Tremolo-laden guitars and crashing cymbals are surf music’s hallmarks, designed to re-create the motion of the ocean and breakers smashing on the sand. Houston’s Magnetic IV have this sound down pat, and they add a few new tricks of their own. The band describes its sound as “unrestrained high-octane reverb-injected fully blown garage-surf-monster-punk-a-go-go,” and for once there’s a little truth in a rock group’s self-description. The “punk-a-go-go” is provided by singer Gina Rodriguez, whose tone is most often described (accurately) as “snotty.” With bassist Barry Sabayrac (of Daheebeejeebees fame), guitarist Charlie Esparza and drummer Claudio Depujedas (both vets of the Suspects and Janitor), the Magnetic IV are crisp as a slice of baklava and twice as nutty. Esparza proves himself a master of the vaguely flamencoesque, occasionally bluesy and always hypnotic surf-punk guitar riff, many of which are showcased on their new CD, Teenage Zombie Riot! (to be released at this show). This CD plays like the soundtrack to one of those McCarthy-era “I Was a Teenage Communist Dope-Smoking Werewolf” movies.
This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2001.
