VA - Surfin' Senorita CD (Wildebeest – www.flash.net/~pborelli)

Here's a great concept album collecting performances by current surf and instro bands on tunes made famous by that ubiquitous staple of the thrift store record bins - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. There's a sense of fun throughout, capturing the tongue-in-cheek style from all those old TJB records. Spanish Flea by the Texas-based Sir Finks is a great example - a cleanly reverbed surfy guitar tinkles along with this instantly recognizable melody. The Space Cossacks, Sandblasters, and Satan's Pilgrims all contribute nice tunes done up in a familiar surf music style, which works well sprinkled in with the variety of other TJB-styled tracks that roam further south of the border. On their version of Whipped Cream, the Exotics bring in a cheesy organ and even marimba-type percussion sounds. The Slackmates, known for mixing surfy guitar styles with other influences, do a great party version of the Third Man Theme. And other classics like Lonely Bull and A Taste Of Honey show up too. Don't listen to this album expecting all trad surf sounds, but rather as a collection showcasing what's most fun about both the old TJB style and the current instro scene.