Kool Kat of the Week on ATLRetro

I answered some questions about surf music and this weekend's festivities over at ATLRetro.com.  Find the original article here.

Kool Kat of the Week: Chad Shivers, Guitar Slinger of the Surf-Rock Variety and Founder of Atlanta’s Infamous Southern Surf Stomp!, Catches a Wave and Dishes on the First Ever Southern Surf StompFest!

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Chad Shivers, purveyor of that infamous high-energy reverb and maniacal mayhem a.k.a. Surf Rock, will be reviving Atlanta this Saturday, September 19, retro-style with his Southern Surf StompFest! at Little Tree Art Studios (Avondale Estates), from noon until 8 pm! Catch a wave and raise a ruckus with a whole lotta vintage vendors (our swanky retro pals, 2the 9’s Retro and Jezebel Blue [see our Shop Around feature here]; Uncle Daddy’s Woodworks [see our Shop Around feature on Dirk Hays here], Beachcomber Cory’s Tiki Hut; THE SURF King Surfwear, and more!), tasty vittles and of course one helluva rockin’ line-up, featuring El Capitan & the Band with No Name, Ouroboro’s Boys, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, The Beech Benders, The Surge!, The Gold Dust Lounge, The Mystery Men?, Aqualads, and DJ Dusty Booze spinning surf, rockabilly and ‘50s/’60s rock between sets, and so much more! And why not round out your weekend with Southern Surf Stomp’s surf-tastic bookend events; the official pre-show at Sunbrimmer Records (Avondale Estates) with Chad’s current project, MOONBASE, Genki Genki Panic and Vacations; and the official after-party rockin’ out at Kavarna (Decatur), featuring Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s surf-rock outfit, The Compartmentalizationists (SUTURES CD release); Band, James Band; and Gemini XIII! So, come on down and rock out surf-style at the most rock ‘n’ roll weekend-long beach party around!

Chad is no newbie to Surf Rock, or rock ‘n’ roll in general. His musical journey began at age 14, when he jumped head first into his first band, The Squares, in 1995 (active until 2002), releasing two records and extensively touring the Southeast. After selling his soul to the rock ‘n’ roll devil, he built a revved up repertoire with Sorry No Ferrari (2005-2011); joined Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters (2010); joined The Mystery Men? (2012); founded the Southern SurfStomp! (2014); and currently fronts his own group, MOONBASE [George Asimakos on guitar; Eric Balint on bass; Sonny Harding on drums and Chad Shivers on guitar], debuting, CREATION MYTHS, in August 2014. And if that isn’t enough, Chad has also performed with Jeffrey Butzer’s, The Compartmentalizationists, Sleep Therapy, the Insect Surfers, The Madeira, and his own Surf Rock Christmas outfit, Chad Shivers & The Silent Knights, dishing out The Ventures’ and The Beach Boys’ Xmas albums every season for the past five years.

Moonbase at Jacksonville Surf Fest, (L-R) George Asimakos, Chad Shivers, Eric Balint – Photo by Jamie Galatas

 
ATLRetro caught up with Chad Shivers for a quick interview about the Southern Surf StompFest!; Surf Rock’s history and resurgence; and his craft of spreading the infectious rock ‘n’ roll vibes of the Surf Rock subculture far and wide! And while you’re takin’ a peek at our little Q&A with Chad, get an earful of his current surf-rock outfit, MOONBASE’s “The Serpent” from their debut album CREATION MYTHS; and a sneak peek at The Compartmentalizationists’ “Blurry Eyes” from their new album SUTURES!

ATLRetro: Who doesn’t love surf rock?! And of course the Southern Surf StompFest! is right down ATLRetro’s alley! Can you fill our readers in on the history or your monthly Southern Surf Stomp! events? And how did you put together that righteous rockin’ line-up you’ve got waiting for our eager readers/listeners?

Chad Shivers: Southern Surf Stomp‘s inception was inspired by multiple factors including Greg Germani‘s incredible Ameripolitan shows; festivals such as Crispy Bess‘ Instro Summit held in North Carolina; and the desire to showcase the vast amount of talent within the Southeastern surf music community. Our first show was in April of 2014, and has been going strong ever since, featuring some truly great artists such as Eddie Angel (Los Straitjackets), Ivan Pongracic (The Madeira), Daikaiju, Kill, Baby…Kill!, Aqualads, and even a The Penetrators tribute. For the festival, I wanted to include Atlanta staples (El Capitan and the Band With No Name, The Surge!, The Mystery Men?), groups that have previously performed at our monthly event (Aqualads), and some fresh new faces (Ouroboros Boys, The Beech Benders, Gold Dust Lounge). I’m particularly excited to see Gold Dust Lounge from Miami, as I’ve been practically begging them to come up for the past year or so.
 
You’ve been devoted to the genre for quite some time, beginning in 1995 with your first band, The Squares, at the ripe old age of fourteen. Can you tell our readers how you became aware of surf-guitar and what drew you to the genre?

