Speaking of Music . . . .

You know who's way too under-appreciated? Noki Edwards and the Ventures.

Yeah, those guys. You haven't heard of them? Then you're a knucklehead.

Seriously though, I have some CDs a friend made for me with their music and it's amazing to see how their early surf-guitar influenced pop, garage, rock and country. The music is pristine. It's crisp and clear and just makes you feel good. In a way, it reflects some of the innocence of the early 60's but kind of shows you where they were headed. I guess it's optimistic, but if you take into account the era, optimism makes sense. Of course, you still had awful shit going on. Every time period does.

If you haven't checked out the Ventures, do yourself a treat and check them out. And if you want a guitar from someone who knows their way up and down the neck, you gotta' check out Noki's website.