Some bands are famous, we all know about them. Some bands are only known in their locality or genre. This second kind interest me more than the famous ones. A few of these groups actually make a living at it…
Read moreJan 6 2022
Jan 6 2022
Some bands are famous, we all know about them. Some bands are only known in their locality or genre. This second kind interest me more than the famous ones. A few of these groups actually make a living at it…
Read moreNov 5 2021
One of my favorite scary stories from middle school English class was "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs. A creepy talisman from an exotic land causes badness. Imagine my delight when a Tiki Bar opened in Springfield called... Yes…
Read moreOct 5 2021
It finally started raining here. I hope it rains a lot. We need it. As the leaves begin to fall, I practice guitar and look at the kids playing at the school across the street. They don't mind the weather…
Read moreSep 21 2021
Two El Borko Shows this week. The first is at Covered Bridge brewing in Cottage Grove TONIGHT! Tue, Sep. 21 7:00PM. Covered Bridge is on the corner of 9th and Main in Cottage Grove. This will be just a trio…
Read moreSep 5 2021
Sensible people recognize that we as individuals are insignificant. We hope that we matter to those we care about, but in the big picture we are nothing.
Nonetheless, this is our life, and it means a lot to us. Not…
Read moreAug 24 2021
I have two shows this weekend, one with Miller Brothers at Friendly gardens Friday night and one with El Borko Surf! at Viking Braggot Brewery Saturday afternoon at 4:00. I say "I hope" because things are shaky here as in…
Read moreAug 2 2021
After I released Surf Monster five months ago, I felt like I had more to say. So I said it by making another El Borko album, Surficana. This new record has seven surfy songs and no singing. These songs explore…
Read moreJul 19 2021
I played two very different shows this past weekend. One was a full electric band at a brew pub and the the other was Sunday brunch solo acoustic music. At both events I saw friends who have been coming to…
Read moreJul 12 2021
I have two shows coming up this weekend:
This Saturday July 17, 6:00pm — 8:00pm
El Borko Surf!
Viking Braggot Brewing Brewery & Taproom,
520 Commercial St, Unit F, Eugene, OR
Classic and modern surf including music from their album…
Jun 28 2021
Making and promoting Surf Monster has been a really good experience. I got back into the patterns of practice, promotion, and performance that characterizes the life of a musician. I couldn't stop, I made another surf record which is coming…
Read moreJun 20 2021
Tom Hilton has a small label in the UK. He puts out a regular series of music samplers by indy artists like me. He sent me links to some of these and they are super fun. Lots of great music…
Read moreJun 14 2021
I have two bands, El Borko Surf! and the Miller Brothers Band. El Borko is usually a duo with myself and Jon Neher. Miller brothers is a dance band playing 20th Century Pop Music. Since the pandemic began, we have…
Read moreJun 9 2021
Ahh... chunky lows, chimey highs, and thick, bright single notes. I call it "Thump & Chime". The three main factors in getting this sound are the player's touch, the guitar pickups, and the gain structure from guitar to amp. I…
Read moreMay 24 2021
This Monday, May 24 El Borko is the featured band on “Electric Beach Party”, a fun weekly surf music show from Cape Hatteras. https://www.radiohatteras.org/listen-live
EASTERN TIME: 9:00 PM and 12:00 midnite
PACIFIC TIME: 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM
99.9 WHDX-FM…
May 17 2021
Why do we like surf? Well, for starters it's a big guitar sound, that whomping low bass and sparkling treble. The sound of surf is like a beautiful leviathan exploding from the sea. Surf evokes the power of waves and…
Read moreMay 10 2021
When I was in eighth grade, the youth group at our church brought in a band. This was at someone's house and the players were "big kids" from high school or maybe even college... oooh! We all listened to records…
Read moreMar 28 2021
This post began as one thing and ended up somewhere different. Like Gypsy guitarists seeking Duende, surf guitarists chase "the drip". This cavernous percussive sound is a defining element of surf. It takes a combination of technique and the right…
Read moreMar 22 2021
Pet owners love to post pictures of their little buddies. pet sleeps, pet does funny thing, pet looks cute. Guitar players do the same thing. And, like pets, guitar pictures reflect their owners, some look sharp, some look beat up…
Read moreMar 7 2021
Because of the covid virus, many musicians are putting up video, and many are trying new and amusing things. Some are borderline genius, but you don't have to be a genius to put up something fun.
On the album Roxy…
Read moreMar 1 2021
I've always been aware of surf music, but then three years ago I became a fan. As I learned to play the style, I found great satisfaction and new growth as a guitar player. How did this happen? I can…
Read moreFeb 22 2021
My kids used to ask, "Dad, what's your favorite animal?". I would reply, "My favorite animal is... the monster". This happy memory got me wondering, why do I like monsters? Maybe because a monster is a mystery.
Before we go…
Read moreFeb 15 2021
When you tell people you like surf music, get ready to explain that you don't mean the Beach Boys. I like the Beach Boys just fine but we're talking about fast pickin', whammy swervin', reverb drippin' excitement! Dramatic guitar instrumentals…
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