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Thoughts inserted:
--- unlunf <> wrote:
> how would you classify Laika and the Cosmonauts?
Early on, they played a lot of surf filtered through an eastern
European lense. Now, they are entirely intro rock - little or no surf
in their sets or releases. They use echo mostly.
> Because Dick Dale endorses them?
That's scary... he mostly likes bands that do not sound much like him.
> ...make the current list members realize
> that there are other bodies of work out there, and for
> some folks, those definitions are good enough.
The way I see it, other bodies of work don't need a "surf" endorsement.
They stand on their own merit. Having to lump them in lessens their
value. It's hard to imagine a more influential band than the Ventures.
They don't need a genre label that they briefly aped to get
credibility.
Phil
--- In , Phil Dirt <phildirt@r...> wrote:
[re:] Laika and the Cosmonauts?
>
> Early on, they played a lot of surf filtered through an eastern
> European lense. Now, they are entirely intro rock - little or no surf
> in their sets or releases. They use echo mostly.
>
> > Because Dick Dale endorses them?
>
> That's scary... he mostly likes bands that do not sound much like
him.
Now, to be fair, Phil, that's not exactly true. He gave them that
note of 'endorsement' on the "Instruments of Terror" CD. It's likely
that he wrote that sometime before that CD came out, so probably
following their previous album, which was "Surfs You Right". That's
by far their surfiest release, and there are some very DD-like songs
on there.
He also 'endorsed' the Surf Coasters early on, and they sure sounded
like him back then. And the fact is that both of these bands are
REALLY good. So, he does seem to be willing to recognize quality and
voice his opinion - at least on occasion. (I seem to remember he was
also very complimentary of Dave & Slacktone recently.)
I first saw Laika & the Cosmonauts live in '95 - twice, in fact,
within a few months. I can honestly say that those two shows
(especially the second) changed my life. Seeing them play with such
complete abandon, attacking songs like Baha-Ree-Ba and playing them at
a speed that I found astounding, well, it just blew my mind, and I can
point directly to that second show as the moment when I decided to
form a surf band. Though I was already a fan of the genre, I think
seeing them made me finally 'get' what surf music was all about - and
I do think that they very much were a surf band at that point. And
one of the very best ones ever, in fact.
(Local Warming, though, has nothing to do with surf music. The first
track is very good - the rest, unfortunately, not so much. Very
disappointing.....)
Ivan
inserted...
--- ipongrac <> wrote:
> Now, to be fair, Phil, that's not exactly true. He gave them that
> note of 'endorsement' on the "Instruments of Terror" CD. It's likely
Hence the use of the word "mostly," and by not like him I mean with
regard to power and egde. I recorded Laika and the Cosmonauts one
Tuesday night at KFJC back in 1994 just after their first performance
at SXSW. Fine musicians - yes, very nice folks - yes, but not a power
band. they were very tight and very consistent.
> He also 'endorsed' the Surf Coasters early on, and they sure sounded
> like him back then. And the fact is that both of these bands are
> REALLY good. So, he does seem to be willing to recognize quality and
> voice his opinion - at least on occasion. (I seem to remember he was
> also very complimentary of Dave & Slacktone recently.)
As I rethink it, I realize my observation was colored by Dick's
often-demonstrated insecurity about other instro bands on his bills,
which he seems to have gooten over in the past decade or so. How time
flies. I stand corrected.
Phil