As a freshman in high school, I attended a house party where a cover band played a number by The Ventures and was completely enamored. Upon seeing my excitement, my friend Jeff, with whom I attended said party, later introduced me to Dick Dale (see ATLRetro’s feature on Dick here) and Man or Astro-man? and that was it. We started The Squares very shortly thereafter. Surf for me just has the energy of punk, the technical prowess of heavy metal, and the melodicism of pop music but (mostly) without lyrics; allowing the listener to create their own narrative.

You’ve been a member and have performed with surf rock and semi-surf rock outfits galore over the years [The Squares; Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters; The Mystery Men?; Sleep Therapy; The Insect Surfers; The Madeira; Chad Shivers & the Silent Knights, etc.]! What exactly is it about surf rock that keeps you coming back for more, even when you’ve stepped away for a bit?

I think it’s just that it’s so much fun to play and there’s an unbelievable amount of variation within the genre from lo-fi garage to highly technical, almost progressive rock and everything in between.  Not to mention, the people involved within the surf scene are among the friendliest, supportive, talented and interesting people you could ever meet.

Although the genre and its subculture hails from Southern California and has even been dubbed “SoCal folk music,” who or what would you say brought that particular sound to the Southeastern US?

Chad Shivers performing with the Penetrators T.R.I.B.U.T.E. – Photo by Jamie Galatas

Surf music in the South actually dates back to the ‘60s, and of course there was a later resurgence in the ‘90s with bands like Man or Astro-man? But any ‘scene’, I believe, can be attributed to The Penetrators. They were the jumping-off point for many including myself, aligned themselves with like-minded groups, and were absolutely instrumental – pun intended –in the development of the global surf rock community. What a bunch of incredible songwriters, instrumentalists, and just downright fun guys to be around. Their influence can still be seen, heard and felt greatly even today, and one cannot attend a surf music festival in the US without at the very least a mention of them.

Who would you say are your top three musical influences and why?

That’s quite a difficult question, as the answer will most likely change day to day.  But as of right now, in the most general sense: While not necessarily the greatest influence on me as a musician, hearing Social Distortion for the first time was really a game changer. They brought guitar music to the forefront of my mind and introduced me to punk rock, with which I still greatly identify and has led me down so many wonderful new avenues. Man or Astro-man? was the band that made me want to play surf. Yes, and more specifically, Steve Howe‘s playing has been a huge influence on me in more recent years.  They’re all just such masterful players, yet lyrical and serve the song.

Are there any noticeable differences between current surf rock and the sounds that were spilling out of the ‘50s and ‘60s?

Most definitely! I mean, there are guys out there still trying to recreate the sounds of the ‘60s, but I think for most of us it’s quite difficult to ignore the music of the past 50 years and avoid its influence.

(L-R) Stick Stechkin (of The Penetrators), Chad Shivers, Richard Whig (The Fringe Factory), Eddie Angel (of Los Stratjackets), Richard Hawes (of The Mystery Men?), Trace Luger (of The Penetrators), and Bob Walk (of The Surf King Surfwear) – Photo by Jamie Galatas

How cool is it that your band, MOONBASE, shared a stage with the granddaddy of surf-guitar, Dick Dale, as well as Man or Astro-Man? at the Surf Guitar 101 Convention in California. Can you tell our readers a little bit about that experience?

We opened for Man or Astro-man? last year and Dick Dale earlier this year, both at The Earl. It’s a bit hard to believe and feels like everything has come full circle; from idolizing

those guys as a kid to sharing the stage with them, it’s quite the dream come true. When we were approached about performing at the Surf Guitar 101 Convention this year, I was absolutely shocked!  I had no idea we were even on anyone’s radar out there and with our being more on the progressive side, wasn’t even sure how we’d fit in. The response was overwhelmingly positive however, and the opportunity to play with the likes of Davie Allan and The Arrows at the convention for their 50th anniversary and then the following day at the Huntington Beach Pier while people surfed behind us just miles from where it all began was truly a magical experience, never to be forgotten.

Can you tell our readers a little about your collaboration with our Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer and his new surf-rock project, The Compartmentalizationists?

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Jeffrey Bützer and his music. He has always been so supportive and highly influential on me. He had performed with his trio The Compartmentalizationalists several years back, so of course I had asked him about resurrecting the project to perform at a Stomp. Other members being unavailable, I offered to back him and enlisted fellow Bicycle Eater (as well as Silent Knight, Small Reactions, and Gold Bears member) Sean Zearfoss on drums. After that initial show in June, we all had such a great time we decided to keep going which has led to Jeffrey to finally The Compartmentalizationalists ‘ debut album SUTURES, which we’ll be celebrating at the Southern Surf StompFest! after-party at Kavarna along with Gemini 13 and Band, James Band.

If you could put together a dream line-up of musicians to play with [still around or not], who would it be and why?

I stepped away from surf music for about 10 years in the early 2000s and regret missing many of the great shows that happened during that time. The biggest regret of them all is never getting to meet Eddie Bertrand (of Eddie & the Showmen and The Bel-Airs) or to see him perform.  Although Dick Dale holds the title of “King of the Surf Guitar,” Eddie is my favorite from that first wave in the 1960s. So I would have to say backing him either with his band, The Showmen, or quite possibly with Ivan Pongracic (The Madeira) also on guitar, Dane Carter (The Madeira) on drums, and Carol Kaye on bass.
 
