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Maximum Tremolo exists as a hard copy zine.  Some of its contents are posted here.   You can email me hate-mail or review tips at [email protected].   If you want to know where my head is at, you can listen to my band, Aaron & the Burrs: http://aaronandtheburrs.bandcamp.com

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The Del-Vipers – Terror of the Del-Vipers

I am going to hold The Del-Vipers to a higher standard because they like to throw around the word “eleki” when talking about themselves.  And yes, there are two Yuzo Kayama covers on here (“Los Angeles no Nisei Matsuri” and “The Angry Man” [both of which fall flat of the original, but I’m sure that I would flip a shit if I saw them do these live]), but does that make you an eleki band?  I would argue no.  I don’t hear anything referencing tsugaru-shamisen.  I hear no furiously down-picked Takeshi bends.  I hear no wild Nobuhiro pull offs.  So, eleki? no.  Great? You bet.  Every tune on here is a ripper.  The production isn’t too slick, the tones are spot on, and it’s just rough enough around the edges to feel like you’re there with them.  Also, I swear that “Teenage Crimewave” is a rip-off of “Maserati.” (Self-released as a cassette, rereleased as a CD by Double Crown)

(Originally appeared in Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Terror of the Del-Vipers by The Del-Vipers

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Reverberati – Combat Surf

This recording dates back to 2011 or 2012 when Poker Records did a limited number of CDs.  This is an Italian band, notable for being a Surfer Joe side-project.  He plays drums here, and I actually think he is considerably better at drums than he is at guitar.  He actually kind of rips here.  The whole thing is shockingly aggressive, even during quiet, palm-muted high-E string parts.  It’s closer to I Cosmonauti than anything else (but not quite as nimble). (Double Crown)

No music today, Double Crown wants you to pay before you listen.

(Originally from Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

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The Mad Doctors – Snake Oil Superscience

Ugh.  I almost didn’t have to review this one (as there is only one instrumental on here).  I basically think that The Mad Doctors don’t get it.  They come off as a bunch of bros who didn’t listen to Dead Kennedys in high school (the bare-minimum for being alt), but like to pretend that they did. The vocals are just about the most rock-en-generale that I’ve come across.  I mean, these guys sound like the only album they own is Undercover by The Rolling Stones, but they also read about MOAM on Wikipedia.  Fuck this band. (King Pizza)

(from Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Snake Oil Superscience by The Mad Doctors

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The 427’s – Surf Noir

This isn’t fantastically groundbreaking or anything, but I like it.  The lead likes to stay on his top 2 strings, and the bass is all over the neck.  A couple tunes come off as a little long winded, but only the slow ones.  I could also do without the over a minute of wave noises that appear in a couple places here.  The fake vinyl pops on Mojave are also a little jarring.  Other than that, this is a job well done by Calgary’s 427’s.

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Surf Noir by The 427's

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Threesome – On Tour

The title “On Tour” suggests that this is a group of live recordings.  I am fairly sure, though, that these are studio tracks.  I thought the previous Threesome releases were pretty lackluster.  This one is pretty ripping.  The previous ones were trying too hard to be hard, but this has an effortless rage to it. The tunes are more memorable, the tones are cleaner, and the interplay between the guitar and bass is really interesting.  Oh, and very tasteful use of theremin on that last track, guys.  This is a lot like early MOAM, actually (minus some of the gimmicky aspects).  It’s good to see a band develop so quickly.

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

On Tour by Threesome

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V/A – Double Crown Surf Party Cassette

Eleven tunes, Four previously unreleased.  Of the unreleased stuff, I think two are from upcoming Double Crown releases.  This seems a bit like a throw away release. You want to stay relevant by doing a cassette, Sean?  Get bands to give you exclusive tracks. (Double Crown)

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

I’d also like to take a second to quote Sean from Double Crown in a recent interview.  He said, “Cassettes are fun too, although I have to admit I don’t have anything to play them on at the moment.”  That’s tantamount to saying, “I put out records, but I don’t actually like music.”

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Phantom Four – Mandira

The packaging on this looks like every other Phantom Four release.  I actually had to check to make sure this was actually new because it looks so much like all the others.  Even the name of the record (Mandira) is much like the others (Madhur, and Morgana). And what does it sound like?  You guessed it.  Just like the others.  I don’t much care for this band, but maybe you do.  If you liked their previous releases, you’ll like this.  These 12 tunes could easily have been part of any other of their works.

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Mandira (2014) by The Phantom Four

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Moussaka – s/t EP

This Belgrade band is fairly unique.  Where Dick Dale borrowed from his Lebanese roots, Moussaka borrows heavily from Balkan folk music.  The rhythms and melodies often seem like they popped off of a page of Bela Bartok’s field notes.  Almost (but not quite) Greek sounding, this is much more odd and unusual to an American’s ears than most of what Green Cookie is putting out.  This is an excellent collection of three tunes.

