Ferenc is interviewed by Ryan from Pi Records

 Ferenc is interviewed by Ryan from Pi Records

I had a nice long interview with Ryan from Pi Records. We talked about the new Pollo Del Mar album, and other recent releases from Frankie and the Pool Boys, The Mach IV and The IFIC.

Pollo Del Mar plays "Beck's Bolero"

 Pollo Del Mar plays "Beck's Bolero"

Here's a snippet of Pollo Del Mar performing "Beck's Bolero" for the first time at the Art Boutiki in San Jose. 

John Blair reviews Pollo Del Mar's "Speed of Dark"

 

A review of Pollo Del Mar's new album, "Speed of Dark" by esteemed guitarist, music historian, author and documentarian John Blair.

Well, it ain't surf music. At least not in the trad sense. There are excursions into Zappa-esque textures and psychedelic styles that only a handful of contemporary "prog surf" guitar instrumental bands have approached. But, among them, I DO consider Pollo Del Mar among the best that's out there.

One thing that struck me while listening to the band's latest 12-inch gift of music, is that the sequencing here is really good. IMO, when you produce this kind of sophisticated guitar work, good sequencing is important. It's sort of a lost art that shows here.

And, the only non-original track is Pollo's cover of The Pyronauts' "Sifaka." The original has, I think, become a modern classic and this cover is a very good salute.

There aren't many guitarist/writer/arrangers out there who seem to be as familiar with so many sonic corners and dark musical alleys as Ferenc Dobronyi, who has a lot of guitar tricks in his saddle bag. I don't think there's really a bum track in the bunch. It all flows nicely and sounds great when played loud at the speed of dark.

https://pollodelmarsurf.bandcamp.com/album/speed-of-dark

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!