 What can ATLReaders expect to experience when they catch a wave and rock out at the Southern Surf StompFest? this Saturday? Anything special planned?

They can quite certainly expect to hear some of the finest surf music in the country and possibly even the world, performed by astounding musicians.  While there, grab some tasty food, enjoy your favorite beverage from The Beer Growler, and shop with our fine vendors. Of course, this is a free event, so please bring some cash to donate toward raffle tickets. We have some amazing prizes and contributions go toward helping us to pay the bands.

What’s next for Chad Shivers?

Hopefully after the festival I’ll be able to spend some much needed time with my family. The Spooky Surf Stomp! with Fiend Without A Face, The KBK and Bad Friend will be October 10. I’ll be doing my annual performance of The Beach Boys and The Ventures Christmas albums with my group the Silent Knights at Kavarna on December 12. I know it may be a tall order, but in 2016 I’d like to see the reach of the Southern Surf Stomp! expand beyond Atlanta, to include other cities in the Southeast and the monthly podcast to become a weekly affair, with revolving hosts. Also next year, be on the lookout for new releases from The Mystery Men? and Jeffrey Bützer and the Bicycle Eaters!

Anything else you’d like to tell ATLRetro readers about yourself, surf rock, etc.?

Nothing other than to ask them to please come out to the Southern Surf StompFest! or one of our monthly shows and bring plenty of friends and family! If you’d like to learn more about what’s happening in this wonderful community please visit our Southern Surf Stomp! website, ‘like’ us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@SouthSurfStomp)!

What question do you wish somebody would ask you and what’s the answer?

I’m not sure the question exactly, but it would most definitely involve a wealthy benefactor!

All photographs are courtesy of Chad Shivers and used with permission.

Creative Loafing article on the Southern Surf Stomp

Original source may be found here.

Chad Shivers' Southern Surf Stomp channels the past, present, and future of Atlanta's Surf Scene

Posted by Sean Zearfoss on Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 3:42 PM

Jamie Galatas

Chad Shivers has his finger of the pulse of the Atlanta surf scene. Outside of Southern California, the Atlanta surf scene might be one of the strongest in the nation, despite the majority of residents remaining unaware of its existence. It’s slightly off the beaten path and out of sight from even the most discerning music fan, but there’s a community of people here who are wildly devoted to music that was left for dead. The resurrection is somewhat slow, but surf is on the rise again in Atlanta.

Getting into surf music 20 years ago after hearing a Ventures song at a house party, Shivers formed his first surf group, the Squares, almost immediately thereafter. From there, he founded Sorry No Ferrari — not surf, but instrumental nonetheless — and most recently progressive surf band Moonbase. He’s also a member of the Mystery Men?, who are a staple of the Atlanta surf scene. In early 2014, he started the Southern Surf Stomp, a monthly surf showcase at Kavarna in Oakhurst. In the surf community, both in Atlanta and nationally, Shivers is helping to usher in a resurgence of the genre.

Shivers invited me into his home to talk about the music while he made BBQ, something he’s also quite good at.

Surf music feels like something that its fans keep in their back pocket. Surf fans have a deeply personal relationship with the genre, its bands, and the scene at large. What is it that resonates 
with you?

Just as much as the music, I think it's community. It has that punk rock idealism, but without a lot of the pretense. You don't have to be or look a certain way. It's fun music and you can choose to push it or not. So many variables, but they're all legitimate.

After being killed by the British Invasion in 1964, surf music made a resurgence in the '90s with bands such as Los Straitjackets and Man or Astro-man? and has maintained an underground status. Why such a devoted yet small following?

I think it's small and devoted, and I'm not trying to sound pitiful, because we're all each other has. We don’t have a big following except each other and it’s very insular. It’s not by our own device, but it’s just an outlier in most people’s tastes.

There's also a lot of cool stuff you can grasp onto with surf music; there's a lot of history and, I hate to say it, but gear is a big component. By its nature, the music has to be more technical because you're playing all of your melodies on guitars or another melodic that's not voice. I think people can grasp on to whatever they want to with surf. I was having a discussion with Eddie Angel of Los Straitjackets for the podcast and brought up the fact that they wear Mexican wrestling masks when they play. He mentioned that that helps because people don't want to see middle-aged guys play surf music. I think that's why people like it, because anyone can play it — it's not a young man's game or an old man's game, it's everybody's game.

I also think there's a great parallel in heavy metal. Surf might not have the same youth appeal, but it’s technically proficient, very gear based, very community based. A lot of surf players come from metal.

To me, Dick Dale sounds like metal much of the time. And Metallica, specifically Kirk Hammett, is clearly indebted to Dick Dale.

And Dick Dale will tell you he's responsible for metal (laughs).

The Southeast seems to have a growing, if not flourishing surf scene centered around Atlanta with the Drive-Invasion, the Clarkston Surf Fest, and other regular events. Can you talk some about Atlanta’s relationship with surf?

