Swami Records founder John Reis is tapping into his love for '60s surf rock, having teamed up with Minneapolis psych-garage unit the Blind Shake to produce a new batch of wave-riding tunes. Modern Surf Classics, their debut as Swami John & the Blind Shake, lands through Reis' imprint on January 27.
A press release for the set explains that the 13-song outing still has Reis flexing the rough and tumble guitar tones he's delivered in Hot Snakes and Night Marchers, but this time around the musician found inspiration in the sounds of the Ventures and Link Wray. Together with the three members of the Blind Shake, the ensemble have prepped a set featuring "booming tom toms, skronking saxophones and a chaotic surge of guitars."
Tapping into the ocean sound, the set was recorded in January 2013 underneath San Diego's Crystal Pier, with producer Ben Moore capturing takes from a Volkswagen van equipped with a mobile recording unit.
The group's first preview from the set, "Brown Room," is a low-key instrumental hanging loose on a jazzy backbeat, reverb-loaded guitar leads and a bit of piano. A video for the track, full of sudsy wipeout footage and the sight of a skeleton-masked surf-enthusiast (a.k.a. Reis), down beneath the album info.
Modern Surf Classics:
1. Sea Saw
2. Dune Rider
3. Brown Room
4. Kooks On The Face
5. Dry Suit
6. Poseidon's Tears
7. Beach Leech
8. Zulu As Kono
9. The Lonely Sea Sweeper
10. Wet Greek
11. Hang 11
12. Over The Falls
13. Sets Of Fire
Tour dates:
02/12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
02/13 Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite
02/14 Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar
02/15 San Diego, CA - Casbah
02/19 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
02/20 Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
02/21 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
02/25 Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
02/26 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
02/27 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
02/28 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts: Black Box
A press release for the set explains that the 13-song outing still has Reis flexing the rough and tumble guitar tones he's delivered in Hot Snakes and Night Marchers, but this time around the musician found inspiration in the sounds of the Ventures and Link Wray. Together with the three members of the Blind Shake, the ensemble have prepped a set featuring "booming tom toms, skronking saxophones and a chaotic surge of guitars."
Tapping into the ocean sound, the set was recorded in January 2013 underneath San Diego's Crystal Pier, with producer Ben Moore capturing takes from a Volkswagen van equipped with a mobile recording unit.
The group's first preview from the set, "Brown Room," is a low-key instrumental hanging loose on a jazzy backbeat, reverb-loaded guitar leads and a bit of piano. A video for the track, full of sudsy wipeout footage and the sight of a skeleton-masked surf-enthusiast (a.k.a. Reis), down beneath the album info.
Modern Surf Classics:
1. Sea Saw
2. Dune Rider
3. Brown Room
4. Kooks On The Face
5. Dry Suit
6. Poseidon's Tears
7. Beach Leech
8. Zulu As Kono
9. The Lonely Sea Sweeper
10. Wet Greek
11. Hang 11
12. Over The Falls
13. Sets Of Fire
Tour dates:
02/12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
02/13 Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite
02/14 Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar
02/15 San Diego, CA - Casbah
02/19 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
02/20 Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
02/21 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
02/25 Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
02/26 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
02/27 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
02/28 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts: Black Box
Swami John Reis and the Blind Shake "Brown Room" from Bryan Johnson on Vimeo.
