The Thunderchiefs – The Interstellar Sounds Of... CD (Wormtone)

I can sum up what makes this an essential purchase with a simple list: vintage guitar sounds, a space theme, great songwriting and Johnny Bartlett's design work. Their first CD, Dig, was an amazing collection of traditional surf tunes – this one delivers more of the same, but with an outer space theme ala the Ventures’ Ventures In Space or the Surfites’ Escapades in Space. Like the Surfites, they add a little dirty fuzz guitar here and there. They also aren’t afraid to pick up an acoustic guitar – “The Lonely Cosmonaut” is a beautiful surf ballad with strummed guitar and xylophone backing the twangy, melodic lead guitar. 

Tracks: When You Walk On The Moon - Plasma Wave - Rotar - The Lonely Cosmonaut - Dark Matter - Crater Dater - Mission A Go Go - Space Hustle - Estraosfera - Lost - Moon Equipped - Wandering Wag - Gone For Good