Artist description The Phantom Riders amalgamate traditional surf with American roots and a punk undercurrent to create a transcendtal musical experience that sucks the listener in like a rip tide.

Music Style Instrumental surf with a 60s garage sensibility

Musical Influences Link Wray, The Shadows, Dick Dale, The Fireballs,

Similar Artists Our music pays homage to our influences but we sound like no one else.

Artist History The chemistry between Joe Baugh, Tony Cicero and Eric Montieth was evident at once. During their earliest musical explorations they quickly realized that their unique alchemy begged further exploration. Almost immediately their sound took on shades of Link Wray, Dick Dale and Eddie Cochran, but with a more shadowy noir sensibility. Latin, surf and jazz along with early '60s garage and maximum r&b, surf-spy and primal dance rhythm concepts were masterfully amalgamated to form the sound that became The Phantom Riders.The name was chosen to evoke images of commercially unpopular but critically revered artists, now gone, but not forgotten. The unrequited ghosts of musical genius provide the mystical vibration The Phantom Riders resonate to. Vast in repertoire and vision, their music represents the infinite; the desert, the ocean, space.Their sound is both a prayerto their predecessors and a rocket to the next dimension-Transcendental American Roots.

Group Members The young Joe Baugh has accomplished swift mastery of the guitar and continues to reach for the moon. His influences are vast in scope and range from Cliff Gallup and Jimmy Bruno to Slash. Baugh has studied jazz guitar and music theory and teaches at Guitar Planet in Ventura, CA. To date, he's recorded four full length CDs; done studio work for The Fallen and Speekdeap; been a core member of both Ruby Joe and The Lucky Sevens; and worked with producers Alex Acuna and Billy Zoom. Tony Cicero began playing the drum kit 34 years ago under the tutelage of his father. As a teenager he embarked on a decade long punk rock odyssey with seminal South Bay SST band Saccharine Trust. His tenure as an SST recording artist included tours with Black Flag and Sonic Youth. In the late '80s he formed Left Insane,an experimental 3-piece instrumental ensemble that combined the heavy-handedness of Black Sabbath with the intricate sounds of Mahvishnu Orchestra. Later he birthed Vida with ex-Black Flag vocalist Dez Cadena and reunited with Saccharine Trust guitar guru Joe Baiza, (along with bassist Rafa Gorodetsky) in the hip, avant-jazz group the Mecolodiacs. In the late'90s he formed The Lucky Sevens, a jump blues/neo-swing combo. Cicero's influences run the gamut from John Bonham to Art Blakey and his ability to lace heavy, steady power chops with subtle jazz nuances has earned him the respect of fans and colleagues alike. Bassist Eric Monteith grew up in Niantic, Connecticut listening to Paul Chambers,John Entwistle and Willie Dixon. His 15-year music career has found him playing with heavy hitters like John Marx, Buddy Smith and Randy Rich. Though primarily a blues enthusiast, his CD player can be found cradling works by the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan more often than not. Monteith's minimalist temperament is not reflected in his playing. He tends to favor a complex approach; a reflection of his love affair with his instrument.

Instruments Guitar, Drums, Bass

Albums The Phantom Riders

Press Reviews Peerless purveyors of instrumental surf-rock. —Solomon Bass, VC Reporter

Additional Info The Phantom Riders use new and vintage gear for an authentic but updated sound.

Location Ventura, CA - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).