Seattle might not have the gnarliest waves, but the gray city to the north has inexplicably produced some of today's best surf bands, like La Luz (although they recently relocated to LA). Acapulco Lips just released their self-titled debut, nine tracks of gloom-surf that sound like a moonlit séance on the shores of Golden Gardens. They capture sun-soaked exuberance, shove it in an empty bottle of cheap gin, and drown it in the darkest depths of Lake Washington. Acapulco Lips' songs are built around twangy, classic surf riffs, rumbling percussion, and fuzzed-out production, with Maria-Elena Juarez's vocals cutting through the psychedelic clangor like cream in the strongest, bitterest mug of Seattle coffee. CIARA DOLAN