Surf Revival

Although not a day has gone by in the past thirty years without some band somewhere trying to play "Pipeline," the Surf Revival didn't hit its stride until the early 1990s. Many of these bands, such as Man or Astro-Man? and the Mermen, play up the kitsch angle, creating an experience that's more surreal than literally surf-oriented. While the recognizably trebly guitar music remains their primary focus, Surf Revival bands also tend to enjoy masks, costumes and space-age references. The music they play can be a straight take on Dick Dale-penned classics, or it can turn into a psychedelic jazz odyssey, or a punk-rock rave-up. Many Surf Revival outfits have a more expansive musical range than their heroes, and therefore manage to explore the genre's outer limits more aggressively while still staying true to the clean, reverb-drenched sound of the originators.