A wave of static, a swell of volume, a staccato flurry of reverb-laden guitar, and the Revomatics are off. Odd as it may seem to hear instrumental California surf rock coming from the relatively surf-free domain of Milwaukee, guitarists Drew De Lutio and Joe Weigel, bassist Pete Flessas and drummer Jeff Schneider make a one-time soundtrack to teenage rebellion as relevant as ever; a swirling, mesm
erizing display of life, set to music. "I think there's something deeply primal about instrumental surf music that really resonates with people," posits De Lutio. "Without a lead singer, we're forced to connect with the audience through our instruments. Most people are so conditioned to expect a vocalist at a rock show that when we start to play, it's as if a spell has been broken. They recognize the essential elements of our music from long forgotten films or TV shows, but immediately recognize we want nothing to do with nostalgia. We're actively trying to evolve a genre of music that never really got an opportunity to grow." That active evolution is on clear display on the group's full-length, last year's We Come In Peace. Melding the surf, swing and rockabilly influences of their progenitors with metal, shoegaze and post-rock tendencies, the Revomatics have long found fans unfamiliar with the surf genre. The pulsing backbeat, the twanging guitars, the sun-soaked enthusiasm, it's all there--but songs like the title track feature an uncharacteristic heaviness and some very menacing dual-guitar harmonizing. "Rockerbox" features a snarling riff that shows the group's punk influence while not for a second sounding simple. "Hot Rod Strut" finds Schneider's drums creating a thundering whirlpool around a swaggering, circular guitar riff. Meanwhile, the three-part "Cuatro Caballeros del Espacio Exterior" showcases the group's sense of songcraft, exploring sonic textures more at home in British progressive rock than on California beaches--mystical acoustic guitars and doleful harmonized backing vocals creating an atmosphere as intriguing as it is alluring. The quartet's diverse appeal has landed them gigs opening for The B-52's, surf legend Dick Dale, Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes and Unknown Hinson of Cartoon Network's popular "Squidbillies" series. The band's live show is at once welcoming and confrontational, as if daring audiences to relate to something that at first blush seems little more than a quirky anachronism, challenging anyone to doubt their sincerity. While the group refuses to be pigeonholed as a "surf band," they are clearly not ashamed of their roots, as evinced both by their music and their headlining spot on this year's Surf Cruise, part of the Milwaukee Boat Line's Summer Concert Series. Some sounds will never die, and the rumbling twang of echoing surf guitars will likely always resonate with the American collective consciousness. But the Revomatics want to make sure their beloved medium stays relevant, stays interesting, and stays loud. This is not the echo of a lost art form--this is something immediate, something primal, something nigh-universal.
