Satan's Pilgrims "Go Action!!!" Review

Satan’s Pilgrims - Go Action!!

Hi-Tide Recordings

2022 turned out to be a huge year for the nearly 30 year old Satan’s Pilgrims. An induction into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame followed by an all-star “Dave Stomp'' memorial concert for Dave Pilgrim. There was a new single on Get-Hip, a track on an Otitis Media sampler, an archival live album released on Record Store Day, and this release of Go Action!! on HiTide. The recording for Go Action!! began before covid struck, but was completed with the band members recording their parts in their own homes. Dave had just finished recording his last organ parts before his untimely passing.

As for the music of Go Action!!, beyond some DNA level connections to the PNW sound, soul music and Richie Podolor, it seems useless to try and pick out influences or make comparisons to other bands, as the Pilgrims stand alone as a monolithic entity. They have been doing this long enough to have found their own distinct groove and sonic coherence; so, it really doesn’t matter that they were spread out around the country to record. One advantage of remote recording emerges in that the sound of each track, especially the drums, is slightly different, which keeps it all fresh from song to song, like a collection of singles. Essential common elements are found in the breadth of songwriting, the seeming minimalism and the patience in the execution and production. Every song has just what it needs, and nothing more.

You’d think that with three guitar players, everyone would be fighting to get their little licks noticed, but the five perform as tightly as knuckles curled into a fist. If you want to hear what three perfectly intertwined guitars sound like, check out the chorus in “Clam Diggin’.” The single chord intro of “Go Action!!!” comes flying out of the gate, strongly melodic, spooky keys, and then the chorus opens up with tuned tympani toms lockstep with percussive strings mutes on the guitar. “Gear Grinder” is a primal rocker that I keep coming back to. Primarily, it’s all chords, with nary a melody other than drummer Ted and his son harmonizing on some “Owooms.” When was the last time you heard a song that had zero drum fills?

“Spider Island” is a tense, spine tingling, hair raising spooker. “Riot on the Seaside Strip” has the Pacific Northwest swagger, with the guitars playing right on top of each other and Justin Thompson (Impala) blowing hard sax for some delightful cacophony. “Captain’s Cove” is a sweet ballad embellished with melodica that gives me the Podolor/Pacific Surfers feels. “Beenz and Greenz” is another fun one, with a modified Bo Diddley beat and a wholly original maraca plus percussive string mute break down. And, “Pilgrim’s Party”… with a dream audience cheering along throughout, this is the fantasy live Pilgrim’s show we all desperately needed during the pandemic. I can imagine the band members rocking out in their home studios, summoning the telepathic connection required for a live show. The perfect set closer.

Go Action!! is a stylistically and sonically varied album. In the typical Satan’s Pilgrims mode, it’s a party platter that’s fun from beginning to end.

(This review appears in Continental Magazine #34 available from Double Crown)

Ivan Pongracic reviews the new "Stargazers" single.

 

Truly enjoying this fantastic new 7" by Frankie and the Pool Boys, recently released by Hi-Tide Recordings. Both sides hold new tracks composed by my dear friend of 25 years, Ferenc Dobronyi, who has IMO developed one of the most distinctive melodic approaches to surf music of the past 30 years. I've been a huge fan of F&tPB since their debut s/t album in 2008 and through their two wonderful follow-ups, and this single continues that incredible streak.

Side A is "The Stargazers" which takes the Ho-Dads' '64 surf classic "Space Race" as the launch pad for a grandiose, heroic, even Shadow-esque (think Wonderful Land and Atlantis) melody that effectively captures the yearning of reaching ever further out to the stars. (The track is dedicated to the band's Seattle friends and fans, which strikes me as especially apropos given that Tacoma, just slightly south of Seattle, was the home of the Ventures, who wrote the legendary track "Journey to the Stars!")

The B-side is "Breathing Your Air", a gorgeous, romantic, even sensual, mid-tempo track with several mood changes, that nearly-miraculously for an instrumental does sound like a celebration of love (and I'm guessing it's Ferenc's dedication to his amazing wife Karen, who also plays the keys in the band)!