The South in general, not just Atlanta, has a great scene. Austin, Texas has a great surf scene with a monthly surf show that they do. Tons of bands, great bands. North Carolina has a great scene.

Alabama has historically had a great scene, which leads me to Atlanta. We've had some heavy hitters in Atlanta, but by proxy of Alabama. Originally, Man, or Astro-man? was based in Alabama and kind of moved to Atlanta. And also, the Penetrators — that’s what we all rally around in Atlanta. I don't think there would be an Atlanta surf scene without those guys. They started in the early '90s and carried the torch for Atlanta.

Where do you see Atlanta’s surf scene right now?

I'm very happy with the Atlanta surf scene. I think it's great, I think it's growing, and I think it has a lot of potential. But I have realistic expectations; I don't think it's going to be the next big thing, but I think if people get in on the secret, they're going to want to be a part of it. We have amazing bands. We have The Surge, El Capitan is now active again, Gemini XIII, my bands MOONBASE and the Mystery Men?. Not to toot my own horn too much, but I think the Mystery Men? have kind of picked up where the Penetrators left off with The Stomp and touring California. That's why I wanted to start this, to showcase the talent.

Clarkston Surf Fest, which turned into Douglasville Surf Fest, drew a bunch of bands from out of town to Atlanta. That definitely helps put bands on the map. Drive-Invasion maybe a little less so, because we always get the side stage. But, historically, it has been good; Los Straitjackets have played, Man, or Astro-man? played. There was a whole surf stage [there] in 2013. Having a central focus to these festivals is really helpful to the scene because we all meet each other and become friends. Again, there’s a lot of patting each other on the back, but I think that’s great because we’re all encouraging each other. It’s like a family reunion every time we have fests.

Festivals are a good opportunity for a general audience to get an introduction to something as specific as surf because people can find something they identify with. They can jump around between stages. These types of festivals build community and raise the music's profile.

Right.

Let’s talk about the Southern Surf Stomps. They’ve existed for a little over a year now and are fully booked for the next several months. What are they? What prompted you to start doing them?

It’s a monthly surf show. My goal is to get one local, one regional or national surf group, and one non surf group to bring in different audiences. Most people don’t want to listen to three surf bands play all night, sometimes even myself. I think it creates a different environment and a different experience. We try to do little things each show to make it more than just a show, such as booking a DJ, doing a podcast to promote it, and keeping a blog. We do highlight videos after the shows that get a lot of compliments. It brings attention to our little scene and to what we’re doing.

I started doing these because we have some many great bands here and I thought this was the next logical step to bring different acts here, showcase all of that, and show people how cool Atlanta’s surf scene is, even historically.

Kavarna is an interesting choice for a venue for the Stomps since most of our “rock” music in the city feels rooted in the East Atlanta, Little 5, and Poncey-Highland neighborhoods. Why Kavarna?

The reason we chose Kavarna is because my friend Greg Germani used to put on these great country shows. He used to bring great bands from Nashville. I went to see Chris Scruggs play and it was a really great vibe, a really great experience. I had played Kavarna, but not in an ideal setting. When we were looking for places to do the Stomps, it would have been a difficult sell to clubs, so we went with Kavarna because they’re more open to different ideas and something that they can book monthly as long as they have patrons. I’ve been surprised with the turnouts because at our Crazy Aces show [in February] we had over 100 people.

People have responded really well. I think people like the atmosphere. We talked earlier about surf being an Everyman’s game. Anyone is welcome, they can bring kids, and it’s not just people at a bar. People are there to see the music and have a good time, which everyone gets and responds well to. It’s a different kind of vibe. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but I enjoy it, even going to shows there I enjoy.

Where do you see it going in the future?

I have a lot of ideas. From the start, my goal has been to set the bar high, but the expectations low. Aim for the stars, but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out. It’s funny, many people in the surf community, and maybe even myself, didn’t think we could do this, we didn’t think it would happen, we didn’t think people would come, and we didn’t think we could get all the bands. We’re pretty surprised and encouraged.

As far as big goals, I’d like to get some more national names in, I’d like to get a West Coast group to play, we’d like to build a festival centered around the Stomp, which we’re working on. I’d like to do little things like a webcast of the show, so people can watch from home around the country. We’ve had people come from Kentucky, we regularly have people come from Athens and Augusta, people have come from Florida, Nashville, Alabama, all over the place.

A really crazy goal I have is to expand it to other cities. I’m in discussions with someone now about doing a Southern Surf Stomp somewhere else. One reason I want to do that is that you look at '50s and '60s music, and they had a circuit. Now, if you’re a band, you go on tour and just hope for the best. I think if you have an established thing once a month that’s not overcrowding, you have more incentive for bands to come out from further, potentially make a little more money, and play to bigger audiences.

What defines surf music? On the surface it seems clear: surf beat, reverby guitar, single note leads, generally instrumental, often space themed. But the genre feels more nuanced than that. You have argued that the Ventures aren’t actually a surf band, but, instead, an instrumental band. If this is the case, what makes a surf band?

