Sunday, May 23, 2010

Go-Geters sweet out of Sweden



When Big Sandy pointed out Peter of the Swedish rock-a-billy trio The Go-Getters, I knew he was not there to merely be a tourist. For years I hoped to see his combo and checked the internet. Sure enow, there was an upcoming show at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood.

They were not the headlining act. But they were the one that I made the most effort to hear and see. I was not disappointed.

Afterwards, when I spoke with him, he told that the EU had not made the radio in Europe better for diversity but worse for the home bands like his. An odd thing, but not too unlike what has happened in the USA. If commercial radio was truly free in its boasting about how adventurous it is, The Go-Getters would have been spun on it by now.

Monday, May 17, 2010

California Surf Music Culture at the Autry



Once upon a time rock instrumental music was heard on Los Angeles radio. The Chantays, Pyramids, Johnny Fortune, Dick Dale could actually be heard and have to utter a word of romantic love, or being saved from a dung heap by some benevolent girl. The waves, hotrods, and pretty girl were and remain a part of the instrumental surf music and Lloyd Davis of Longboard Ranch is a testament to the longevity of surf music.

Once upon a time he played bass for Bob Dalley's Surf Raiders. Now his second lead and rhythm for Longboard Ranch a find surf band that also respects England's The Shadows who recorded the famous instrumental Apache in 1960.

It has bee proven to me more than thrice, that once people hear good rock instrumental surf or just rock instrumentals like The Shadows or Jams Wilsey, they cotton to it! Radio, if you interested in giving people what they want, then surf music is one of those essentials. Otherwise the exodus to the internet will continue and commercial radio refugees increase.