Reverb Central aka Phil Dirt(four stars). Thee Jaguar Sharks

There's lots to like here. Evolved from trad, infused with many modern influences, and very well arranged. Thee Jaguar Sharks have a very original sound. Of particular note are the slower numbers, with their almost funeral moodiness. Very original.

Picks: Lobster Rumble, Firewater, Chop Suey Watusi, Tube Twister, Manta's Dream, Shady Rip, Night At The Octodrag, Dead Man's Curve, Shark Chase, Sato's Broken Heart, Stingray Shark, Temptation At Danger Cove

Track by Track Review


Lobster Rumble ****
Surf (Instrumental)

The melody here is based on a circling progression, and it works pretty darn well. A solid and appropriate rhythm section gives "Lobster Rumble" oomph, and that combines with the warmth of the melody line to substantially engage you. It all ends with a surf whammy chords.

Firewater ***
Surf (Instrumental)

The Astronauts' "Firewater" (Jimmy Haskell) is done with an echoed reverence. The bridges sparkle and charm, while the guitar's echo makes the main melody seem weak by comparison. It is a fresh way to cover this.

Chop Suey Watusi ***
Surf (Instrumental)

"Chop Suey Watusi" is unusually written for a surf instro, with a more rock instro progression, but the whammy brings it to the curl. The extreme tremolo in the break is almost frightening, especially when coupled with the dark fuzz sustain. It may not rock your world, but you'll remember it.

Tube Twister ***
Surf (Instrumental)

"Tube Twister" has a low guttural lead, whammy chords, and very moody bass. It's the long watery chords and lines that make it stand out. It's not as fluid as surf usually implies, but its imagery is of dangerous waters and desperate rides.

Manta's Dream ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Muted reverb guitar lines, island whammy chords, tribal drums, and soothing bass, along with a distant female voice create an exotic vacation variant of the kind of surf that The Surfmen' "Paradise Cove" personifies. Mysterious and sultry.

Shady Rip ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Delightful muted patters and flowing chords shimmer above a moody backtrack. "Shady Rip" is mid tempo and very cool. I think its pace is the thing that gives it room to breathe. Quite nice.

Night At The Octodrag ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Echoed guitar syncs with the drums and bass. "Night At The Octodrag" employs double pick melody lines, long flowing chords, and a number of fine changes. Parts of this song are just superb, particularly as it goes through so many different movements.

Dead Man's Curve ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Jan and Dean's "Dead Man's Curve" is the fodder for this instrumental. The melody line is delivered muted with echo and a moderate pace, which gives it credibility. You know which song it is, but the pop drama and syrup of the vocal are replaced with delicate genuine instrumental honesty. It even includes the screeching tire and narrated lines from the middle of the hit. The chorus completes the pop majesty. Too cool!

Shark Chase ***
Surf (Instrumental)

"Shark Chase" starts out with moody bass and drums, and then a slightly space guitar riff comes in, and alternates between less surfy progressions. It's an interesting track with great drums and plenty of changes.

Sato's Broken Heart ***
Surf (Instrumental)

With a bit of a spy feeling, and thick, stinging whammy, "Sato's Broken Heart" is both adventurous and dangerous. The tone is gritty, not reverby, yet there's not doubt about its aquatic roots.

Stingray Stomp ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Muted guitar lines, rock chords, and a simple and edgy riff. "Stingray Stomp" works surprisingly well - I say surprisingly, because it did not immediately grab me, but within a minute, I was engaged. many tone & effects changes.

Temptation At Danger Cove ****
Surf (Instrumental)

Long slow whammy chords, dangerous tone, almost Indian funeral drums, and subtle bass moodiness artfully create a forsaken image of demise. Tremolo, whammy, and amazing imagery. I really like this.