I think you got it. The defining factor is reverb. I’m sure there are surf bands that don’t play with reverb, but I just don’t know any. Again, I’ll draw a parallel to heavy metal. It’s like a metal band that doesn’t play with distortion. It can happen — I think it does happen, but it doesn’t really fit the character of the music.

What are the three most essential surf albums? How about the most quintessential album from an Atlanta surf band, if those categories don’t overlap.

Hands down, the Penetrators Locked and Loaded is the quintessential, defining Atlanta surf album. You could argue Man, or Astro-man in there, too. [Nationally] Space Cossacks Tsar Wars, from the first wave, Eddie and the Showmen's Squad Car, and, most recently, it’s between Crazy Aces' Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go or Barbwires' Sea Rider.

There are waves to surf music?

Yes.

"Creation Myths" review by Noel at Surf Guitar 101

Thanks to my good friend Noel over at Surf Guitar 101 for the wonderful in depth review.

"As I started listening to the first track on “Creation Myths”, the debut CD by MOONBASE, I immediately reached out to Chad Shivers with some questions about what I was hearing. I’d previously heard MOONBASE play live at the 2014 Instro Summit in Durham, NC, in May of 2014, where they stunned the audience with their tight, driven performance of this extraordinary music. The conversation is included after the review.

What follows are my own thoughts, impressions and reactions to the songs on the album.

Creation Myths:
Well, I have a degree in Anthropology, so creation stories from around the world are a fondly remembered part of my literary and academic past. A culture’s creation stories reveal much about what is valued and feared by a people. They are a like a window into a different culture. The theme of creation myths, and my appreciation of them, informs my interpretation of this music. And because of that, I bring memories of many culture’s creation stories to my listening experience. So I was immediately drawn to the concept for this album, the same as I was drawn to The Madeira’s transcendent and mysterious “Tribal Fires”. Though these two albums sound and feel quite different, they share something else I’ll discuss later.

Smoke
Smoke is one of the results of fire, which is usually considered a destructive force. But fire is also part of the process of creation. Smoke conceals what is inside and behind it, but smoke also announces the fire that creates it. Belief in the mystical and even spiritual properties of smoke are as old as humanity, and smoke is even today used in many spiritual rituals the world over. Creativity is a fire than burns within the artist, never quenched while the artist lives within the person. Fitting, then, that “Smoke” is the first song.

From the first, “Smoke” signals something extraordinary is happening. The song smokes, and so does the album it announces. “Smoke” reveals an album full of creative, thoughtful and emotion-provoking music.

Segue
A segue is a transition from one thing to another, from origin in fire to the creation that results. Almost a lullaby, “Segue” is the most romantic song on the album. The vocal “Oo-oo” is well sung by Chad Shivers. The mood is completely different from “Smoke”, and is sentimental and peaceful, though there’s tension present hinting at something unknown that will come. “Segue” is also the most traditionally impressionist. Cleverly arranged, unless looking at the track indicator, it’s nearly impossible to detect the beginning of the next song, the segue is so subtle. Nicely done!

Cherry Blossom
… begins where “Segue” leaves off. Ultimately it’s not a tranquil song, in spite of sharing its’ name with those lovely and delicate blooms. The song begins where “Segue” leaves off, calm and serene, but like a harbinger of something… else… to come. I listen and see a lovely spring day, warm – not hot, a clear sky, a gentle breeze rustling the trees. You know the kind of day, but also that something is in the air. Then the breeze stops and dark clouds appear in the sky. A storm is coming, and it does, as soon as “Cherry Blossom” ends.

Stormfield
This song blows the blossoms off the cherry trees. The storm comes up suddenly, and builds in intensity. Hard wind-driven rain blows through the music. There is thunder and lightning, but no shelter, not that you want any. The scene is too spectacular. So you stand in the storm, leaning in, facing the brunt of it. It builds and builds, drenching the listener with its intensity. Then, suddenly, it passes and there is the very familiar calm, quiet after-storm serenity. “Stormfield” drifts off with a lovely piece of music that in sound and feel recalls “Segue”. So you know change is coming, again. This is a wonderful song!

Zapata
The only cover on this record, the original is by The John Barry Seven and written by the famous Vic Flick. MOONBASE have completely reimagined the song and made it a sweeping saga. Mr. Flick gave them a terrific canvas to start with, and the song is now far grander than the original. It feels operatic, at times Middle-Eastern, at times South-Western, and at other times classic American blues-rock. This Zapata is far from the legendary Mexican revolutionary. “Zapata” is a feast for the ears. Lean back, close your eyes, and go with it.

Above Us Only Sky
… is a musical mystical journey through place, time and space. Makes me think of planet surfing, riding waves of gravity instead of water. Imagine a fast one-person space craft able to ride the gravitational waves of the solar system between planets in the time it takes to play the song. Leave Earth as the song begins and swoop by the moon for a push toward the inner planets and the Sun, which will give your board all the energy it needs to reach Mars and the outer planets. Catch the second biggest wave in the whole ride and surf Jupiter as long as you can until it pushes you on to Saturn where you dip you hand in its rings. What a rush!
The Serpent
Snakes are entirely absent from few places on earth, but everywhere else serpents play an important role in the origin or other spiritual stories of most cultures. Serpents most often represent evil or death, or bring them, or temp people to commit them. And in those cultures, priests often prove their power over life and death by demonstrating their mastery over serpents. This serpent is a killer of a song.

