Having previously only heard their hit single "Cinnamon Cinder" and it's instro B-side "Bandito," I had little to base an understanding of the band on, and even less to justify their reported extreme popularity as house band at Bob Eubanks' "Cinnamon Cinder" club. After listening to this whole CD, it becomes clear that they were one fun band, unpretentious, and utterly silly. They embraced the pure fun or rock 'n' roll without any pretext of art - just good fun. From this new view, I can easily see how they were the party band of choice on weekend nights at the CC. This is the sort of band that creates a perfect backdrop for your party, not the sort of band you'd sit listening to, mesmerized by the artistry. Too too fun. Oh, yeah, besides the handful of totally fun pop vocals, there are a bunch of really cool instros as well.

On Calico Review, Allah-Las weave their dreamy version of west coast psychedelia with advanced songwriting and exquisite production detail. The California quartet's third album, Calico Review focuses on both the outer trappings of their home and surroundings, and the through line of darkness that suffuses life in L.A. county. Bearing the mark of four students becoming the teachers and sharing the sentiments of the town they call home, there s a lot to learn from Allah-Las.

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, most from the original master tapes or best sources available. The best pre-1965 Beach Boys album featured their brilliant number one single "I Get Around," as well as other standout cuts in the beautifully sad "Wendy," "Little Honda" (one of their best hot rod tunes, covered by the Hondells for a hit), and their remake of the late-'50s doo wop classic "Hushabye." The nostalgic "All Summer Long," another great production, seemed (whether intentionally or not) like a sort of farewell to the frivolous California beach culture that had supplied the lyrical grist for most of their music up to this point, with a longing, regretful chorus that was totally at odds with the bouncy arrangement. Other relatively little-known treasures are the sumptuous ballad "Girls on the Beach," with some of their best early harmonizing, and "Don't Back Down," with uncommonly anxious lyrics. You can't give an unqualified high rating, however, to an album that also contained such disposable filler as the "Our Favorite Recording Sessions" comedy bit and "Do You Remember?," a "let's-pay-tribute-to-rock's-early-days" number with a sh*t-eating grin wide enough to qualify as an oldies radio ID jingle.

On Antisocialites, Alvvays dive back into the deep-end of reckless romance and altered dates. Ice cream truck jangle collides with prismatic noise pop while Molly Rankin's wit is refracted through crystalline surf counterpoint. Through thoughtful consideration in basement and abroad, the Toronto-based group has renewed its Scot-pop vows with a powerful new collection of manic emotional collage.

Ah nostalgie, quand tu nous tiens… Et on s’y abandonne avec volupté dans le dernier album du trio féminin Juniore, intitulé Ouh là là. La chanteuse et guitariste Anna Jean y fait résonner sa voix en nous rappelant les stars de la musique yéyé des années 60. Ses comparses, Agnès Imbault au clavier et Swanny Elzingre à la batterie, viennent compléter ce paysage musical dans lequel elles n’ont finalement pas vécu. Peu importe, une bonne partie du public non plus… Avec la collaboration du producteur Samy Osta, le trio aime agrémenter ces sonorités nostalgiques d’un océan de réverb’. Et le plongeon vaut le coup !

This is a totally traditional surf instrumental cd. If you like trad-surf, this is a must for your collection. There's not a dud tune on the whole disc. Nineteen songs, all original, all cool, all instrumental…what more could you want? ~ R.Davey

"Siniestro" is the ninth album by the Pilgrims and marks the 25th year of the five original members staking out their own special corner of the surf instrumental genre. Bobby, John, Ted, Scott and Dave are extremely excited by the 15 original and new songs that they have written, arranged and recorded themselves for “Siniestro”. That’s right, no producer or engineer on this one, they have made “Siniestro” just the way they want it. Recorded by the band in the abandoned Mt. Hood Masonic Lodge in Portland, this recording captures the live feel of a large reverberating room with the band getting back to their surf roots while clicking on all cylinders…

The Beach Boys had two minor single hits – "California Dreamin'" and "Rock 'N' Roll To The Rescue" – back on Capitol Records in 1986, and to mark their 25th anniversary, the label assembled this two-record set, adding the new songs to yet another selection of old songs…

This unique 2CD compilation pulls together a slew of previously unreleased material from America's favorite band, The Beach Boys. The collection includes the new stereo remix of Wild Honey, as well as unreleased outtakes from the session recordings. Also included are unreleased session tracks from the Smiley Smile sessions and live tracks from Hawaii, Washington, DC and Boston.

Having backed up Nick Lowe on his "Quality Holiday Revue" tour, masked instrumental rockers Los Straitjackets understand the virtues of The Greatest Living Englishman's songbook better than the average person. And while most people discussing Lowe's work focus on the wit and wisdom of his lyrics, the man can write a superior melody, and Los Straitjackets offer eloquent proof on their 2017 album, What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Los Straitjackets. This set offers a baker's dozen tunes from Lowe's catalog, ranging from early rockers like "Shake & Pop" and "Heart of the City" to smoother, more contemplative recent numbers like "I Read a Lot" and "Checkout Time," all interpreted in Los Straitjackets' trademark twangy style, borrowing from decades of instrumental rock styles and with no vocals to get in the way…

The Shadows have gotten a magnificent sendoff with this concert DVD from their final tour, undertaken in 2004 and featuring Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, and Brian Bennett, supported by Mark Griffiths on bass and Cliff Hall on keyboards…