HangNine - Instrumental, Surf and Garage WebZine, Great Britain, Jan 31, 2010, Jon Deadman

Thee Jaguar Sharks (Wahalla Music)

Who are they? Three piece purveyors of instrumental surf and garage from Phoenix, Arizona,apparently. Featuring Jim Miles on guitar, Tony Robinson on bass (Tony also sat in the producers chair) and Nick Pasco on drums. According to their press release, the album combines vintage sounds with a modern sheen and this is actually a pretty decent deccription of this eponymous release.

What's good? Great attention to detail regarding the sound and deft playing make this debut album sound pretty impressive from the off.

Particular favourites include: the sprightly opener, Lobster Rumble, Manta's Dream, which features some rather lovely Hawaiian backing vocals, and the brooding Temptation at Danger Cove.

What's bad? While strong on both tone and atmosphere, the album perhaps lacks a little on the melody front.

Having played in a band named after Jan and Dean's Dead Man's Curve, I feel a little proprietorial towards this song. The instrumental version contained here is, unfortunately, not to our taste at all. Fortunately, it is not representative of the album in any way

HangNine Rating: PDG. Visit the Thee Jaguar Sharks website for more details.

 
Phoenix New Times, Jan. 12, 2010, Sarah Ventre

GRADE: B+

Surf rock can't help but be a bit ironic out of the context of the time and space that it was created. That is to say, in the 2000s and in the middle of the desert, the meaning just doesn't quite translate the way one might like. This doesn't, however, mean it can't provide a much-needed aural escape, to a land where rivers aren't dry dirt beds, and summer is a desirable season.

Thee Jaguar Sharks' self-titled debut album does just that. A wrinkle in time, it transports you straight to the coast, in a period when boy shorts were more popular than bikinis, and gas was under $1 a gallon. (Think of the beach-dancing scene in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.)

This instrumental record is a really enjoyable listen, made by people who seem to have a genuine love and admiration for the genre. Full of reverb, the tunes are laid back and danceable. While lighthearted and endearing, the riffs become somewhat repetitive at times, and it would be nice to hear a bit more variation. The production, though, is phenomenal. Everything from the overall sound, to the packaging, to the way the cymbals resonate is carefully crafted and could not have been made by someone who wasn't well versed in and has a deep respect for the surf sound.
Even the title of the band is an oceanic reference to Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The jaguar shark is an animal of questionable existence that eats the lead character's best friend.

And as if writing a surf rock album in the middle of the Sonoran Desert wasn't a bold enough move, it is available for download by "name your own price", á la Radiohead's In Rainbows. (It's also available for purchase on CD, for those of us old-fashioned folks who prefer a more physical medium.)

So while it may not be the most groundbreaking record of the past year, it's still a lot of fun for people whose only memory of the beach is a distant one, and whose sense of balance doesn't qualify them to roller skate, let alone surf. Just put the album on, close your eyes, start the fan, slather yourself with some sunscreen, light a coconut-scented candle, mix up a mai tai, and you could be on a glorious stay-cation.

Phoenix New Times
Sep 1, 2009 by Craig Outhier

Thee Jaguar Sharks  

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Phoenix surf-rock trio Thee Jaguar Sharks should change their name, like, yesterday. You can dick with the definitive article all you want – it doesn’t mitigate the fact that there are at least three other working American bands named after the chimerical Life Aquatic beasty. Granted, it’s a pretty choice Wes Anderson reference, but there are others, and most of them are unclaimed: Yankee Races or Futura Bold or even Friscalating Dusklight. Any one of those would look super-hip on a concert flier, too. The thing is, we like Thee Jaguar Sharks as far as substance goes. They’re arguably the best surf-rock band to play locally since The Hypno-Twists used to jam at the now-defunct Emerald Lounge. They’re almost as good as Los Straightjackets, who were very, very good. But that extra hit of “e” kind of bugs us. Maybe guitarist James Miles and co. – who formed last October and will release their debut album later this year – will emerge victorious in the Jaguar Sharks notoriety sweepstakes. If not, they can always call themselves The Max Fischer Players. Whoops, already taken.