Did you know there’s such a thing as French surf rock? Like Serge Gainsbourg said, moi non plus. Thankfully, local instrumental band Jim and the Sea Dragons are well-versed in and have imported some on new album Sous les Paves, la Plage!
Surf scene vet Jim Colby went across the pond and all the way back to pre-Beatles France for inspiration this time out, covering surf songs originally recorded by French bands in the early 1960s. The 12-song album is a well-done collection of tubular gallops with a romantic Gallic edge. It’s a twist both lively and lovely on music nostalgia, and it’s up on Bandcamp.
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2022.