Both songs were recorded and mixed by Boss Martian Evan Foster at his Seattle studio, and they sound warm and crisp - and perfect.

A beautiful single, Frankie & the gang! Well done!

Order directly from Hi-Tide Recordings

New Pool Boys 7" Release: The Stargazer + Breathing Your Air

 

Frankie and the Pool Boys are thrilled to announce the release of our new 7" single, distributed by Hi-Tide Recordings

LINK TREE FOR ALL PLATFORMS

Frankie and the Pool Boys wanted to release a single of new material in between their 2021 best-of "The Wet Season," and their upcoming, fourth, LP. The two instrumental songs on this single are brimming with romantic optimism. The Stargazers was inspired by a story of two lonely, earthbound dreamers who found each other by observing phenomena that happened billions of light years away. The clean, echoey, lead guitar pays homage to the style of Hank Marvin and the Shadows. Breathing Your Air is the soundtrack for intimate discovery, written during Covid times, when the very act of sharing a breath was defiant and dangerous. New fans will be surprised that instrumental music can evoke a vivid mood and deep feelings, and allow for their own memories to guide the songs' narrative. Longtime fans of Frankie and the Pool Boys will immediately recognize the attention to song craft, the Stratocaster tones, and the atmosphere that swirls between the ears. The two songs were recorded during a tour stop in Seattle when the band made time to work with producer and guitarist Evan Foster (The Sonics, Boss Martians) at his No-Count Studios.

But the vinyl direct from Hi-Tide Recordings.

A Listening Party with The Bradipos IV from The Continental #33

A Listening Party with The Bradipos IV 

The Bradipos IV - s/t - Hi-Tide Recordings

When a band self-titles an album, it’s a way of saying, “this is us, this is who we really are.” It is a proclamation of honesty, especially for a band who already has six albums out. The Bradipos IV, despite their slothful attitude, have consistently released a record every three years or so since their inception in 1996. The honesty, as presented here, shows a willingness to evolve and move away from the aggressive attitudes and tempos of their youth, and focus on arrangements that come from a tight group of friends that have played together for 24 years. The honesty comes from recording in a live situation, with the band members all in one room, which dictates absolutely minimal fixes.

I had the opportunity to listen to the test pressing of the new record with Amerigo, Francesco, Enrico and Massimiliano at their home in Caserta, Italy, getting their input on the recording while scribbling my own notes. The Bradipos never give credits on their albums for who wrote what song, or who takes the lead, so it was fascinating to get this information. Many of the songs started out as rhythm guitars from Massi that Francesco would add a melody to. Drummer Enrico wrote three of the songs, and he is, apparently, quite a good guitarist.

A big change for Amerigo is that, during the pandemic, he took lessons from Fugazi bassist Joe Lally via Zoom, and his bass lines show more confident melodic movement. The Bradipos work out their arrangements as a group with each member creating their own parts, leading to their unique sound. It’s a unified vision. They all commented that producer Lorenzo Valdambrini had some subtle but important suggestions that tightened up the group.

Digging into the grooves, side one contains the more heartfelt and personal songs, and side two is uptempo with a more traditional surf sound. Producer Valdambrini chose to mix the album almost entirely in mono, and I only heard two (shocking) instances where there was some left-right separation. Overall, the drums are dry, and with the mono mix, their sound present and snappy, with the abundant reverb on the guitars making a lush wash.

The moodier side one starts with a song from Enrico, Endless Bummer, a reference to the pandemic, but despite its downer title, has a compelling, uplifting melody.  Slated to be the titular track, When The Sirens Sing, is something of an mini-epic, with a dynamic arrangement co-written by Massi and Francesco. Little Scorpion is a song from Massi and he takes the lead on this Spanish style song with the surf approved Andalusian cadence. Savage Season is written by and features the lead of Francesco. To stretch a metaphor, it reminds me of Neapolitan (Napoli) style gelato with three distinct layers of lead, rhythm and bass that melt together for a tasty sensation. Waiting, another Covid collaboration of Massi and Francesco, begins delicate and pristine, sending a chill up the hairs of my arm, before a beautiful trumpet section opens the song up to a satisfying crescendo.

