Album Notes

The Surfonics were formed in Springfield, Oregon in 1993 when drummer Kevin Angvick answered a "drummer wanted" ad posted in a music store by guitarist Mike Graves (myself) and bassist Marc Emmons.
We soon discovered that we shared a love of "old-testament" instrumental surf music, and after a little head-scratching to come up with a name, The Surfonics were born.
We spent the next few weeks working up some old surf tunes and writing a few originals, as well as recording a demo tape on a 4-track cassette recorder in the garage.
We played a few shows in Eugene that year, and recorded a couple of original surf tunes in a local studio.
For the next few years we played about 3-4 shows a month, from bars to car shows and outdoor festivals, developing a small but loyal following and spawning a local surf music revival in the process.
The Surfonics were also the subject of a critically acclaimed piece produced for National Public Radio, and were featured in a video which aired on community access television.
We also had a few different drummers in the band during that time, and in 1999 bassist Trey Longstreth replaced Marc Emmons.
In 2001, local studio drummer extraordinaire Pete Berger collaborated to record
some more originals in the same studio as our first recording several years earlier.
After a lengthy hiatus from playing live shows, we are pleased to return to the stage with our new drummer, Ken Sokolov!

From Phil Dirt's Reverb Central review:

"The Surfonics are from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where the cows surf the big waves of grass. Their sound is damped and rhythmic, moody, occasionally gloomy, and minimalist in the same way that the Fireballs used to do things, but perhaps closer to the core idea of the Sir Finks. The songs have a magnetism about them..."

Picks: Longboard Cowboy, Planet X, Eddie's Revenge, Boogie Board, Pyramid Rock, The Secret Sea, Mexican Sunset, Lil' Datsun, Vaquero

"Longboard Cowboy" 4 stars
A damped-rhythm semi-cowboy rhythm runs under this twangy and fun song. "Longboard Cowboy" is a very nice rhythm dominated instro that you hooks in. The melody is a moody and emotional thing.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Planet X" 3 stars
A great damped rhythm grumbles under the kind of minimalist instro that the Fireballs made work so well. dark and chunky with a bit of an Indian feel. A few references to "Apache" complete the picture.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Eddie's Revenge" 4 stars
"Eddie's Revenge" is up-tempo, and very rhythmic. On the thick side, with a clear image of the curl. Lines from "The Munsters" bring into focus the reason for the title. If you were to surf up Eddie and the Munsters' "What Ever Happened To Eddie," you might arrive here. Very cool!
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Boogie Board" 4 stars
Wow! "Boogie Board" is a great track! Damped, yet very powerful. This is a catchy and very cool number with rhythm at its heart. Vintage, but updated, with long twangin' shallow whammy chords. I like this a lot.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Stonefish" 3 stars
"Stonefish" is a more jammy kind of song, with a simple circulating riff and a less infectious backtrack than most other tracks here.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Pyramid Rock" 4 stars
This is a mysterious and very surfable instro. The Surfonics ride the flood waters of the Nile as Bedouin caravans pass in the distance. Middle Eastern sounding, and very cool.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"The Secret Sea" 4 stars
This is a bit of a bluesy surf instro with a sad sound. Perhaps pensive, the moodiness of the track and the shallow whammy chords are its main attraction.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Mexican Sunset" 3 stars
A slow song shrouded in mist and gentleness. "Mexican Sunset" doesn't sound very Mexican to me, but it's very pretty and very smooth.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Lil' Datsun" 4 stars
Great drums drive pumped throbbing rhythms, beautiful chords shine, and the damped guitars chunk in a delicately tribal and rhythmic synchronicity. Splendidly pulsing. Great tom toms.
Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Vaquero" 3 stars
A fine combination of rhythms and tone, "Vaquero" is rhythm dominated and pulsing. While this is sure influenced by the Fireballs, "Vaquero" is not a cover of their song.
Surf Instrumental Stereo