submrcd1.jpg (6985 bytes) Sub-Mersians - Raw Love Songs From My Garage.. & Save The Cave Train CDs (email - stretch@got.net)

Raw Love Songs - Quack, Jaime Lee, Spanish Feeling #2, Cool, Who Be Jammin', So Sensitive, George, Uphill Run, Cut & Dry, Zamboni Driver

Save The Cave Train - Dr. Yes, Cave Train, Tecate, The Galf Song, Scared Stickless, Crybaby, Sub-Marine, Horse Piss, Huevos Rancheros, Cecelia Ann, Fascists, Cape Lagosi

Two self-produced CDs here from the Sub-Mersians, a bay area surf band with members who've definitely been around the scene. While they sometimes have an unpolished sound common to DIY bands, the main thing is that there's some real catchy and listenable original tunes on these discs. I think the Raw Love Songs CD is the earlier one and also my favorite of the two. Tunes like So Sensitive and Uphill Run remind me of the early Mermen sound back when they did a lot of surf covers, except that the Sub-Mersians are doing almost entirely their own material on these albums. A bunch of their numbers have a kind of rambling rhythm and melody line that are both laid-back and peppy at the same time - with a style that isn't pure trad surf music, but which makes the surf music connection with the guitar tone.