Metalunas

Mark Brodie changes band names more than some people change their underwear. In the last three years his backing band has gone from the Beaver Patrol to the Saboteurs to the current moniker of the Metalunas. Clad in scrappy mop-top wigs specially outfitted with Martian antennae, the Metalunas keep a sci-fi theme running through their whole album. There a few vintage and faux-vintage spoken word radio play excerpts to set the mood, and the sleeve artwork is crisp and spacy. The tunes are extremely well-played classic surf with a Marketts, Dick Dale and Ventures influence that are nicely varied in tempo and instrumentation. Standout tracks include the moody “Satellite of Mystery” and the up-tempo shaker, “Shields Up!” This release is top notch in every respect and shows that Mark Brodie is one of the best instrumental surf guitarists today.