Let’s face it – the last thing I need in my 80-hr. work week existence is loud, aggressive music to fill my downtime. So I’ve been re-tooling my surf MP3 with a nod towards quieter, more mellow surf sounds. Lucky for me that I’ve found some very cool surf bands in that search. Here are a few you might want to check out:

The Torquays’ “Somewhere in California” has a nice variety of surf tunes, with “Shadowcaster” and “Shoreline Serenade” two keepers as far as I’m concerned.

Shigg & Buzz are outta sight. Their tune “Hawaii” is a new highlight of my collection.

Reverb Galaxy’s “Angle of Attack” has some great mellow tunes.

Los SuperAvengers is a Texas surf band who, after listening to their stuff has me thinking they’ve been heavily influenced by another of my favorite surf bands, Los Straightjackets, whose tune “University Blvd” from their CD, “The Utterly Fantastic And Totally Unbelievable Sound Of Los Straightjackets” is a favorite in the TGWS household.

The Low-Fi Drifters are another damned fine surf band. Check out “Love Goddess of Venus” and some of their other tunes from their CD “Instrumental Takeover”.

These are all great. But how about a TGWS “top 5” of mellow surf tunes that are must have for any surf collection worth it’s salt:

1. The Warmth of the Sun – The Beach Boys
2. Slow Dance With a Fast Girl – The Aqua Velvets, from their “Guitar Noir” CD
3. Theme From “The Endless Summer” – The Sandals
4. Shigg & Buzz – “Hawaii”
5. Surfer Girl – The Beach Boys