The Aqua Velvets, a quartet rooted in San Francisco, launched their singular approach to original surf rock toward the close of the 1980s. Emerging from the heart of the late-’80s and early-’90s surf-rock revival, the band drew directly from the work of Dick Dale, the Shadows, the Ventures, Link Wray, Arthur Lyman, and Ennio Morricone. Their sound wove together strands of Latin and Mediterranean music with psychedelic textures, rockabilly drive, and contemporary lounge stylings. The lineup featured songwriter and guitarist Miles Corbin alongside Michael Lindner on bass, keyboards, and accordion, guitarist Hank Maninger, and drummer Donn Spindt, formerly of the Rubinoos.
The group’s self-produced, self-titled debut arrived in 1992 on Riptide/Heyday Records after being tracked in segments across four years during off-hours at the Porsche garage where Lindner worked as a mechanic; the space’s concrete floor and lofty ceilings supplied an ideal natural reverb. Three years afterward they issued Surfmania through WEA/Atlantic, then Nomad in 1996 on Milan Entertainment/BMG. Guitar Noir followed in 1997. Their recordings also surfaced in the feature Jury Duty, the documentary Surfer Girl, and the CD-ROM Surf 101.
