Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The Aqua Velvets - Cool and Waydown at the Beach Chaletdotdotdotdotdot
artworkA trimmed down Aqua Velvets floats some almost unplugged AV hits for the punters at San Francisco's Beach Chalet. Miles Corbin and Michael Lindner are very talented guys, whether fronting their amazing band in full volume or softly filling the night air. The power of the writing is evidenced in the way it works equally well in both arrangements.
Picks: Gringo, Surf Boogie, Quintana Roo, Casbah Club, Sister Moonlight, Hawaiian Blue, Mexican Rooftop Afternoon, Martini Time, Swampabilly Hop, Surf Nouveau

Track by Track Review


Gringo dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Miles and Michael deliver a soft and fluid trimmed down "Gringo" that's mucho cool. It's amazing how effective this song is in a surf-light arrangement.

Surf Boogie dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Gently rockin' the night away, the AV's swing and sway on this infectious song. "Surf Boogie" exercises the limits of the surf envelope with a delicate dribbling surfable break and nearly liquid flow. The rhythm is very evident in this arrangement.

Quintana Roo dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

"Quintana Roo" is originally from Miles Corbin's solo Tiki Hut project. It's a magnificent piece of music, moody and warm, with an incredible cool melody line. In this soft setting, it's somehow more surfable. Excellent!

Casbah Club dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Bedouin enclaves beckon across the equatorial night with exotic sounds wafting through the desert air. "Casbah Club" is even more exotic and mysterious than on Guitar Noir. You can almost see the belly dancers in the sultan's harem.

Sister Moonlight dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Balmy post luau moonlit romance floats through the tropical night. The aroma of coconut and palm oil permeate the evening breeze. Yes, it's kinda like that!

Hawaiian Blue dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Long silky guitar lines sadly flow from moonlit beach to boudoir as the Aqua Velvets seduce the evening. Lush and very pretty.

Mexican Rooftop Afternoon dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This has long been a fave of mine. The rich chords and sad melody line really hook into your heart strings. A truly beautiful song so well played. Love is in the air.

Martini Time dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

The bouncy infectious rhythm and melody line of "Martini Time" always makes me smile. It's a splendid song that's full of exotic images and liquid flow. Exceptionally cool!

Swampabilly Hop dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This backwoods bouncer is rhythm dominated and swampy cool. Splashy chords, animated guitar lines, and swingin' jive coolness!

Surf Nouveau dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

"Surf Nouveau" remains a kind of moody sub detective groove with a shimmering edge and glissandos. Quite surfable and extremely effective.