Santa Barbara quartet Dante Elephante combine that youthful middle finger waving skate punk energy, with a firm grounding in surf rock that at times borders on bubblegum. Their recently released EP “German Aquatics” on Lollipop Records, is an exuberant collection of well-crafted pop songs clocking in it at just under 20 minutes. Showcasing their intricate guitar work, radio worthy hooks, and delicate harmonies, it reminds you to take life a little easier. The beach lifestyle that brings such authenticity to their project as a whole is reflected both lyrically and musically – see: the “Wipeout” intro to “Kogi”. Dante Elephante are The Beach Boys with looser fitting trousers, and the longer I listen, the closer I’m getting to jumping in my car and blasting these tunes all the way to the coast. Perk your ears to stand out track “All The Time” below and then stream the whole EP over on Bandcamp. – Jacqueline Caruso
