BIG SMASH DEBUT FROM QUEBEC CITY'S KINGS OF THE SURF! Surfin' north of the border? Mais oui, mon ami! The Babalooneys, those hot doggers from Quebec City, heat up Canada with the eternal sounds of summ...err... umm... winter! From "South Shore," a delightful tune about the band's surfing safari to the Bay of Fundy, to the optimistically titled "Endless Winter" to "Wide Track Weekend" (about cruising around Qubec City in the band's Pontiac Laurentian wagon to "Tomatillo" (an exotic type of green tomato that grows only in the Yukon tundra), the album you hold in your hands is hot enough to melt the snow then boil the water. Richard's and Jean's Fender guitars are soaking wet with top-shelf melodies and driving rhythms that fit right in the groove with Antoine's bass and Chany's drums. The Babaloneys' secret weapon is Martin's tenor sax, adding depth and freshness. Mon dieu! This combo is a Canadian cocktail of winter wonderment. Très bon! And the proverbial icing on this gâteau is the outstanding production from Shorty Poole (who is American, but don't hold that against him). Oh, before I forget, I must say a word about the band's moniker. The name came from our old friends The Orangu-Tones (those Mile High hodads of yore). O-tones ace guitar picker Garrett Brittenham mentioned to Richard, while sharing a plate of poutine, that The Orangu-Tones were this close to calling themselves The Baba Louie's-after the cartoon hero Quick Draw McGraw's trusty sidekick Baba Looey, the loveable Qubcois donkey who speaks English with a French-Canadian accent. Well, Richard knows a great idea when he hears one. Drop the needle and experience an aural aurora borealis! -Johnny Bartlett of California