Dead Sea Surfers
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Dead Sea Surfers

Bristol, Tennessee, United States | SELF

Bristol, Tennessee, United States | SELF
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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Past, present and future meld here"

As I listen to the record, I hear this band and that band – and it all comes together as original well written and nicely executed. There are so many influences evident here each song having several. And The Surfers have taken those influences and blended them into their own unique sound. Favorites include “Speed Queen”/,”Who Do I Know” and album opener “Never Know” which contains some of the best melodic phrasing on the album. An excellent set, from first to last. Put it on and just listen – and enjoy. - TimoteoRDH


"An Odd band as they marry Goth to Rock"

Although there’s a line-up, presumably for live action, it’s principally the work of Aleister Tennyson Hobbs, but Dead Sea Surfers are an odd ‘band’ as they marry Goth with the rock ‘n’ rolly punk sensibilities together, meaning Johnny Thunders or Joan Jett. They love rock and roll, sure, but the interesting part of some earlier demos I heard included a few live versions where they cover ‘Alice’, ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ with great credit, even Cult Hero’s ‘I Dig You.’ This collection of songs is pretty curious, as a result.

They can be so Gothy. The bells and lurch of ‘Never Know’ with whispery vocals has the Goth, the vocals momentarily trapped in an Eldritch annex, but the tiny, agile guitar starts picking the lock, helping to reshape the landscape. ‘Walking Away’ is considerably lighter than the first version I heard which conjures up the ghosts of The Heartbreakers, which is no crime. Now it’s got a synth mist around the clunky heels of a rhythm and even with a stripped down guitar break it has a mellow, thoughtful atmosphere. ‘I Died For You’ is equally beautiful and somehow catchier in its cautiously strolling manner, which comes as a sedate New Order
.
Then it’s all change as the bucolic rock shake of ‘Tiphereth’ shambles into view, and goes spacey, then ‘Alone Again’ marks time delicately, all of which makes the mind-numbingly dreadful ‘Whore’ all the more inexplicable, and if this collection does make CD I pray this gets dropped like a potato from Hell as it undermines everything else here, coming on like the worst misogynistic rock bollocks imaginable, like Foreigner gone on a rampage.

‘The Crutch’ is fairly plain advice, the plinkier ‘I Just Want To Do’ curiously restrained despite its clunking tale of longing, and a supine ‘Who Do I Know’ glows moodily as does the mildly acidic cover of ‘Shadowplay.’ ‘Already Home’ then takes off in another, scampering rock direction, with a nicely burnished chorus, squally guitar and gnashing vocals. More idle rock dreaming ambles through the breathy ‘You Take it Too Far’, then it’s on with the catsuit and raunch for a tumbling, grasping ‘Speed Queen’ and ‘Want To Be Free’

We end with ‘Be Alone’ which is somethin’ else (no, stop me!) or ‘Get Off The Phone’, depending on your era, and then the downbeat, prodding ‘I Thought Of You’ trails away stylishly underpinning the variety as well as the identity problem, because by concentrating a little more on a certain direction the impact could be so much stronger, but there’s masses of quality located inside.

http://www.myspace.com/deadseasurfers - Mick Mercer Author of Music to Die For


"You Can Quote Me!"

Dead Sea Surfers delivers a delectable dose of goth rock in the vein of Type O Negative
and Sisters of Mercy

Christine
- Christine at Gothic Realms Magazine


"Rock Rolls in the Mountain Empire!"

BY TOM NETHERLAND | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER
Published: June 25, 2009

Rock rolls in the Mountain Empire.
Think not?
Then head out to Red Barn Campground in Bristol, Tenn., on June 26-27 for the Any Festival II. An abundance of bands will hit the hills with a litany of styles of rock.

