...by Emma Jade Gunn The Swiv-O-Matics are way hot, very cool, quintessentially clever and super fantastically professional surf garage party band immaculately perfect. Did I say that right? What I mean is, these dudes are so easy to listen to that you feel like you're oozing off the couch with your buds, splashing waves of fantastico music over your bod, just like in the heydays of the old surf, garage and party bands. That is, of course, providing your old surf band heydays included the best of the best because The Swiv-O-Matics are not only a great friendly-listening experience, they're also great players. And they're from Baltimore! BaltoRockoSurfers! How spiky is that? Uber. The CD insert is an entertainment in and of itself with a short explanation of the cause of origin for each song. I really liked the comic book style cover and funny text. There are 14 songs on this CD, all of them originals. Most of the compositions were written about the Baltimore area which is a "burgeoning hotbed for hip surf instro rockers." Who would have guessed? If this is Baltimore surf, I want to go! Charm City Surfer - You know how you'd hit the beach, grab a bottle of something cold from a Styrofoam cooler and turn up the tunes? You know how they'd make you swivel and sway until you spilled that something cool you were holding? Then you'd laugh and continue to swivel and sway? Oh, Kahuna of the Waves, bless us with more and more songs like Charm City Surfer! Innocent Lee - Sure. Sounds innocent to me. No. Nyet. Nien. Nope. Sneaky Swiv-O-Matics, very sneaky! You thought you'd fool old Emma into thinking all innocuous and pure, didn't you? Hah! I know better! Innocent Lee isn't innocent. It's hot and squirrels around your insides just like eating clams on the half-shell and makes you all oobie-groovy. Emmy doesn't lie, so there! Play this song and squeak! (P.S. I figured this out all by my lonesomes before I read your blurb on the cover. Yay, me!) The Woman in Skin 13 - This isn't about me, which is too bad, really. It's so cool/hot/dishy that I wish it was. Of course, I'm not sure what Skin 13 is and maybe I got close. Maybe I'm Skin 12 or something almost this cool. The only thing wrong with this super song is that it isn't about me. Hint, hint. Semi Loads from Mexico - Ah, pretty. Like when you hit those white sand dunes just north of the eastern California border to watch the sun set. Next time you see me up there, stop and we'll relax to this gnarly surf band. (She Came from) Planet Stripper - Giggle. Now here's a song I can really dance to! No, boys and girls, do NOT go there! I said I could dance to it. And, the truth is, I'd enjoy every minute of it! I didn't promise it would be fun to watch me. I will promise you'll love the music I'm dancing to, though. Neckbone - And the neckbone's connected to the hipbone and, omigoodness, look at us roar! Sultry make out on a sizzling sand beach music. Ahem. Excuse me. Have to replay this one. Wahoni - That's right. Wa - HO - ni. Baltimore slang for wahini. I didn't even know there was such a thing as Baltimore slang, so now I can honestly say that I learned something — two somethings actually — today, so I'm happy. And it's a great song, too. So I'm like (how many is that? 3?) triple happy! Woo! Elekicity - The CD cover says this is a town just across the county line from Baltimore. The CD cover says that Balto is short for Baltimore. I'm learning a lot from this CD cover. Like, for instance, when I see Elekicity it isn't the shocking stuff that makes me get the willies when I put my plug in the shorted out amp, it's a shocking good song about a little town. And I learned that I didn't pay enough attention in my fifth grade spelling class, either. Hag in a Black Leather Jacket - Okay, this one really is about me? Right? Me, me, me? NO? Well, Swiv-O-Matics, harrumph. I really think this is one of the best songs I've heard lately and the least you could do to repay me for telling all the people I played it for and recommended you — very highly, I might add — to this weekend is lie a little bit and say this is Emma's song. Geez. It's sooo hard to get people to go all moooshy over me these days! Although, come to think of it ... Hag????? Okay, you're right. It's about, um, great tunes, but not Emmy! Scott - This song was written for some guy that got married and the band played it at his wedding to Michelle. So that means the Swivodudes are not only great musicians, great composers and great CD meisters, they're great friends, too! Cowabunga, dudes, and congrats Scott and Michelle, special from moi. Stairway to Hampden - Classic surf sounds. Wow. Hey, guys, I like this! Will you take me with you when you get that gig there in Hampden and, now that it's an in place, am I cool enough to walk the streets there? No, not walk the streets, I mean take a walk on the streets. How about if I wear a tee that says, "I'm With The Band"? Puhleeze? Swiv Winter - A scary tune based on a nasty Baltimore winter. You know what's so incredible about this song? It really and truly makes me afraid of winter in Balto. Good job, guys. Dundalk, France (Parts I & II) - Awrite! One minute and seven seconds of mystery and mastery! Journey to the Center of the Drawer - Outrageously outrageous as in I can't believe this too, too smoothly and perfectly distorted sound has been sitting out there waiting for the world to rock out to without hitting the top of the charts. See you in Balto, but not during the winter, Emmy
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http://www.swivomatics.com
badgogetterrecords@yahoo.com
Charm City Surfer
All Songs BMI © 2003
Bad Go-Getter Records
Baltimore, MD, USA
Reviewed by
Emma Jade Gunn
© Emma Jade Gunn 2004
All Rights Reserved
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