Satans’ Pilgrims – Creature Feature LP/CD (www.teleport.com/~rb300/pilgrims.html, Estrus - www.estrus.com)

Ghoulash, Scorpio 6, Vampiro, Brokendown Deuce, Extra Helpin’, Ichabob Crane, Ran-Goon, Creature Feature, Grave-Up, Boss BSA, Tranquilizer, Ragtop, Boneshaker

Another top-notch album from the Pilgrims (this is their fourth), one of my favorite surf combos. They’ve got a big reverby sound like a lot of the best current surf bands, along with a garagey attitude and some great melody writing. Fuzz and organ on Extra Helpin’, and some other variety on other tunes, but it’s mostly heavily layered surfy lead and rhythm guitars. Ran-Goon has a really strong melody with wordless vocal harmonizing that makes it a gorgeous song; there’s also a part in the middle where something like a guitorgan comes in for a solo. It’s also handy that they do the listener the service of providing hints on the appropriate dance style for each tune (slowjerk, shimmy, frug, etc.).