Phil Dirt - Reverb Central PO Box 7240, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-7240 USA

Ronnie Lake and the Men of Iioto A Different Rock

Label: CD-R Demo

Ronnie Lake is the lead player, backed   by the Men of Iioto as she plays thick rock trio interpretations of   surf. These demos are more better than many sound wise, but the drums are   still pretty ambient sounding. It's nice to see a female lead player. Her   pacing is well metered and deliberate, like Eddie Angel fronting Chiyo   and the Crescents on a sunny afternoon, but the effect is very   satisfying.

Picks: Mr. Moto, Penetration,   Volcanic Action, El Surfico Del Toro

Mr. Moto

Coming from a rock perspective, this classic Belairs instro is moderately paced and thickened up by stereo guitar. Much more rock sounding than surf, but not too far from the beach. Solid and very well done. Surf Instrumental Stereo

Lurking In The Shadows

"Lurking In The Shadows" is a semi-slow jazzy slinker with tasteful licks and full body. The edge and grin of the Los Straitjackets' original is retained. Surf Instrumental Stereo

Penetration

The Pyramids' "Penetration" is arranged somewhere between the way the Ventures tweaked it and Robbie Dunbar and M.O.B. blues'd it out. It rocks enough and is well suited for the rock interpretation. For a trio cover, it has a complete sound despite the absence of the rhythm guitar. Surf Instrumental Stereo

Volcanic Action

Eddie Bertrand's classy "Volcanic Action" has the reverb removed and garage edge inserted to fill it out. Very well adapted to one guitar, and quite spunky. Excellent drums and bass really amp this up. The rock guitar style seems a natural for the melody, and the whammy dips are cool to. Surf Instrumental Stereo

El Surfico Del Toro

This song is structured in the late fifties rock progression style, slightly reminiscent of Eddie Angel's sound, but thicker and more rock. maybe if Chiyo and the Crescents had survived beyond the sixties, they might have evolved into a sound like this. "El Surfico Del Toro" is an original from the pen of lead guitarist Veronica Aisawa. A pretty fun song. Surf Instrumental Stereo