Menu
THE M-SQUAD Hollywood Soundtrack Quintet
"Live On the Sunset Strip! "
Celebrating 60 Years (1959—2019) of the Greatest Jazz TV and Film soundtracks!
This came out last November, but deserves some ink, here. I am not affiliated with the band, in any way. I recently got this CD, and was totally blown away. If you like spy, crime jazz, soundtrack music, this is as good as it gets. Every performance is a gem. It's a phenomenal selection of songs, played with absolute conviction and authenticity. Mike Vernon's stellar band is top-notch, in every way.
You can purchase the CD from band member Nelson Bragg at: steelderrickmusic.com.
Here's a couple of quotes:
Jonny Whiteside (writer for the L.A. Weekly)
"THE M SQUAD! It's a very special album release set from these 'crime jazz' specialists, a most formidable mob of deep skill and smoldering capabilities whose marvelously atmospheric song selection, exquisite execution and all around hardboiled mysterioso noir appeal is unrivalled. Led by the ferociously gifted Texas guitar slinger Burnin’ Mike Vernon, these malefactors churn out a gloriously rendered combination of technical perfection, soulful involvement and well chilled, reliably lethal grooves as featured on their brand new "Live from the Sunset Strip" disk."
"A venerable crime wave of Hollywood Noir crime jazz, spy themes and sounds of the Space-Age!"
Songs on the album:
Guitar - Mike Vernon (3 Balls of Fire, Fireballs, Jerry Cole, Link Wray, Nokie Edwards, Davie Allan & The Arrows)
Percussion - Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson Band, Nelson Bragg Band)
Drums - Chris Roberts (Insect Surfers, 3 Balls of Fire, Davey Allan & the Arrows, and more)
Piano - Ted Hamer (Ted Hamer Quartet)
Bass - Doug Snyder (3 Balls of Fire)
You can purchase the CD at steelderrickmusic.com
More info at: https://msquadhollywood.com
The Hollow Grinders are beyond sad to share that our drummer, Dr Dirk Thrust, has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
We're fundraising by releasing an album "IN THRUST WE TRUST" with 47 songs from NZ based artists.
It includes surf tunes from THE HOLLOW GRINDERS, THE CTHULUS, KING KAIJU and THE BIFF BANGLE EXPERIENCE, plus a cool Morricone-inspirted piece from EMPASSE with the Hollow Grinders' Otis Uh guesting on twangy guitar.
There's also a ton of other punk garage and weirdness that some of you will love and others will skip!
The album is at Link
I'll now try to embed direct links to the surf tunes:
French musician Jay Poisön, usually known for gritty metalpunk in Poisöncharge and buzzing goregrind in Pulsating Cerebral Slime, is trading blast beat and distortion for reverb and surf !
Jay's first surf album Terror Of The Bat People ! has been released on Halloween and is available on bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
Twenty years ago we couldn’t imagine that our little excuse to meet with our surf music friends from around the country would still be happening. We also couldn’t imagine how crazy 2020 would be. Nothing could stop us from celebrating though, so we are doing the festival anyway, but in an online format. Here is the final line-up of the 20th anniversary of Primeiro Campeonato Mineiro de Surfe, the oldest running surf music festival in the world and the most important one in South America.
There will be 60 bands from 10 different countries and 12 Brazilian states, with exclusive performances ranging from newly recorded material, video clips, quarantine-style videos, historic festival performances and much more.
Reverb Brasil Records also released an online compilation with 59 tracks from bands participating in the festival and a couple of bands important to this history.
Grab your favorite drink, get comfy on your favorite chair in the company of your favorite people and join us this November 7th, 14th and 21st on Youtube. Check our Facebook Event to figure the local times.
About the festival
Primeiro Campeonato Mineiro de Surfe is the main meeting point of the Brazilian Surf Music Scene, happening annually in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, at A Obra, one of the most important underground venues in Brazil. Throughout its 20 year history, the festival has welcomed over 120 bands and thousands of people.
The festival’s name is a joke about a surf championship in Minas Gerais, a state with no coastline. Belo Horizonte is about 500 km from the nearest beach and every year the festival is called Primeiro Campeonato (First Championship), preceded by the number of the edition. Last year’s edition was the 18th Primeiro Campeonato Mineiro de Surfe.
