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Atlantic Surf Essentials (Cherrydisc)
by Mark Phinney

Boston in the past year has become a rip-roarin’ undertow of new music scenes, doing away with (or at least laying to rest for a while) the typical “Boston Scene” thing we’ve come to know and throw up from in previous years. Along with the fuel-injected rockabilly that is kicking ass throughout town, the surf thing is riding a bitchin’ wave right up Comm Ave. after years of floating just beneath the surface of the clubs and record racks of this town. For a young, pasty-skinned boy like myself, this cosmic go-getter sound is the closest I can get to hitting the waves at Laguna Beach, and I’m getting retarded over it.

Now, finally, someone with access to a soundboard has taken notice. CherryDisc has just released Tube: Atlantic Surf Essentials, a groovy potpourri of Boston’s foamin’est surf emissions, ranging from secret agent sounds to slick, oiled rockabilly-laden jump starts. The coolest track may be The Bald Guys‘ homage to Clash of the Titans, “Let Loose The Kracken.” This spicy tummy-tingler is total space waves – the Guys That Are Bald can put together a sound that plays like your own personal soundtrack. Taking the greasy surfsters to the big bass sound are The Speed Devils. With “Revenge of the Mole Man” the surfabilly end really comes into play and we see another side of the rockin’ devil. Another standout is the always classy and cool Fathoms. These suited-up-and-ready-to-please hipsters bring back the classic surf sound and ice an edge on the cake that fits right in with the aim of the disc. I am really psyched, not only to see one of my fave forms of tuneage finally given its due, but to know that the time has come for Beantown to start eating sand sandwiches instead of choking on Letters to Cleo casserole. Surf and rockabilly are alive and kickin’ in Boston, and if you don’t know it, then I can only say that you’re a square cat, man.