A style of
music popular in
the Sixties thanks to bands like
The Ventures and
Dick Dale. Surf rock is almost always
instrumental, though some bands add vocals here and there. The sound is characterized by lotsa
reverb (or
tremolo) on an otherwise clean
electric guitar, sometimes with fast
double-picking (as heard on Dick Dale's "
Miserlou" from the
Pulp Fiction soundtrack).
Gretsch or
Fender are popular brands among surf guitarists. Surf
songs are short and surf
bands are small, usually a
guitar or two,
bass, and
drums, though you might hear an
organ or
horns here and there. There is a distinctive "surf beat" to the drums. Listen to
The Surfaris' "
Wipeout" to hear it: double hit on two, hit on four, with an eighth-note beat behind it, say on
hi-hat.
Some modern surf rock bands include
Man... or Astro-Man? (early stuff),
Satan's Pilgrims,
Laika & the Cosmonauts,
Link Wray (he's been around forever and is still playing...),
The Mermen,
Los Straitjackets, and the
Galaxy Trio.
The Beach Boys are NOT surf rock -- they are
beach music, and they suck.