The festival was first organized through Reverb Brasil, which back then was an association of Brazilian Surf Bands. A Obra kept it alive over the years, with the help of Reverb Brasil, which later became a radio show, a label, a blog... Always spreading the (lack of) words of Brazilian Surf Music.
We would like to introduce Two Guns Gonzo!
A Lockdown Laptop Surf Rock by two Expat Kiwi's! One based in Helsinki and the other based in Nashville.
I'm not much of a birdwatcher, but I can say that I was quite fortunate to have seen King Pelican in its natural habitat. It was in their hometown of San Antonio, Texas at Hot Joy, a hip little joint serving pan-Asian food, tiki drinks and Lone Star beer, all surrounded by amazing artwork by Jamie Stolarski (who created the art for this release) - the perfect setting for King Pelican's own special brand of instrumental surf guitar music. Lucky for me (and you!) the heady concoction of all of those elements has been captured by and expanded upon with EAST MEETS WEST.
The first two songs (east side) see King Pelican presenting the specifically Japanese musical style of Eleki, which was created in 1960s Japan by mixing the aggressive guitar style of The Ventures with Japanese modes, melodies and style, creating a new and unique form.
The following selections (west side) take the listener closer to King Pelican's home turf of the American Southwest, but through the lens of the Italian-made Spaghetti Western soundtrack, complete with lonesome whistling, 12 string, acoustic guitars and the bass VI adding to the Morricone influenced atmosphere.
But this is not another surf band pulling a few stylistic gimmicks on top of a basic surf song just to call it something else. King Pelican has obviously taken these specific musical sub-genres and have studied and devoured them before embarking on their own original Eleki and Spaghetti Western compositions. In other words, these are great songs and performances that pack a fun trip around the world into one EP.
~Ted Pilgrim
The new EP from King Pelican - EAST MEETS WEST is now available on Bandcamp! We'd like to thank our good friend, Ted Pilgrim from Satan's Pilgrims for writing the liner notes! Stay tuned for new on the 7" orange vinyl release!
BLACK VALLEY MOON FT. RAY VEGA “VAMPIRELLA”
From the opening chords you know this is going to be an intricate display of surf melody. Ray’s voice is smoothe and sounds right at home with the previously instrumental trio. The songs have an underlying voice of their own
Vampirella starts it off with a strong maniacal intro which switches back and forth swimming between the beat and swelling accompanying guitar. The intense attack is aggressive and filled with grit and it’s own grammar. The Spanish lyrics fit in perfectly.
Moonlight Bath is a display to guitar frenzied accuracy. Once Again, Ray Vega croons for the music madness with a super catchy chorus and sometimes badass vibe.
But with all that said...Laisse Tomber Les filles, the only instrumental track, soars with melody. Anyone familiar with April March will have a field day with this song. The melody continues throughout the song with guitar skats over each movement.
As far as surf music goes this a three song goldmine of complex guitar strumming and structure. I see the group is heading for a huge impact both technically and emotionally. Bravo guys 5-5
This 7” release will be available December 18th from Pi records
The Spiratones - New free single, 'Night of the Golden Sun'.
The Spiratones (double) dare you to journey into the shadows, to venture through the darkness, to eyeball the abyss and not falter as terror creaks across your soul. Only then, surrounded by midnight, will you be able to confront the horror that lurks within, to cast a singular, dazzling spotlight on fear itself... are you ready for your very own... Night of the Golden Sun...
The Spiratones present a double feature of classic scares. Night of the Golden Sun, is accompanied by a live version of 'Toecutter'.
Find it for free at bandcamp
New EP release from Black Valley Moon. Two vocal songs, and one instro. Digital version available now at Link Vinyl will be released 10/18 from Pi Records.
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEORzkKcPE4
Northern California’s The Reverbivores announce the release of their second studio album “The Reverbivores Watch TV.”
Recorded in an era when masks were for Halloween and social distancing was for awkward office holiday parties, this album reflects the band’s vision of what TV was and yet could be. 12 original surf instrumentals ranging from trad to psych to punk and to things unknown, “The Reverbivores Watch TV” reminds us that life really isn’t so bad if you’ve got control of the remote.
Available September 25, 2020 on Bandcamp and all your favorite online music services.
