In the beginning...

An electric GUITAR, drenched in REVERB, plays a minor chord.  The guitarist carefully modulates the whammy bar, turning the chord inside out.  The end result is a sound not normally heard in nature, and only made possible by JET-AGE technology.

Back in the late 60's, when I was just a wee lad, my father used to drive me crazy me with his Ventures albums.  As "Walk Don't Run," "Telstar," and "The Lonely Bull" poured from his hi-fi, I'd complain that the songs "didn't have any words!"  Jeez, it was the era of modern pop, as the Beatles, Monkees, and Stones ruled the airwaves.  That "surf" music sounded ancient.  Who cared about a bunch of ancient songs that had never reached the top of the charts?

Little did I realize how important Surf music would become to me.  Looking back, it was the PIXIES tune "Cecelia Ann" (Bossanova, 1990) that rekindled my passion for all things reverberated.  While the Pixies aren't a Surf band, and "Cecelia Ann" isn't a Surf tune, the track awakened me to the potential of instrumental rock music.  From the Pixies, I made a logical progression to Pell Mell and the Shadowy Men On a Shadowy Planet.  Again, neither are pure Surf bands, but both have songs that have Surf-like elements.

At this time, Surf music was only a diversion from my love of true Alternative rock.  In the early 90's, Nirvana, Radiohead, Bad Religion, and other acts from that era were sucking up all of my extra cash down at the corner CD store.  I had my own band, and was certain that we'd be bigger than REM.  One day, while trying to come up with a new song idea, I stumbled upon a simple melody and thought to myself, "Hey, it could be a Surf tune!"  I turned on my four-track deck and recorded the song.  The biggest problem with instrumental tracks is naming them.  This is where I got lucky, because the very next day I awoke to find that my mailbox had been demolished.  There's a trailer park about 3 miles down the road, and I went in the house and told my wife, "Those damn trailer park kids smashed our mailbox!"  Somehow this title stuck, and "Trailer Park Kids Smashed My Mailbox" ended up being the most popular tune I ever recorded! The Dirt Surfers were born and we haven't looked back.

For a lot of people, the 1994 film Pulp Fiction was their first exposure to Surf. The album contains two Surf tracks, "Bustin' Surfboards" by the Tornadoes, and "Surf Rider," a must-have track by the Lively Ones.  These songs were recorded back in the glory days (1961-1965) of the Surf era, as these California bands typically released several full-length albums in one year.

If you're serious about finding the best surf music from the 60's, scour the used record stores for albums (or order re-issued CD's) by the Surfaris ("Pipeline," "Apache"), The Lively Ones ("Theme from Exodus," "Telstar"), The Ventures ("Walk Don't Run," "Tequila"), Dick Dale ("Miserlou," "Ghost Riders In the Sky"), The Chantays ("Pipeline"), and The Challengers ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.").

Today and beyond...

Surf music is undergoing a small revival.  With the availability of some excellent music on the Internet, it is easier than ever to discover how enjoyable this non-vocal rock really is.  Surf music transcends language barriers.  The indie scene has given bands from Belgium, Russia, and Latin America a chance to be heard around the world.  While listing all of the excellent surf bands with free MP3's available would be a nearly impossible task, the few bands showcased on this page are good place to start.  Looking for melody?  Check out Phantom 309 or The Dirt Surfers.  Guitar virtuosity? Get Wet is the band for you.  Space rock? Download something from lohifi.

Also check out Trailer Park Kids, a MP3.com station featuring the best new independent surf bands.  There is no better time than the present to begin your quest for the perfect melody, the perfect rhythm, the perfect wave.