Like the Dead Sea Surfers. Formed in 1996 by Aleister Tennyson Hobbs of Bristol, Tenn., the goth-rock hybrid band will kick off the festival.
“I was a spectator last year,” Hobbs said late Sunday night less than a mile from the club he once operated on 7th Street, the 7th Street Cafe. “The atmosphere was almost like going home again and going to that club that’s not open anymore, and then all of a sudden it was open again.”
Call it a festival of old friends for old friends.
Dedicated to the memories of local musicians Chad Talbert and Jef Roberts, all proceeds raised from the festival will be donated to help pay Roberts’ medical bills.
Roberts had played drums on three tracks of the Dead Sea Surfers’ new CD.
“When we went back and listened to the drum tracks, we could hear Jef counting off [the song ‘Tiphereth’],” Hobbs said.
That song will open the Dead Sea Surfers’ festival-opening set.
“So, Jef will start the show,” Hobbs said. “It isn’t very loud, but we’ll know.”
Know this.
Hobbs looks goth. On Sunday, he wore a pinstriped black shirt emblazoned with a large pistol across the front, black pants, black Vans shoes and black sunglasses positioned atop his dyed black hair. He could easily have walked off the set of a horror film.
Ditto the music of the Dead Sea Surfers. Their self-titled album in part sounds as if made for a groovy gore flick.
“I’ve actually thought about submitting it for a zombie movie,” Hobbs said. “It could fit.”
Recorded at Sonic Design Studios in Bristol, Tenn., behind Morrell’s Music, the album features 13 songs, 12 of which are original.
Check the songs. “Be Alone” recalls The Ramones, “Already Home” blisters with punk rock vigor, while “Never Know” opens with what strikes like Rob Zombie-light.
The album’s thick atmospheric tone features a synth-rich, oh-so-melodic feel that’s sometimes heavy metal and sometimes pop, yet thoroughly transporting.
“The songs sort of take you somewhere,” Hobbs said in his thick New York accent. “It’s hard to label them. Some of the songs are goth, some are metal, some are synth pop. I will put the first five songs on that album against anyone’s.”
In lieu of a label for the Dead Sea Surfers, let’s look at Hobbs’ influences for insight. He’s 46 and grew up on a steady diet of punk’s two-minute masters The Ramones, along with such 1980s and ’90s goth rockers as Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division and The Cure.
Yet other than The Cure, those bands appealed mostly to a niche crowd. Goths got them and few others did. Hobbs said the Dead Sea Surfers, while goth-influenced, do not simply aim for one crowd.
“If you aren’t really into goth or punk,” he said, “you can still get into it.”
Whatever, the mail carrier by day Hobbs has goals. And like his music, his goals are stripped to the core.
“I want to be known, I want to be heard and I want to be loved,” Hobbs said. “That sums it up.”

- Bristol Herald Courier


"Couple of Catchy Numbers!"

This small time Rock Band from Tennessee doesn't even try to hide it's influences; the '80's sounds of Sisters of Mercy, the Cult and Joy Division are openly worn on the members black fishnet sleeves. Make no mistake though, the band provides nothing more than a superficial imatation of that sound, and the ultra basic songwriting cannot sustain the four to five minute tracks.
Admittedly, the post punk with a keyboard template does result in couple of catchy numbers, Particularly "Walking Away" and "Alone Again" but they are only fun in a novelty kind of way. And for some inexplicable reason the album occasionally breaks into a hard rock sound that the band is ill equiped to pull off; it does little to dispel the myth that all goth kids are wimps

- AVL - Rue Morgue Magazine


"The Dead Sea Surfers is exploding onto the underground scene"

As a pause, I’m stepping away from the numerous acts in the Northwest that have been cropping up to profile some brilliant independent acts hitting the dark rock scene across the United States. Some of them are rising up in areas probably previously unheard of to the average club crawler. The “Bible Belt” area of the U.S. is known for a great many things, not all of them savory and many all too frightening. But as a surprise to some in the horror and dark rock scene, some gems of dark romantic ghostly black light shine amidst the ruins.

