A style of music popular in the Sixties thanks to bands like The Ventures and Dick Dale. Surf rock is almost always instrumental, though some bands add vocals here and there. The sound is characterized by lotsa reverb (or tremolo) on an otherwise clean electric guitar, sometimes with fast double-picking (as heard on Dick Dale's "Miserlou" from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack). Gretsch or Fender are popular brands among surf guitarists. Surf songs are short and surf bands are small, usually a guitar or two, bass, and drums, though you might hear an organ or horns here and there. There is a distinctive "surf beat" to the drums. Listen to The Surfaris' "Wipeout" to hear it: double hit on two, hit on four, with an eighth-note beat behind it, say on hi-hat.
Some modern surf rock bands include Man... or Astro-Man? (early stuff), Satan's Pilgrims, Laika & the Cosmonauts, Link Wray (he's been around forever and is still playing...), The Mermen, Los Straitjackets, and the Galaxy Trio.
The Beach Boys are NOT surf rock -- they are beach music, and they suck. |
