Surf Rock and Ska

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:22 am

Is Surf Rock it's own type of music, or is it jsut a nickname for a type of ska?

Me and Jace went at it in the AIM channel for a few hours.

He'll be sure to say his side of the story so I'll get to mine.

http://www.theventures.com/biograph/biograp.htm

example one. The Ventures are THE staple Surf rock band. They started and defined their style on a chet atkins cover. Clearly have different root's from Ska.

http://www.surfrockmusic.com/bandlink.html

and then there is this. A list of surf rock bands. Another thing that seperates surf rock from ska is the fact that surf rock doesn't usually have lyrics. While ska typicaly does, (and ska has wind instrument's alot of the time.)

The few people I know who have heard of the mermen do not call them ska, but Surf Rock. Zerophite being one does not reffer to them as Ska.

Zerophite wrote: Surf Rock owns. I used to be a huge fan of "Man, or Astroman?", The Red Elvises, They Came From Above, The Mermen, and some random others long ago.

so what do the rest of you think?

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:26 am

PS, for examples of what surf rock sounds like go into the surfrockmusic.com list and click any random band, there should be demo tracks.

kthulhu · Post by **kthulhu** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:28 am

I say surf rock and ska are two seperate things. There may be some overlap, but they are seperate entities nonetheless, in my book.

My rule of thumb:

If it has horns, it's probably ska. If it doesn't, it's something else.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:41 am

My thing is that, on the surf rock web page it links to HUNDREDS of bands that call themselves surf rock, not ska.

Acorrding to dictionary.com ska originated from blues and jazz in Jamaca.

paizuri · Post by **paizuri** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 11:36 am

I've never heard of surf rock being called another nickname for ska. I think of them as two distinct styles.

NME · Post by **NME** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 2:40 pm

GODDAMNIT

SKA HAS BRASS

SURF ROCK HAS FUCKING GAY GUITARS WITH A BUNCH OF LAUGHING AND WEIRD CHORD PROGRESSIONS.

SHUT UP ANDY.

NME · Post by **NME** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 2:41 pm

ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME!

/2pac

Jace Tsunami · Post by **Jace Tsunami** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 4:52 pm

fact I'm not going to argue here:

Ska does not have to have windinstuments.

Everyone should reconsider what they're thinking with this in mind.

NME · Post by **NME** » Sat Aug 16, 2003 9:54 pm

Dictionary.com wrote:ska ( P ) (skä)
n.
Popular music originating in Jamaica in the 1960s, having elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, and calypso and marked by a fast tempo and a strongly accented offbeat.

Elements of rhythm and blues might mean winds or not. It's really open to interpretation. Although most bands I've seen advertising themselves or advertised as ska have been accompanied by brass wind instruments.

Jace Tsunami · Post by **Jace Tsunami** » Sat Aug 16, 2003 9:56 pm

yes, lots of ska bands have wind intruments. But again it's not the defining element.

Home Grown was an awsome ska band, but they turned punk.