The Turbosonics
“Tres Gatos Suave”
Self released on
August 14, 2015
The Turbosonics are a three piece surf rock group hailing from Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. They formed in 2008 when drummer Timmy Klatte wanted to form a
surf rock band and guitarist Jason Truckenbrod answered his ad. Original bassist Jake
Artego eventually moved away, with Keith Caldwell replacing him. At first called
The Surf Zombies, they switched to The Turbosonics and eventually released an
eponymous debut album.
Their music is instrumental and authentically recreates the sound of 1960’s surf rock
like Dick Dale and Link Wray. This album, Tres Gatos Suave, consists of nine tracks.
Starting with a gunshot, opening track “Ricochet” sets out their basic style, catchy Dick
Dale type guitar riffs and the haunting guitar chord sound that you can hear in Link
Wray’s Rumble (as heard in Pulp Fiction, vocal samples from which crop up later on
the album).
The guitars are more than ably backed up by Timmy Klatte’s fluent and inventive
drumming, while Keith Caldwell’s melodic basslines both support and counterpoint
the guitar melodies well. “Frozen Surf” is more mellow and has a bossa nova type
rhythmic feel, with some nice meandering lead guitar lines.
Other highlights for me were the catchy, rapid guitar picking riff of “Dune Burger,” the
smoky seven minute epic “Meat Slicer From Outer Space” and the quirky closing track
“Marcellus Waltz” (another subtle nod to Pulp Fiction!) which alternates between
French cafe music and surf rock, with an excellent drumming section in the middle.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable album that captures the musical magic of surf rock
and its unique sound. An album of instrumentals always runs the risk of becoming
dull, but with their fine musicianship and sense of invention, The Turbosonics have
come up with nine tracks that are a joy to listen to from start to finish.
You can catch The Turbosonics for their 2nd album release party Friday, October 30 at
Cattivo with The Semi Super-Villains, who will also be releasing an album, along with
Zombo’s, The Rocking Bones. Doors open at 9pm, be sure to wear your costumes.
Review by Alex Faulkner for SSE
