My best of 2015 list (kind of)

So I was going to do a year end list and was even honored with an invitation from Hunter King (Storm Surge of Reverb) to do a guest Gremmy award but to be quite frank I'm too unorganized and always late in hearing new releases. Instead, I'm going to focus on one album and then list several other that you definitely SHOULD hear.

The Madeira's "Ancient Winds" stands like a giant above all other releases from 2015. In fact, I might go so far as to say it's the greatest surf album of all time. "Journey To The Center Of The Surf" kicks off and doesn't waste any time, barraging the listeners ears and corroborating Jamie Galatas' (of The Mystery Men?) description of the band's sound as 'power surf'. There are some outstanding collaborations including The Atlantics' Jim Skaithitis ("The Argonaut") and The TomorrowMen's Danny Snyder ("Sirenia") starting with the second track "Hail, Poseidon", co-written by Aqualads, The Monterreys, and Southern Surf Stomp's own Jeremy DeHart. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for big productions but with The Madeira, it's highly unnecessary as they are a group whose members are some of the greatest instrumentalists in their (or any) genre and the songwriting is unparalleled. With that said however, the subtle flourishes such as the introduction of the acoustic guitar on the title track are a nice touch. The highlight for me is by far the sixth and seventh tracks, "Farthest Shore" and "Dawn In Cadiz" (co-written with Los Twang Marvels' Alex Faide). The latter is thoughtful and patient, the delayed guitar plays like water droplets in the more staccato passages which then blossom into the hope of a new day, much like the dawn. After these seven minutes of some of the finest instrumental music ever written resides the sole cover, The Atlantics' "Coral Island". To be honest, it's the only track standing in the way of "Ancient Winds"' perfection in my opinion as it seems out of place, clumsy and awkward among the powerful and modern originals. The album plays out like an epic, taking the listener on a heroic journey not unlike that of Odysseus. I absolutely love the music, the concept, and even the beautiful artwork which would look positively stunning on a record sleeve, hint hint.

- I am so very proud of my dear friend Jon Latham and his debut album "Real Bad News". Nothing but memorable melodies and some beautiful and yet heartbreaking numbers. It's no wonder that review after review keeps rolling in and are all overwhelmingly positive.
- The Tomorrowmen - "Futourism"
- Swervedriver - "I Wasn't Born To Lose You"
- Tikiyaki Orchestra - "Idol Worship"
- The Revomatics - "We Come In Peace"
- The Monterreys - "The Pharaoh"
- Buddy & The Squids - "Adrift"
- Rondo Hatton - "Breaking The Sound Barrier"
- Genki Genki Panic - "Ghoulie High Harmony"
- Gemini 13 s/t
- Vacations - "Nightmare Beach"
- Atomic Mosquitos - "Bug Music For Bug People"
- The Compartmentalizationalists - "Sutures"
- Demon Vendetta - "Vigilante Surf"
- The Out of Limits - "Rough Masters"
- Agent Octopus - "Bottoms Up"
- the Wrecks House - "Run Like Hell"

Also, major props to Sean Berry from Double Crown Records for releasing so many wonderful records and contributing so much to this music scene that many of us hold so dear.

The Madeira "Ancient Winds" review

The Madeira "Ancient Winds" (Double Crown Records)
By Richard Hawes, November 8, 2015

The Madeira are one of the best surf/instrumental bands in the world today. That's an opinion, but a Google search will tell you I'm not alone in it. I'll refer to them as a surf band, but that's not a totally apt description. There are decades of influences heaped on top of that, but for practical reasons the label works well enough. A friend of mine calls them "power surf," which I think works a bit better. They have always been a BIG sounding band, and they sound remarkably distinctive for a band that's a lot more rooted in their surf roots than many of their contemporaries to whom the surf label is more loosely-applied. Their melodies and arrangements are always complex and interesting, which is to say every song has a hook and a strong melody. If you're a musician of any kind, there's a lot here to appreciate. If you're just a music fan and like anything you find that's good, I say the same.

The Madeira have always tended toward the anthematic, and Ancient Winds takes that to the next level. This is an instro-surf rock OPERA. If you follow the titles of the tracks and listen, there's not just a theme but a story brewing that works really well in my mind. My favorite bands in instrumental rock genres have something I vaguely refer to as ambiance. It's not just how they package themselves; there's a tone and character to the music that's evocative, and The Madeira have this in spades. They have their own finely honed and distinct sound that combines driving surf rock and various "exotic" elements (I'll let you look/listen and draw your own conclusions about what that means) with the band's other rock/metal influences. All this while still managing to vary the tone and mood enough to keep the album from getting "samey," and even within each individual song there are a lot of dips and swells. The very first track, "Journey To The Center of The Surf" is a good example and an excellent start to the album.

Another factor that makes this such an epic album is that in addition to the considerable songwriting talent of the two guitar players, Ivan Pongracic and Patrick O'Connor (I like to listen to the albums without looking at the writing credits to try to guess who wrote what), there are tracks co-written by some of the most talented songwriters in instrumental rock alive. First and most notable is the collaboration with Jim Skiathis of legendary Australian instrumental combo from the '60's, The Atlantics, on the song "The Argonaut." As is usually the case with a Madeira release, there's also a cover of an Atlantics song, "Coral Reef." The track "Hail, Poseidon!" was co-written by Jeremy DeHart of long-running surf mainstays, The Aqualads, who've been turning out strong material for decades. "Dawn in Cadiz" is a collaboration with Alex Faide of the world-renowned Los Twang Marvels. Last but absolutely not least is "Sirena" with Danny Snyder of The Tomorrowmen. Talking about any one of these songwriters and their respective bands would require a whole other review, but their contributions here are momentous.

What they've achieved with this album is most significant in the context of every album that came before it. Few bands, especially bands that make some REALLY good albums, manage to make a better one each subsequent time. This time, yet again, they have with Ancient Winds. Every one of their previous albums is well worth checking out, and given their trajectory you may even want to start back there and work your way toward this one.

purchase: Double Crown Records, Amazon, iTunes
stream: Spotify