Tennis Club

What the ….where’d this come from? Elefant, the great, long-running Spanish label went all the way to Joplin, MO to find this trio, led by the songwriting of Wilson Hernandez (Sean O’Dell is hittin’ the skins and the mysterious Tehya is holding down the bass). This is some serious early K Records genius type stuff, like if Beat Happening grew up closer to the beach or if the Pounding Serfs really surfed (or serfed….oh and I know Joplin ain’t anywhere near the beach).  Only 9 songs here and the whole thing is over in 20 minutes but it’s some of the best recent, reverby surf pop I’ve heard in ages and the songs are too good (and too catchy) to ignore. Opening cut “Bella Vista Surf” ends after 48 seconds then it’s on to the next one, the equally great “Vodkas”  (which is all of 1:35) and someone compared them to Chris Montez…hey, I’ll agree with that. “Stay” is the longest tune here at 3:08 and slinks into a a real warm groove and they end it with the minute and a half lullaby “Baby.”  (“My baby spends all her drug money on me…”) If I didn’t have a job, family and a house I’d drop everything and follow these guys around on tour and if they didn’t tour I’d just hang around Joplin and cook ‘em breakfast every day . How’s that for an endorsement!