Bristol, Tennessee's The Dead Sea Surfers is exploding onto the underground scene with a brand new self titled titled album release of imperial and eerie romantic music that sways and moves with wispy beautiful grace. Formed in 2004 by the acts lone performer and front man Aleister Tennyson Hobbs, the act merges elements of early Deathrock, Post Punk nihilist, deeply romantic Goth, and beautiful electronic riffs that evoking haunting images with Lovecraftian care. Currently unsigned but undaunted, Aleister releases his debut CD to the world of night music for us to hearken and step to the dance floor.

DEAD SEA SURFERS self titled EP blends creepy phantasmal and romantic keyboard effects in similar vein to Clan of Xymox while keeping haunting vocals much like Play Dead, Fear Cult. The vampy guitar riffs are very similar to the classic masters of Deathrock, Christian Death. It has a very classic late 80’s early 90’s Goth sound but with a crisp and polished edge. Beautiful as darkened moonlit cemeteries and romantic as a Grecian tragedy. It is fine example of classic Goth evolving for the 21’st century hooking new fans with razor fangs. This is a must grab for any undead blood drinker!
- Doctor Raven's Musick Review at Fangoria Magazine


"I’ve been caught up by the songs “I Died For You”"

This is the self-released debut of the American Dead Sea Surfers. This band sounds pure gothic-like although not as typical 80s formation. There’s a rather typical guitar-wave style, but with some rock input on top. The “Already Home” and “Speed Queen”-songs are a few examples of this rock injection. In a rather classical wave style I’ve been caught up by the songs “I Died For You” and especially “Shadowplay”. This last song reminds me a bit to the sound of The Mission. It of course is a cover version of Joy Division and I have to admit it’s not bad at all even if it’s impossible to emulate the typical dark and tormented mood of Ian Curtis and his acolytes. One of the main characteristics from Dead Sea Surfers is the particular and zombie-like way of singing. It brings an extra dark boost in the composition although they better not exaggerate with this trick. This is an acceptable debut.
- ED:6 Review at www.Side-Line.com


Discography

Dead Sea Surfers - Dead Sea Surfers
released on 02.18.09
1. never know
2. walking away
3. i died for you
4. tiphereth
5. already home
6. i just want to be
7. want to be free
8. be alone
9. alone again
10. speed queen
11. who do i know
12. i thought of you
13. shadowplay - joy division cover song

Tracks get airplay on Live365 goth stations
East Coast, West Coast - goth events, night clubs,

Photos

Bio

The Dead Never Sounded Better Live!

Surf the Dark Side with the Dead Sea Surfers. The band is mainly the solo project of Aleister Tennyson Hobbs, but to fufill Live Shows obligations Aleister has a group that constantly fills in the roles. Long time friend Ian Briscoe on keyboards, Mikey Stephenson on Drums, Tommy Childress on Bass Guitar and Chad Stephenson on Guitar fill on the five piece. All five members have recorded in studio with Aleister At Sonic Design Studios in Bristol Tennessee. Where Drummer Mikey Stephenson ends up in a dual role as the Drummer and Sound Engineer. This is the basic line up that will fufill all present and future obligations of live performances.

The Band is a Punk, Goth, Synthpop hybrid of sorts meshing several styles into one. The end product is a Smooth, tight, distinct sound reminiscent of the old school in your face, wall of sound. That sound in a live setting has never really gone out of style. One reviewer of the bands self titled cd is quoted as saying “There is sure to be something on this CD that triggers a memory or invoke a feeling.”1 And another reviewer states, “ The Dead Sea Surfers strike a balance between having a recognizable signature sound and providing enough variety to engage the listener.”2

The Band currently continues to record new music and play live. Hear more music and join our fan page at http://www.reverbnation.com/deadseasurfers

If you have the opportunity to see the band perform Live you’ll understand their Motto , The dead never sounded better live!

and this still certainly rings true.

1. Gothic Beauty – Sonya ( reprint ) http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=18366278&blogId=517357817
2. Hard Wired – Stuart Moses http://www.hard-wired.org.uk/Archive/Goth/Dead_Sea_Surfers_-_Dead_Sea_Surfers.htm