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r' to Dick Dale, the "King qf the,Surf'," surf mulft'has f* geverreally gone awalrl Contrary to what once exclaimed a\ Ar9 You Experienced,Dale has always rernained icurrent-and the surf sceng,;$ef;ol9,firra is as vital today (espe- cially in ttlul;punk market) as it was in the early'60s. Sincethere are so many bands releasingsurf records at the moment, BA&f thought it would be interesting to have Mr. Dale take a "blindfold test"" whereby Dick listens to undisclosed bands and com-

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iqind,then'purDickD latidlltlti *e which o bnte ib going to fe tsu have to be fr the Santa Monica Pier, where the guitarist :,nranybands just r instrument, whether theyils en how to do that." gave an incredible performance several meter/ the drum beat-that's "Spyvs. Spy" (Los Angeles) always the most important thing hours later. According to Arnson, he was 'You know tlrese bands have to lnreottu#e everybody.s to me, the beat that be careful so that they don't all "Polaris" (Los Ange 'on.' gracious,patient, and listened carefuily to lListensabit morel.It'sa nice sound alike. I like to go from one "Thank God eue:r' cleanband. What I heard here is extreme to another. To get my and clean anC ;ci the tapes and CDs. "These everything on a nice clean sound, and every- sound,though, you needto play know, every banci n body had their shit together. I . bands are all your children," Arnson told the the same equipment as me-a far seems to be ;e: also hear discipline into the FenderStrat and a FenderShow- and well put i.r legend."They've all heard your music, and piaying-nobody going off into man amp. Thesekids are play- becauseit's nci :io left field or anything." ing good, they're playing well, this Earth That they've all been profoundly affectedby it." but they're playing like bandsin movie, Crossriu;s tl llolibub .t,le.r the '50s. I'd like to see bands Sieve Vai He What follows are not only expert reviews of Natives are Restless" "The playing with more focus and Earth Sievie Ra''' (Los Angeles) some California groups, but also sorne pouer-balls in your eye! You played h-ith hinr F{i "The guitarist plays nice, real have to look for what separaies u"ith that |rpe ot h clean.The drummer's right on. notableunits from other parts of the globe. you from someoneelse Put a ians]Iseeagu!'Lan They modulateda key in there. surf bancisup :heie longboard" sun -8,H, hundred t Dick

AgentOrange: "eertainly deresn't remind me of 'alternativerock,'"

ivind blowing through his hair, going acrossthe faeeof a wave, llke in Endless I Surnmer.This is real nice. It's music I ii,li:. { ,'ouldn't blow up a building with, but t .i it's music that I'd lay back, shut the :l{s lights out, and listen to. It's well done." TY DAVI # UEtcor "The Bender" (SanFrancisco) "A.il this stuff is well done.But it sounds Iike it's being played through teeny speakers.it's like the Ventures! Noth- ing bad yet...but they all sound like they're playing through the sameequip- ment." ffigentSramge "Mr. Moio" (Los Angeles) "That's a neat song!I've always liked that song. But, onceagain, it's music for trav- eling. Rernindsme of the'50s and '60s. Certainly doesn't remind me of 'alterna- :"l see a tive rock."' lng throughhls halr."," Fhontomtualer "Facific Shores" {San Fran- cisco) "I also find this hard ro separate frorr, the others. What do voa like about this?" fFeEmen "Ocean Beach" (San Francisco) "No.,v, I like that! That's innovative! I That sounds like ,l something I'd be doing! That stag- gered line; I've always been into

