Surf Garage
tagStarted 1963Peak 1963-1965Last big hit still active
Located in 2 routes
Surf's reverb-soaked instrumental attack roughed up with garage grit: wet Fender spring reverb, fast tremolo-picked melodies, twangy low-string runs and pounding tom-heavy drums, often coated in fuzz and crude distortion. Mostly instrumental, sometimes barked vocals, all energy and wild, wave-crashing momentum.
History
Grew from early-60s instrumental surf as bands like The Trashmen and The Surfaris pushed the form's drip and twang toward raw, distorted garage energy. The sound was revived from the 90s on by Man or Astro-Man? and Los Straitjackets, who kept the reverb-drenched, fuzz-edged instrumental template alive on the club circuit.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surf_music
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/surf-ma0000002883
- https://hellomusictheory.com/learn/famous-surf-rock-bands/