New Wounds
Better run. Something is chasing, coming fast from behind and hiding may not be an option. The pursuit is relentless, the pursuer tireless. And it’s getting closer. Can’t see it. Can only hear and feel it. Gotta keep going, gotta stay ahead, can’t stop, can’t rest. It isn’t stopping. It isn’t resting. It just keeps coming. Don’t turn around to look; might trip on something and then it’ll catch you. Too late. This is fun!

Bluejay
Restful compared to most of the previous songs, “Bluejay” nonetheless isn’t really slow or boring. It is every bit as musically complex and evocative as anything on the album. “Bluejay” is in many ways a tone-poem, and within are pauses of deeper tranquility, as if something very active is taking a siesta.

(Walking)
Brief, like “Segue” “(Walking)” also implies something is about to change. Starting slowly, it builds tension just before fading out, as if the sojourner suddenly looks up to discover a destination of unknown nature has been reached that maybe had been best avoided. The destination?

Caves of Steel
… are enclosed metal boxes, or cages. Or spaceships, or artificial worlds. But the implication is they are without sunlight, not being open to a sunlit sky. Worlds without sunlight would have to be desperate inescapable places, unless it was all that was ever known, or because something better was promised. In my imaginary journey, I see a spaceship traveling to a new world full of life and promise, to come out of the darkness into the light of day. That’s how I see the ending of the song. Coming out of the darkness of the steel cage into the light of a new day on a new world. It’s my imagination, after all.

Summary:
I’ve long loved romantic and impressionist symphonic music, music written to create emotional impressions, spontaneous responses which lead the listener to experiences, imagery and thoughts unconstrained by words and visual cues, guided only by a few titles and each listener’s own life. Close your eyes and let your imagination lead you wherever the music may. Imagine then Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” as a work of music instead of a poem. No words to tell the allegory, only music to invoke, or provoke, the imagination of the reader to see and feel the tale. “Creation Myths” has this ability to let each listener create an imaginary story for each song, based only on the sound and feel of the music, guided only by the title, full of whatever thoughts and imagery the music creates. “Creation Myths” is a contemporary classical work of impressionist art in the form of instrumental rock music.

I’ve wondered if anyone would approach surf music the way George Gershwin approached jazz. Gershwin believed he could write a jazz symphony based on his experiences in Paris, and so he wrote “An American in Paris” which debuted in New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 1928. Very romantic, I immediately thought “Tribal Fires” by The Madeira would make a great ballet score along the lines of Stravinsky’s “Firebird”, and I have the same feeling about “Creation Myths” and for the same reasons. The music stands on its’ own as brilliant, thoughtful and provocative, and the individual songs convey impressions that beg be choreographed.

The music on “Creation Myths” sounds like an amalgam of many musical influences. I hear elements of surf, classic rock, southern rock, prog rock, metal, blues, world music and jazz. These are complex songs that transcend those genres by incorporating elements of all of them. And the result is definitely greater than the sum of the parts.

MOONBASE have found space in the surf music lexicon to create something unique. That is worthy of notice, and so is the music. Creation Myths” by MOONBASE is a musical journey through time and ideas that will be stimulating emotions, images and thoughts in listeners for a long time. Who knows what that will create?

One last comment. These are my impressions, my visions if you will, created by my imagination stimulated by the music on this album. May you listen with an open mind and let this amazing music create your own stories.

MOONBASE are George Asimakos – Guitar, Eric Balint – Bass, Sonny Hardng – Drums, and Chad Shivers – Guitar.

Engineered and mixed by Jesse Wallace, Jr.
Mastered by Jerod McBrayer at McBrayer Mastering
Art by Rich M. Stevens
Layout by Jamie Galatas

Creation Myths is available from Bandcamp at http://moonbasemusic.bandcamp.com/album/creation-myths

and from ReverbNation at http://www.reverbnation.com/moonbase

MOONBASE are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/moonbasemusic
Chad Shivers is also on Surf Guitar 101 as ChadShivers http://surfguitar101.com/profile/view/ChadShivers/

A Brief Conversation with Chad Shivers about “Creation Myths”

Noel:
The album title is "Creation Myths". Is this just a title, does it refer to being Moonbase's first record, or do the song titles reference various creation myths?

Chad:
"Creation Myths" is in fact a partial reference to this being our first record. I also tend to do a lot of research for song/album titles and creation myths were a subject in which I was deeply interested. The only song title which ties in with the name is "The Serpent" which is a reference to Genesis in the Old Testament. Many of the other titles are literary ("Stormfield" comes from Twain, "Caves of Steel" from Asimov), naturalism ("Smoke", "Above Us Only Sky" which is a line from Lennon's "Imagine"), and the two fingerpicking songs were written for my family, "Cherry Blossom" for my wife as her Roller Derby name was Cherry Blox'em and Bluejay for my son J.