rli.ors these bands have to Irct fu#etr 'e:;l so ihat they don'f all "Polaris" (Los Angeles) lai:ke I like to go from one "Thank God everybody's nice :.e to another.To get my and clean and together. You you ';:hough, needto play know, every band I've heard so rne equipment as me-a far seemsto be well disciplined r Stratand a FenderShow- and well put together. Just i::,p Thesekids are play- becauseit's not blowing me off rcJ. they're playing well, this Earth... That guy in the er re playinglike bandsin movie, Crossroads,that guitarist, Js I'd like to see bands Steve Vai. He blew me off the r: rvith more focus and Earth. . I -ba]ls in your eye! You played with him. He also played :c look for what separates with that type of intensity. [Lis- rom someoneelse. Put a tensl I seea guy on the nose of a :ed surf bands up there, longboard, sun goin' down, slmcopation'things: Big band music has a lot of that. Man, that was great. I like to write with visuals in mind." 1)Aqua VetveE. / lhodotug lllen on o rRiptideRecords. I lhodourgPlonet SanFrancisco, !A Cirrrn "Aunts Invasion" (Toronto) :2)llalibuts, "See.Now, I can see this as being more FlatfishRecorrjs' visual than anything else I've heard' I 8lvd.,#634, San cansee it! Guys with their legs spread ,90403 is movin'! apart, moving! The drummer 3) Btardwalkers it!" I seethem blaztng, getting riSht into rpm) fDick's prettysatny-this bandactually pro- tsidesthe soundtrackmusicfot theW show Kids in the Hall) Ag*to1""g"."certa|nlydoesi't-rem|ndmeof.a|ternat|vetock.'" wind blowing through his hair, going acrossthe face of a wave, like in Ezdless Summer.This is real nice. It's music I blow uP a building with, but VanillaStudge Re wouldn't l it's music that I'd laY back, shut the 460205,San lights out, and listen to' It's well done'" s4146 .oi.As.nrorarue Ultror ,f8€s (SanFrancisco) "The Bender" hhinonecoros" is well done' But it sounds "All this stuff Avenue, Sartr played through teeny like it's being ,90404-3555 speakers.It's like the Ventures! Noth- ing bad yet..'but they all sound like i?).,PhantomSl ,ssundsot H&e they're playing lhrough the sameequip- ment." EstrusRecords' Oronge Bellingtnm,SA egent ,8)Mermen, Foo 'Mr. Moto" (Los Angeles) "That's a neat song!I've always liked that Kelpton€R€cort song.But, onceagain, it's music for trav- $t., #202.Serl eling. Remindsme of the'50s and'50s' goln' down, wlnd blow' 94116 lnsect Surftrc: "l s€Ga gUy on the nose of a hrEDoard' sun Certainly doesn't remind me of 'alterna- Sh&rY lls Ing thrcugh hts hdr..." ,9) tive rock."' ,Planet,tffittp lvfien llam Phontom toiko ond the RecorG (San Fran- Cargo ffi,San DItrn cisco) Gormonout "I also find this hard to "Six Secondsin Dallas" . 0) Lailaeatd I separate from the others. (Helsinki) lftshafigilbd What do you lile about lHumsalongl.'."Sounds like :UpstartRecon Moto'! this?" a takeoff on 'Mr. 1418,W- SonE Some good chord changes, lllermen 11i llan or AS arAsEoillht? "Ocean Beacll' (San of Francisco) EstrusRecord "Now, I like that! futro-lllon Sur{ersabouc} That's innovative! 'Taxidermist Surf" 12) R€it€niius, That sounds like (Auburn, Alabama) la something I'd be a [Uughsl'"That's Make'uPNusi doing! That stag- part in there! good Avenue,tl, I line; I've -Well done. That gered 90u4 always been into sounds like a band that opened for us 13i GokFtM once... Wait a Bignmrn Prd minute. \Vhat's ilsfingfinn, D their name? Thev ltt Jr..iopen for usl" 14)Spies "l mean, I can *htttuu relate to ail this ttusbf &sc, fal. I like st.rtt-'o tcr hear music

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ihadoxry Men on a Shadowy Planet: "l can see it!" t;i, t.r sn'eet music. I mean, I love bands so far. To me, it's the greatestfuckin' honor. rrJ Hank Jr And that guy with the skinny ass... To be evenjust thought of...for somebodyto say ,\}-at > his name? Dwight Yoakam. And I like all the 'Hey, he's one of us!' You can't get any better than :,: u.ld guvs And yet I like the guys who know that! It's like a slap in the faceto all theseassholes in ierr scales. The thrashers-the Satrianis. I appreci- the mainstream...It's like'Ha, ha, ha! Look! We're me those gui- ite e','en'thing they do. The kids give all doing this kind of music!"' :ar rnagazines to read. You know, I read an inter- , re'.",'rrith Yngwie Malmsteen once. He was saying Trorhruomen just believe they i't evervbody else was shitl I can't "Daddy Love" (SanFrancisco) it! You can't go that way! You can't :', en printed "No impression here. Did they fuck up the ending r=lieve that! I mean, take Segovia! I can't play therc?lPlays ending back three times to checkfNope... :€qLrvia. But Segovia can't play Dick Dale surf, inform Dick that theTrashwomen probably reael in :i'&er I can't play scales.I don't even know how to lI their trashinessmore than anv of theother bands here.l :iav one scale! So who am I to be a critic! All I can ;ar. is, Do I like it? I like the stuff &at reaches, that shows creativity. {:rd everything so far has been :.-urd,and, believe me, tr've heard ,one real shit traveling across this :,runtry!" Revenilor Death of a Revenilo" (Los Angeles) 'I-c this song all in the same key? I'd Like to hear some more of these eur-s...that break sounds like the one in 'Nitro' [Dick DaIe '93 tunel. ll'hon! There we go! Is this still the same song? lLaughsl Nice ending! Thev could have ended on the same trl'o chords, but they added another!" Goldentoner Mermen: "That sounds like sometlringSlfdbe doing!" "'O J the World Traveler" (Detroit) "l liked that. That was the Golden- tones?/esus! We played with them, too! I'm listening Dovie0llon & the 0rrourr to my family here!" "Arrow Space"(Los Angeles) lpiet lUhotvfr "This is the way it should be done! Listen to those "Catling All Martians" (Detroit) drums! Good drummer, right on the meter, right "It's important when doing staccatopicking that where he should be. This is right on. This is rockin'!" r-ou stick to the meter. Like this here. This is kind of LJnfortunately,sp6ce doesn't allow for Mr. Dale's unique. This sounds like one of my songswhere I commentson his neutCD, Kurt Cobain,or lohnny in a issue.Thanks again to Dick reverse a iazz lick lspacy musicalbreakl. That's cool! Cash.Maybe future Very innovative. That was SpiesWho Surf? These DaIefor his time and patience.And pleasekeep in guvs played with us, too! Did you know that? mind, that this samplingis only the tip of the iceberg. plenty bandsboth in Califurnia llaughsl Are you doing this on purpose? I just love Thereare still of surf being consideredpart of the family with all these and otherstates, that haaevet to releasematerial. I

30 SEPTEMBER9,l9aryBAM