Surfdusters

While the name Surfdusters likely doesn't ring any bells, chances are you've heard their surf-rock Canadiana ― a lot. Try spinning 'em around some ankle-biters and watch jaws drop ― probably yours ― as screams of "Spongebob Squarepants" come flying fast and furious. Lending a number of their Ventures-meets-Dick Dale twangers to the children's program over the years, these instrumental cats most likely make more money off of slide-picking, Farfisa organ-churning and arpeggios than most world leaders do at starting/stopping wars. Issuing the vast majority of their 20-year career on one album, Save The Waves features 27 bouts of shuffling grooves and vocally absent melodies full of a fun, loose, breezy delivery. That is, when not bastardized by the haunting, almost creepy reverb that gives the entire affair the feeling of having been pulled from the mid-'60s without so much as the turn of an engineering knob. It's one of few instances when such a nostalgic, anti-progressive take actually works in a band's favour. While an hour-plus of tremolo picking and whammy bar curls might be a bit much, when heard in small doses, Save the Waves is incredibly welcoming.