No Pain In Pop

Dickshaker’s Shanty

This track from New Zealand’s Surf City hasn’t strayed far from my glad ears since the first time I heard it. Easy, fresh and buoyant, the remarkably named ‘Dickshaker’s Union’ rattles along on a suburban breeze of daytime drinking and cloud cover, Abe Vigoda-ish stabs of strung treble underpinned by more provincial rhythm. If Vigoda had it right when they proclaimed themselves ‘tropical punks’, you’d guess Surf City might be ‘maritime punks’ - witness the hungover skies in the video and the call-and-response shanty understanding of guitar and voice, cymbals that create a light, lapping wash of noise. Possessing the clatter of Roxy Music at their most strident and the isolated charm of Kiwipop, Surf City update the Flying Nun tradition writ by bands like The Clean and The Chills for a generation set to be remembered for its fawning over Animal Collective. And that’s awesome.

A self-titled six-track EP is available now through Morr Music.



MP3: Surf City - Dickshaker’s Union

Tags: morr music, surf city

5 Comments to Dickshaker’s Shanty

1. 

   really like this post, clear and criso like the band itself, refreshing like like how you imagine a breeze in the video ……
Lorenzonica on March 4th, 2009
2. 

   the chills
Jon on March 6th, 2009
3. 

   Thank
Kev Kharas on March 6th, 2009
4. 

   na mate, they just sound like Sonic Youth
stu on March 8th, 2009
5. 

   dont hear it myself,

   but then I like Surf City and whilst I dont mind Sonic Youth I dont get why they are such a big deal
Anonymous on March 11th, 2009

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