Photo of the Day

SURF AND DESTROY can now be purchase online at:

CD Baby

You can listen to a portion of every track before you buy and preview the cover art as well! Be sure to visit our website for other important information.

Thanks!

SurfGuitar101 is pleased to announce that we now have a TeamSpeak server. We can now offer voice chats! All you have to do to get started is go to the TeamSpeak Downloads page, and grab yourself a client program. Clients are available for Windows, Linux, and Macs (be sure you get the right one), and are available free of charge to non-commercial users (i.e. us). I've used Teamspeak extensively and I can vouch for it being free of spyware.

You will need speakers and a microphone for your computer to chat. I use a microphone/headphone headset combination, but any old computer mic will do.

For additional help, information, etc., please see this forum thread.

I will shortly install a block that will appear on the home page that will indicate who is chatting on TeamSpeak.

This resource was brought to you by the generous people who have donated to the site. I hope it proves useful to the surf community! Use it to talk about surf music, shoot the breeze, coordinate going to shows, make new friends, etc.

I got a call from the local guitar store, they are always on the lookout for guitars I might like to own. The sold me on the new Fender Classic Player '60s Strat. It is a Mexican Strat designed by Fender Custom Shop builder Greg Fessler.

If you are looking for a new Strat for surf, this one is worth looking out for ... I could not be more pleased with my new Sonic Blue Strat!

This appeared in the on-line edition of Fender News. Interestingly, Dick claims to be the inspiration for the name "Showman," which was a new one to me!

I'm proud to announce that Colorado's favorite surf band, The Aquasonics, first cd is available! Packed full of classics that you know, and some you don't, it's sure to satisfy! A few cuts can be heard on our myspace page.

If you like your surf in a traditional style, this is the "must hear" cd this year! Recorded in the world famous Wormtone studios (a converted 1940's garage) the sounds are classic surf from start to finish!

The regular price is $12, but I'll do 'em for $10 (inc shipping in the US) to all my SG101 friends! It can be ordered by contacting Chris at chris@bigkahunabicycles.com

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