New Music: Surf Rock is Dead – Diabolik

Published On: January 26th, 2020|

Surf Rock is Dead (aka SRiD) is Joel Witenberg and Kevin Pariso. Hailing from Melbourne and Chicago, the duo says their music is formed on a bedrock of post-punk, but there’s some much more going on with new track Diabolik.

The track distils some of the sounds of classic British indie into a tight, bright yet dreamy package of pleasure. Sonically upbeat in terms of vocals at melody, that sunny day optimism is tempered with a post-punk bassline and lyrics that dwell on the darker side of relationships and sharing our lives with others. A very pleasing and pertinent duality lies at the heart of the song, which makes us intrigued as to what other sonic pleasures their album will bring us.

The duo had this to say about the song: “Diabolik is about dealing with some extreme situations we’ve encountered living with various people in NYC. Sometimes you never know what you’re going to get… Whether it be a roommate sleeping on the bathroom floor, a pile of who-knows-what on the living room floor, or strangers ending up in YOUR room, sometimes it’s not exactly how you imagined your life. Diabolik is a venting of those crazy roommate situations that suck in the moment, but given enough time, actually are pretty damn funny.”

Diabolik will feature on the band’s debut LP Existential Playboy, which is out May 1^st., 2020. Check out Surf Rock is Dead on their social media accounts, which include Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for news on the band, track, and upcoming album.

Photo by Jacqueline Harriet