roll Episode #33

Hey All You Reverb Junkies. Get Three Coffins Ready Can Be Heard On The "Flying Saucer Rock N' Roll Episode #33 Podcast!!!!!" Right Now. Our Song "El Cementario" Appears Thanks To Dan Electreau!!!!!! Click On The Link Above To Access This Golden Piece Of Explosive Reverb Action!!!

Lee Hazlewood, acclaimed singer and songwriter, died at age 78 on August 4th, 2007. Many news media outlets have picked up the story and ran tributes and obituaries:

MSNBC (AP Story)
Pitchfork
New York Night Train
The Independent

These articles mainly talk about his work with Nancy Sinatra and his solo career. Of interest to surf fans was his collaborations with legendary guitarist Duane Eddy, who had an enormous influence on the young surf guitarists in the 1960's. Hazlewood wrote songs and produced Eddy, helping to pioneer that deep twangy guitar sound that inspired the surf genre. The recent tributes fail to mention that Hazlewood penned several surf classics that were recorded by Colorado's The Astronauts: "Baja", "Movin", "The Hearse", "El Aguila", and "Surf's You Right". These landmark songs have been covered by literally hundreds of surf bands since then. The surf crowd thanks you, Mr. Hazlewood.