SXSW Records

Surfer Blood

All the songs on Astro Coast, the 10-song debut from South Florida quartet Surfer Blood, hinge on the mighty riff. Guitarist John Paul Pitts' vocals are secondary, and the guitar compensates, weaving Built to Spill's guitar heroism into three-minute shards of pop-punk. The insanely catchy hook of "Swim (to Reach the End)" will be reeling through your head for days, the lilting, reverb-heavy titular chorus not so much anthemic as mantra-like. Not feeling the hippie-tribal percussion breakdown on "Take It Easy," the kind Vampire Weekend's made legal again, but beyond catchiness there's technical skill, as heard on tremolo jam "Neighbour Riffs," which is just an interlude but should have been a real song, and the more layered melodies of "Anchorage." If there are any blatant shout-outs to Weezer, which SB has been compared to, they're forgivingly short. (Wed., 1am, Wave Rooftop; Fri., 12:15am, Lustre Pearl; Sat., 11pm, Mohawk Patio.)