Noel:
Any other tidbits to help me write a thorough review, such as gear, recording approach, etc? Stuff like was it tracked or live? Overdubbed, etc.

Chad:
Here's a list of the gear we used:
George Asimakos: 1978 Aria Pro II 335 copy, 1981 Greco Super Real with Gibson t-top and Stephens Design vintage lab II pickups, 1970 Guild archtop, Hohner Marine Band deluxe harp, Stiff Amplification Repeat Offender, Dunlop Aquapuss, 1967 Fender Super Reverb.
Chad Shivers: Squier CV 50's strat, Xotic EP boost, Stiff Amplification Repeat Offender, 1977/78 Deluxe Reverb w/ WGS g12cs speaker, 1976 Princeton Reverb w/ WGS g10cs speaker, Tacoma Chief acoustic.
Eric Balint: Fender Marcus Miller Jazz bass, 1970/71 Fender Bassman, Beaver Bottoms 1966 tone ring cab w/ Jensen Neo 15-150.
Sonny Harding: Pacific drums, Tama snare, cymbals from Paiste, Zildjan, and Sabian.

I generally approach recording projects with a more is more approach with a bunch of extras but for this record my aim was to keep it simple. For drums we used a kick (AKG d112), snare (Sennheiser 421), 1 overhead (AKG 414), and a room mic. Guitars we mainly used the 421 as a close mic plus a room, and bass we used a close mic and direct. We did add a few extra things on the record: I sang on "Segue", played acoustic on "Cherry Blossom" and "Bluejay", and played organ on "Stormfield". George played harmonica and slide guitar on "Above Us Only Sky" and "Caves of Steel". Eric played bells on "Above Us Only Sky" and percussion on "The Serpent".

We did a lot of pre-production for the album. I took live/practice recordings and got an average tempo. From there I created a click track and the strings recorded scratch tracks. Sonny practiced with those for several weeks and then we each tracked our parts separate with drums first as the foundation. Jay Wallace from The Mystery Men? engineered and mixed the record and I wanted it to sound natural and open.

Noel:
Are you lead guitar on all songs?

Chad:
George handled most leads although I did a few. George is left speaker and I am right.
Thanks Noel, let me know if you need any more info.
-Chad

Thank you, Chad Shivers, for sharing the creative process behind MOONBASE’s extraordinary debut album."

Brand new podcast, Southern Surf Stompcast

Southern Surf Stompcast features the best surf, instro, and beyond the South has to offer.  Our debut episode features an interview from North Carolina's Arrows out as well as music from groups that have performed previously at the Southern Surf Stomp, a monthly show held here in Atlanta.  It can be found streaming below or you can subscribe on iTunes.

Tracklisting:
The Monterreys "Machete!"
The Surge! "Paddle or Die",
The Mutations "Surfer's Dream",
Daikaiju "Flight of Garuda",
Kill, Baby...Kill! "Trioxin Twist",
The Mystery Men? "The Devil You Know",
Arrows Out "Yes, Maybe",
Arrows Out "Tessellate",
MOONBASE "Smoke",
El Fossil "Hair Pin",
Gemini 13 "Chopped and Channeled",
The High Fidelics "Lil' Curfew Breaker",
The Zaratans "Wavos Maximos".

Intro and outro music, "Southern Surf Syndicate Theme", provided by The Penetrators.

Creative Loafing's article on Jeffrey Bützer's new album "Collapsible".

Jeffrey Bützer embraces change with Collapsible 

New album stays classy while breaking the old-timey mold

by Bobby Moore

Multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Bützer's next show will celebrate not only the release of a brand-new album, a French pop-inspired opus titled Collapsible, but also the change in musical direction that the album signifies. In the beginning, much of the material heard throughout Collapsible was originally conceived and arranged to appear on a solo album of Bützer's original numbers played on toy instruments. But when the project failed to come together, it freed up those toy instrumentals for a more realized project, incorporating several of Bützer's Bicycle Eaters bandmates, including Cassi Costoulas (vocals), Chad Shivers (guitar), and Kristin Haverty (cello), as well as numerous special guests. The result is an album that balances fairy-tale-esque songs with real-world piano-driven numbers that come to a head with the album's most defining moments as "Barbiturates and Bear Traps," "Les Feuilles D'aluminium," and "Pickpocket."

The most notable addition to Bützer's typically cinematic repertoire are the French song lyrics heard throughout the album courtesy of French singer and first-time Bützer collaborator Lionel Fondeville. Fondeville wrote the lyrics for each song with Costoulas' luxuriant voice in mind. Costoulas, who was trained in classical vocal music at Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School and Emerson College in Boston, sings in various languages, including French, Italian, Latin, German, Spanish, and Swahili. "After spending years learning the sounds and the feelings behind the words, singing in different languages becomes less scary," Costoulas says. She goes on to say that although she isn't exactly fluent in French, Fondeville did provide her with translations and pronunciations to guide her through each song. "It helped so that I didn't unknowingly butcher his beautiful lyrics."