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Moussaka EP by Moussaka

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Swami John Reis & the Blind Shake – Modern Surf Classics

I find the name of this record to be fairly arrogant.  Sure, it’s good, and with John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, etc.) at its head, this record may be the closest that the twenty-teens are going to come to having a mainstream surf record.  But are these 13 cuts actually modern surf classics?  Will bands in 2045 be covering these tunes?  I doubt it.  “Over the Falls,” “Wet Greek,” and “Sea Saw” are the standout tracks here, and of those, I’d only even really consider putting “Sea Saw” on a mixtape. So, while the tones are always good, and the production value is obviously very high, this record does not live up to the obnoxiously high standard that it has set for itself.  I recommend that the repress retitle itself “Pretty Good Tunes.”

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Boss Fink – Finksville

These guys are good enough players to get away with the dash of butt-rock they throw into their tunes. I actually like it a lot.  As the old saying goes, “a hint of butt rock does not butt-rock make.”  There’s some fuzzy stuff here that reminds me of Davie Allan and The Arrows.  The band features members of both The Ghastly Ones and Thee Cormans, and shockingly lives up to what you’d expect from either of those bands. (Double Crown)

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Sorry about the lack of music on this one, but Double Crown hates streaming.

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The Ampfibians – Surf Guitar Heard ‘Round the World

You can hear the adult-contempo influence in the guitar changes here.  Blech.  These old men from Cincinnati Ohio probably play to a crowd of their buddies from work and spouses on Mondays at the local bar-and-bistro.  It’s kind of old-man blues mixed with some surf clichés.  Think Bonnie and Buzz, but actually less good. (Self-released)

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

The Surf Guitar Heard 'Round the World by AmpFibians

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The ‘Verb --  Only 'Verb Can Break Your Heart

I like this band a lot. They have a very strong sense of melody, and are very clever at coming up with close-harmony parts.  The tunes are all instantly memorable.  They also seem like one of the more versatile bands around—their tempi and dynamics vary more than most, and the energy is always very high.  But what sets this band apart is their guitar interplay.  Instead of having an obvious lead and rhythm guitar dichotomy, the band uses a two lead guitar model.  Sure, there are chords, but more often than not, the guitars are both picking single notes together.  It’s a lot like The Bel-Airs in that sense. (Self-released)

(from Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Only 'Verb Can Break Your Heart by The 'Verb

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Ghoul – Hang Ten

More of a metal band then a surf band, Ghoul is another band that wears masks and has some elaborate backstory.  A lot of the riffs are pretty power-metal-y, lots of parallel guitar lines, and plenty of deep felling squeals. There are vocals sometimes, but not most of the time, and those are often just creepy talking parts.  Not bad if you are a metal fan. (Tankcrimes)

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Hang Ten by Ghoul

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Harmonica Lewinski – Naked Brunch

This record is sleazy.   Up to this point, I would have said Lewinski was hit or miss, but this record is a pretty serious piece of wax. It’s not the joke-ridden material that they made in the past.  There are two vocal numbers and two instrumentals, all feature plodding bass, swirling organs, and slimy guitars.  This is mildly reminiscent of The Cramps, lyrically and musically. (Reel Time)

(from Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Naked Brunch by Harmonica Lewinski

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The Televisionaries – S/t

This is the best surf band in the country, period.  Every member of this band is a fantastic musician and they are always incredibly tight live.  The hooks are memorable.  It’s fast and edgey without using any distortion.  Sure, there are a few vocal lines here and there, but this LPs 15 tracks are largely instrumental.  They sound like the first Surf Trio record, but faster and tighter.  (Reel Time)

(From Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

'The Televisionaries' 12" LP by THE TELEVISIONARIES

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The Amino Acids – Theme From The Slack Hole

Six tunes in just under seven minutes.  They might have been able to slip it in under six minutes if it weren’t for the sound clips. The Amino Acids are yet another gimmick heavy band with some involved back story I don’t care about and make jokes that I don’t think are funny (I don’t really think there is anything funny about the Church of the SubGenius, but these guys do, I guess).  Anyway, this is instrumental music that has a hardcore flair to it.  They kind of sound like they wrote a bunch of music for a hardcore band, but failing to find a singer, just gave up and decided to pretend to be a surf band. Aside from the Misirlou cover (cleverly retitled “Mr. Lu”), the tunes just left me wishing that this band had put out something even shorter. (Bellyache)

(from Maximum Tremolo Issue #4)

Theme From The Slack Hole by The Amino Acids

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Demon Vendetta – Guardians of the bitter sea

Demon Vendetta uses sound clips like they invented the idea.  A couple of the clips are neat, but it’s 2015 and I’d rather just watch the original videos clips on youtube (the only one that added anything to the record was a well-placed “fuck you” during a break in “Retaliation Stomp”).   As for the music itself, Demon Vendetta is in the vein of Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion.  It features members of Hawaii Samurai (and sounds nearly identical, but a little more hard rock, and a lot less good).  It’s kind of punky, but only insomuch as they use distortion and use butt-rock backing chords.  I do really like the keys on this—they use an organ sound with very heavy vibrato. (Productions de l'Impossible/Dirty Witch/Wise/Everyday is like Sunday)

(from Maximum Temolo Issue #4)

Guardians of the bitter sea by DEMON VENDETTA