"Surfmania"
The Aqua Velvets, 1995
At
first glance, the Aqua Velvets might seems like just another surf-rock
band trying to feed off of the lounge revival, but you couldn't be more
wrong. To quote their liner notes, " (The Aqua Velvets) steal unabashedly
from a number of distinctive musical styles--spaghetti-western soundtracks,
cocktail lounge jazz, Sixties spy-movies themes and S.F. psychedelia."
The Aqua Velvets mix equal parts Dick Dale, Link Wray, the Ventures, and
Martin
Denny (who inspired a song of theirs called "Martin Denny, Esq.") to
create retro, guitar-driven instrumental music that would make any bachelor
happy, whether he's swinging his stuff on exotic wind-swept beaches or
looking out over the bustling metropolis with his penthouse view. The Aqua
Velvets take all the great influences of the past and reconstruct them
in a slick, stylized sound that fits perfectly with modern audiences. "Surfmania"
was the debut album from the Aqua Velvets. They have three other releases
out, "Nomad," "Guitar Noir," and their recently released self titled disc.
(If you like the Aqua Velvets, you might also want to check out Los
Straitjackets, who do the same sort of music, but with Mexican wrestling
masks.)
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