Reviews

Sundazed

The Neanderthals The Neanderthals in Space LP reissue

It’s funny to me that punks have always been so drawn to the kitschy. When bands do it, it worries me that it will only distract from the overall quality of the music they’re making. There’s definitely a space/universe theme going on here. Also noteworthy is that they choose to cover some legendary rock’n’roll songs. Musically, there’s a huge lean towards ’50s and ’60s rock’n’roll/rockabilly/garage/surf. A good number of the songs are instrumentals. Originally released in 2005.

The Neanderthals The Modern Stone Age Family LP

We start right off with a KINKS riff. Given the name of the band and the album, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m using words/terms like garage rock, ’60s rock, ’50s rock, surf, and even rockabilly to describe the band. It’s good, for sure, but I find this kind of stuff a little schticky. With song titles like “I Go Ape,” “Flintstone Flop,” and “Neanderthal Twist,” you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into. But if this is your sort of thing, you should like it. It’s catchy and melodic, they’re tight, and they’re all talented musicians. Throw another brontosaurus burger on the grill for me, and that’ll probably need some sort of a tiki drink. Thanks.

The Satyrs Don’t Be Surprised LP

Sundazed continues in their mission to reissue every small-time ’60s garage band under the sun, like it or not. Here we get a treat of British Invasion-inspired jams not from the Pacific Northwest, but from the town built on quartz, Asheville, North Carolina. Nicely packaged with tons of info, and the sound is decent if you figure how old and crusty these tapes probably were. Shiny boots, blazers, and high-strung guitars are the vibe, and some of it is really hokey, but there’s moments like their rare original single “Don’t Be Surprised / Blue Blue World” or their cover of “I Walk the Line” which can give you a glimpse of the birth of Southern punk that lead to C.O.C. and ANTISEEN, if you close your eyes and imagine real hard. Good stuff.