The rocking side two starts with 50, named because i ragazzi all entered their fifth decade in the last couple years. In this song you can really hear Amerigo’s melodic bass lines. Cocaine Cowboys reminds me of The Woodies at their happiest. Scuola di Ballo Al Sole (Dance School on a Sunny Day) is an obscure Morricone song from a Pasolini film, Uccellacci e uccellini , starring their beloved comedian Toto. They have done a significant rearrangement from the original, which had a crazy double time drum rhythm. The last two songs were both written by drummer Enrico. Sloth ‘til Death has some great guitar interplay with Massi playing a staccato double picked melody while Francesco arrpegiates. Zombie Maraja has Enrico laying down a twist beat with nods to the Penetration guitar riff. This is the first place I heard true stereo when a wide tremolo kicks in for a great effect.

The Bradipos IV’s eponymous album was recorded in October of 2021 in Livorno, the hometown of producer Lorenzo Valdambrini. The studio, Bigwave Recording, has a large main room with a tall ceiling, that allowed the band to record with all the drums and Lorenzo’s giant Showman amps in same room, and not require the use of headphones. The band was not present for mixing, and gave Lorenzo a free hand to mix it as he chose. Valdambrini also made the connection with Hi-Tide Recordings to ensure an international release.

The group is very satisfied with this album, feeling that it's their best music and also has the best sound. Watching their career closely, I am inclined to agree, and see this album as another great one from a consistently interesting band.

This article originally appeared in The Continental #33. Please buy and support the fanzine!

Humanga Danga - Watusi Peak EP

 

Humanga Danga • Watusi Peak EP preview

I'm very excited to get a preview of the new Humanga Danga EP, "Watusi Peak" which is due for a CD and digital release on October 1. The six songs show a great breadth of songwriting, from exotica to spy, racetrack bombers to slow moody pieces, and all out party rockers. Every song is given individual production touches, so the EP comes off as a confident sampler of styles. The consistent factors are the great guitar tones, warm, roomy drum sounds, precise playing and great songwriting. The songs are original, without referencing the classics, and mostly mid-tempo, avoiding SBS (Staccato Blitz Syndrome). I'll have a lot more to say about this terrific EP in my full review for the next Continental magazine.

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The Mach IV Reunite, release "Eleki Extra!"

In the early 2000s, I was playing with Pollo Del Mar, which had gone way over the edge into prog-land. I really wanted to play surf music, and found three other like minded guys, all of who happened to be fantastic reverb musicians. Mel Waldorf from Los Mel-tones, and in a few years, Meshugga Beach Party. Johnnie Hamilton from The Berzerkers who has since become a very desirable bassist of choice. Shigemi "33" Komiyama was an all around musician's musician, and had a long list of credits including the Shig and Buzz "Double Diamonds" album. (I'll post the liner notes to our reissued CD later, as it has complete details that I don't want to re-write.)

Anyway, we did an album, and broke up, and then almost 20 years later, it was reissued on Surf Cookie Records, based in Greece. Cool! For the reissue, we wanted to record some new songs, and this made it a lot more exciting for me; it felt like we were taking a step forward, not just sideways. Mel and I each wrote two new songs and we picked two of our favorites from Shig's catalog of songs. We also released a song recorded by Phil Dirt at KFJC way back in the day, and recorded a new version of Paul Johnson's Bedlam.

Jeff Hanson, the Big Tiki Dude, asked us to play at the Surf Guitar 101 Convention, and we said sure. The last time we got together was 2016 for the same event, asking Tony Bald known in the surf music world for his work with The TomorrowMen, and also currently plays with alt-country band The Whateverglades. But, we haven't rehearsed together in years, and Mel and Johnnie aren't currently in gigging groups. Rust and cobwebs for sure, not to mention playing songs that had never been performed live.

Johnnie, Tony and I drove down to Palm Springs where Mel lives for rehearsal. On Friday, the day before our first gig, we ran through the set about six times, taking breaks to jump in the pool. It was above 110°. We totally focused on getting the songs together, playing the right notes, and getting the groove solid.  There were hand cramps, blisters, and deafness. We ran through the set again Saturday morning, then drove to Long Beach– very slowly.

