Tag: surf rock

I have always loved the sounds of surf music. The Beach Boys were a staple on the oldies station that my dad listened to when we were on the road. I remember Dakoda Motor Company coming out & that 1st & 2nd LP blew me away. These 2 SOTD bands have released these 2 songs very recently which I thought was cool. Other bands that have dabbled in the genre are 1998’s The Surfers, my friend’s band Bub Walker & the Tombstones, and Switchfoot. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com… Continued →

This band delved into a rare subgenre of heavier surf rock. The tollboth.org site has an interview with the band if you want to read all about the theory behinds the bands’ name. Also, vocalist John used to be in the old skool hxc band Clay. The live version if of their song The Arsenal which is their interesting take on the armor of God. Check this one of a kind band out. … Continued →

Dakoda Motor Company was an awesome surf modern rock band that brought surf music to the 90s Christian rock scene imho. Guitarist Peter King even had a brief stint on MTV with its show Sandblast. The band had toured with several artists including Petra which I always thought was a weird matchup. This SOTD has always been my fave, but also check out Sondancer, Trip To Pain, All Good Generals & Railroad. I also included a live video of them performing Sondancer just because it’s cool to reminisce & wonder if they will come out with new music as they seem to be still playing shows.… Continued →

L.S.U. has been around since the mid 80’s & have had several monikers including Lifesavers, Lifesavers Underground & L.S. Underground. They have also attacked several genres including, alternative, new wave, indie rock, surf rock & a tad being goth tinged with Michael Knott being the mainstay. Freedom is the first I heard from them from 1994’s Grace Shaker & the lyrics portray an homage to the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus. Hopefully you will like this song as much as I have over the years.… Continued →

I first heard of Cross-Check a few months ago through social media channels. Shortly thereafter, I was asked to review their mini-album Overwhelming Odds for Heaven’s Metal. What I found on that release equally excited and bewildered me. The band has a way of weaving some very interesting and somewhat disparate influences into their sound. While they clearly take as their foundation a traditionalist line of old school hardcore, they manage to weave such diverse sounds as street punk, post-punk, rockabilly, and occasionally even surf rock.… Continued →

I’ve been listening to a lot of the Beach Boys lately. Like, a lot. They’ve been my favourite band since childhood. What is it about the comforting sounds of childhood that helps us make sense of turmoil? With covid19, racism, and political division, something about that longing for innocence, for simpler times has got me digging deep into those smooth sounds. In the late 90s, KMG Records put out a compilation of surf rock and surf-inspired tunes called Surfonic: Water Revival, which was spearheaded and produced by Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos.… Continued →

After releasing last year’s opus Young in My Head, Starflyer 59 are already back. The veteran indie rock band have just released a new single, “This Recliner” and boy oh boy is it good! Fueled by inspiration from the best of his 80s new wave AND shoegaze influences (The Church, Psychedelic Furs, Jesus and Mary Chain, et. al.), the man truly knows how to write a pop song. Sometimes I think his skill lies in brevity. Rather than dragging stuff out, founder Jason Martin always leaves you wanting just a little bit more.… Continued →

In the late 80s/early 90s I was a straight-up metalhead. Thrash was my favorite variety, but I dipped into other stuff as well. But I had started developing a taste for punk too. The pace and beat of hardcore punk was actually very similar to thrash, but with different guitar tones. Bands like Nobody Special, The Lead, The Crucified, and even Breakfast with Amy opened me up to new possibilities in edgy music. Then along came the album Poplife by the Lifesavers. I’d only been into Christian rock since ’88, so I knew nothing of Michael Knott’s history (or the many other incarnations and alter-egoes of his various projects).… Continued →

Check out this brand new single from Mainframe that will be a benefit to support their ministry efforts in a far away land. You can read more on the “single track” page over on bandcamp here and get full details. Stream the instrumental surf-rock track below and donate if you’d like to add the song to your collection. All funds raised from the sale of this single and the group’s 2018 ep “Burn the Boats” will go toward supporting their ministry in this hostile country that isn’t so friendly to those sharing the gospel.… Continued →

Captain the Sky's deluxe re-release of "Lions & Foxes" blends the best of post-hardcore and math rock technicality with fun acoustic jams.

Nautical themed rock band Rusty Shipp have launched a crowdfunding campaign to create their first full-length album. The album will be called “Mortal Ghost” and feature the band’s signature blend of classic rock melodies, aggressive punk, and surf rock vibes. You can listen the band’s newest single “Sinking Scarabs” below and find out more about the band and their new album on Indiegogo.… Continued →