My Beach

When Surf Punks hit the California underground scene in the late '70s, surf and skate culture had developed a strong undercurrent of radical purists trying to preserve its integrity. Sounding off on dummies from the valley who infiltrated sacred surf spots became somewhat of a twisted art form for founders Dennis Dragon and Drew Steele, who re-released this slightly altered album originally pressed on their own Day-Glo label. A demented warping of surf legends Jan & Dean mixed with the Ramones, My Beach is drenched with immature, beer-belched vocals combining electro-drumming, cheesy keyboards, and laser sound effects. Novelties like "Bird Bathroom," "Beer Can Beach," "Teenage Girls," and "Punch out at Malibu" exude adolescent absurdity without boundaries. All in good fun, cult-status anthems "Somebody Ripped My Stick," "My Beach," and "My Wave" are irreverent classics spewing venom at anyone outside a two-mile limit from the Pacific. As an added bonus, the liner notes include the inane lyrics and a helpful glossary outlining terminology adopted by the locals. Unfortunately this hilarious opus was the only worthwhile outing; subsequent albums were simply rehashed rants that never saw Surf Punks mature as musicians.