You can't surf in Kentucky, but Jovontaes have been called surf rock a time or two. It was bound to happen simply by being on Woodsist in 2011. Everything was sun-worshipping surf rock with hoards of summer anthems. We never saw it go down, but you just got the feeling in people's minds it was a permanent beach party of bathing babes and hip-shaking in the sand dunes.
Jovontaes emerge from a two-year lull with “Can't Surf”, a track in direct lineage to Link Ray's classic “Rumble”, but named in resistance. It's as though Jovontaes wanted to kick off their Paranoia Makes A Crazy Gift LP with a joke in order to dissuade us journos from revisting the agonizing coinages of “skater kraut” and “skatergaze”. Jovontaes would prefer we cut the crap and remember… they're from Kentucky.
“Can't Surf” could be an example cited under the dictionary definition of “jam”. For their new record, Jovontaes kept the imperfections, electing to record 5 of the 6 songs in one evening and into one mic, no less. You can hear the bass causing the drum kit to rattle the symbols, the levels are off momentarily, and Mark Murray doesn't always nail his wailing guitar passages, but Jovontaes work through it. Put this on the hi-fi, close your eyes, and you'll swear Jovontaes is playing a living room session.
Jovontaes' Paranoia Makes A Crazy Gift is out June 4 on Sophomore Lounge Records.
The trio have a busy schedule that includes the Roll The Dice cassette on Gnar Tapes/Burger Records as well as a tape for Night-People. Plus owner/operator Shawn Reed recently designed a deck for Reid Small and Josh Blaine's BARBARIAN SKATEBOARDS company later this year.