We were the opening band at a Convention pre-show at the Secret Island Tiki Bar. After setting up the gear, we had some time to relax and talked with all the fans there, most of them old friends by now. It was a great scene.

Here's the interesting thing. As soon as we started our set, Mel, Johnnie and I instantly reverted back to our old physical antics– syncronized moves, duck-walking, crashing into each other. All the proper notes in the rehearsal went out the window. As Mel says, "They're not bad notes, it's Jazz." Within minutes, we were covered in sweat, and the audience was dancing, and it was a total blast.

The next day, Sunday, at the VFW Hall in Hollywood was a lot tamer. It's a big, well lit room and, at noon when we went on, most people were sitting in chairs with their arms folded waiting to be entertained. I always feel like I'm under a microscope, which leads to scrutiny and self doubt. We did our best to entertain and get the crowd going, and there were a few folks ready to dance, which we appreciated greatly.

Eleki Extra! is available through Bandcamp or you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music or the other streaming services.

The Surfrajettes "Roller Fink" review from the Continental #33

 The Surfrajettes - Roller Fink

Vinyl, CD, Digital - Hi-Tide Recordings

Reviewed in The Continental #33 available from Double Crown Records

To say that the Surfrajettes care about presentation is an understatement, everything they do is carefully designed around their specific aesthetic. From the turquoise and pink mid-century pallete, the hand sewn band costumes, the matching B-52 updos— I can’t think of another band in the realm that works this hard to define themselves. And that’s a beautiful thing, because it also shows up in the music. When I listen to the Surfrajettes, I don’t hear them taking the easy route of low-if slop or someone cutting loose, I hear melodic, well thought out songs and group arrangements. Certainly their self-penned songs will demand respect and eventual cover versions, as The Manakooras did recently with their single release of the ‘Jettes Hale’iwa Hustle. The first three songs on Roller Fink— Warm Up, Roxy Roller and Salty Sister show that  craftsmanship and a deft use of 7th chords to pull some dissonance out of the otherwise bright melodies. The transition from Salty Sister to Surfer’s Slide is difficult, as they both share a major to relative minor chord structure. That said, Richard Podolor’s Surfer Slide is a real fretboard workout on guitar and is impressive. I’m not sure who’s playing lead, either Nicole or Shermy, but they are nailing it! Slush Puppy is another grooving county fair hit. While I’m flipping to side 2, I have to mention how great the record sounds, especially the drums, which pop with assurance courtesy of studio ace Dani Nash who has a long list of credentials. The Surfrajettes have had a rotating throne behind the kit, but always find killer musicians, like new, permanent drummer Sam Maloney. Meanwhile, Shermy and Nicole sound like they sat on a couch together for the last two years, woodshedding their interlocking guitars to a high degree of tightness. Train Kept A Rollin’ is an aggressive choice for a cover, as it begs for comparisons with great versions of the past, especially the Beck/Page Yardbirds. This version starts with Nicole playing about as bluesy as surf guitar can get, and giving the vocal melody a workout over a slamming backing track with notable walking bass lines from Sarah Butler. Of course, they had to shout the “Looking so good Jack I couldn’t let go” line! Another cover, this one more in line with their viral hit of Britney Spears’ Toxic, is a more or less straight take of Blondie’s signature Heart of Glass. The clear, glassy, guitars emulate Debbie Harry’s vocals, and take this version out of the disco and straight to the beach. Roller Fink has the feel of an obscure Ventures album cut, where they let loose over a groove, and everyone gets to take some licks. She Loves You— the Beatles don’t get a lot of surf covers, after all they are at least partly responsible for the death of the first wave, but they definitely are melodically ripe for instrumentals. Priscilla (Presley?) is a moody mysterious creeper, with jazzy changes and lines, showing the great versatility the band has. And the ride ends with Snowball, a romantic 6/8 stroll into the sunset. Overall, this album is a complete delight. It has been a pleasure to watch this band grow and gain confidence as songwriters and performers, and Roller Fink is a righteous landmark for a passionate surf band who can really deliver.