Recorded in the summer of 2011, Collapsible hits the Atlanta streets this month.
"Mixing took a while, because I kept changing my mind on things," Bützer says.
Working alongside producer and Bicycle Eaters bassist Matt Steadman, the two crafted the final cut after sifting through about 20 alternate takes that ended up on the cutting-room floor. As a result, Collapsible is the product of gradual change, fueled by new collaborations, slight adjustments, and additions to the Bicycle Eaters' live lineup. Though these small changes weren't completely conscious, Bützer admits that he wanted the album to diverge a bit from his previous material. "I wanted to get away from any Tom Waits or gypsy music," Bützer says. "I get compared to newer, trendy gypsy music a lot, but I don't listen to any of that kind of music."
Despite the changes, both subtle and obvious, the music still resonates with the same cinematic pop appeal that has defined Bützer's work all along. "People still say it sounds old-fashioned, so I guess I won't get away from that," Bützer says.

In the past, most of Bützer's music has been released under his name. And after much deliberation with the album's collaborators, he stuck with the solo moniker for Collapsible to keep from having his favorite album to date, and any future recordings, mistakenly perceived as a side project or a release by a new band. "I don't have an ego about music," Bützer says with his self-depreciating sense of humor on full display. "It's hard to convey that to people when you play under your own name and put it on T-shirts."

Atlanta Music Guide's interview with The Mystery Men?

Interview: The Mystery Men? Playing @ Mashable Social Media Day Atlanta – June 27th

June 17, 2013 | Katie Caccavale+

Formed from different corners of the Atlanta music scene, the shadowy figures of The Mystery Men? play their own brand of reverby instro surf music. Always with a mind toward the creative, The Mystery Men? are continuously looking to hypnotize new and old fans alike! Attendees of Mashable Social Media Day, will get the chance to not only chat with peers about the perks of new social media tactics, but they will also get the chance to see and hear The Mystery Men? perform!
Atlanta Music Guide caught up with Mr. JaGa of the band to ask him how The Mystery Men? utilize social media. Check out what he had to say!

What has been your most memorable gig as the Mystery Men?
There have been so many to be honest, but if I had to pick one, I think it would be Instro Summit 2012 in early May at The Cave in Chapel Hill when we unveiled our 3-guitar lineup. I think we felt like a different beast, and played to a very receptive (and packed) house. There was magic in the room that night.

I noticed you all have unique names (Mr. JaGa, Mr. RiHa, Mr. EvJa, Mr. JaWa, Mr. TeBa) I’m assuming those aren’t you’re real names. Is that part of the mystery behind the Mystery Men?
That is correct. Those are not our real names. Further information on this topic is highly classified by our organization (and further backed by affiliate organization The Southern Surf Syndicate).

What was the first social media outlet you used to get your music out to the public?
As, I suspect, with many bands… MySpace, though we found ReverbNation VERY early… probably around the same time (and greatly prefer it!!).

What kind of impact has social media had on your band?
TREMENDOUS impact. Without social media we wouldn’t have a reasonable way to get word out about our shows and records. This is true with our local crowd through your basics like Facebook, ReverbNation and Twitter, but also globally with more focused outlets (particularly with such a specific genre of music) as the forums over at surfguitar101.com.

Would you say that using social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) is the quickest, easiest way to reach a large amount of fans? Give us an example of how you’ve used social media to reach out to your fans.
I would absolutely say that this is true. All of our shows are promoted through Facebook, Twitter and ReverbNation. These tools are VITAL in creating awareness about when and where we play. We link up all of our social media accounts so they relay the same info and provide links to all of them via our webpage (www.themysterymenofsurf.com). This way we feel like we hit all of the people at each different outlet with either event invitations or simply announcements as well as those not connected on social networks through our website. As people who have played live music since the early 90′s, we fully embrace social media as a VERY efficient way to market ourselves. I honestly don’t know how we did it all back in the day.

This Mashable Social Media Day event is a unique gig to play. What can attendees expect from your live performance?
Attendees can expect an aggressive and melodic dance of reverb and rhythm with a dynamic performance. Our masked players like to engage with the audience so it’s not just “watching a band”. We want people to have fun and get swept away… we provide the soundtrack. What we want to do is create an experience.

What are the plans for the Mystery Men? for the remainder of 2013?
The Mystery Men? actually have some pretty exciting plans this year! We are very close to releasing a new full length CD in late July titled “Sonos Delirium”. On top of that we are very excited to have been invited to play the annual Surfguitar101 Convention in Southern California on August 10th. This is by far the biggest and furthest reaching event of the year for surf music not to mention all located right where this genre of music was born. We are honored to play, and are very excited about playing a handful of shows on the other side of the country!

BeAtlanta Review of Jeffrey Bützer and the Bicycle Eaters "Hiding Plastic Spiders" 7"

Jeffrey Bützer and the Bicycle Eaters debut 7", "Hiding Plastic Spiders", will be released on March 31.  Our friends over at BeAtlanta have been kind enough to post a review and interview with Jeffrey, which can be found here.