Mike Huguenor is a busy guy. Like really busy. Along with playing guitar for the Jeff Rosenstock band (aka Death Rosenstock), he also just completed a reunion tour with his early 2000s group, Shinobu, in April. The next month he went back on tour with Worriers and is finishing his book on Asian Man Records (due 2026) after three years of work. He’s also a loving husband of almost three years.
Somehow during all that he managed to write and record Surfing the Web With the Alien, his second solo album, which comes out June 27 on Lauren Records. It’s a tongue-in-cheek homage to guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani’s sophomore album, Surfing With the Alien.
So how does Huguenor find time to do all these things when most of us have a hard time just waking up in the morning?
The answer is surprisingly simple.
“I treat it like my job,” he plainly states. “And I don’t want to shortchange it. I have a high bar for myself. I value artists who hold themselves to a high standard and want to release high-quality things that will make the people who enjoy them want to continue to enjoy them.”
It’s a standard that’s easily seen across Surfing the Web With the Alien. Just like his 2020 debut, X’ED, this sophomore album is all instrumental. It retains its experimental roots—Surfing, like X’ED, was made just with guitar sounds acting as the other instruments—and differs from his previous album by delivering his sound through the lens of pop, rather than pushing the boundaries of sound.
It’s a decision that was at the forefront of his mind when writing it.
The result is 10 tracks that flow from light, airy melodies to heavier chords, giving the listener an experience not found on most commercial records.Each track is vastly different from the last yet still retains a cohesive vibe strung throughout.
“I think it’s really important as a listener to be surprised,” Huguenor says. “It’s a really valuable thing and I don’t think a lot of musicians appreciate that.”
Take the first track and single off the record, “Oils of Orange.” It’s a slow grooving track with catchy riffs to maintain its pop sensibility. Perfect for hanging out at the beach, going on a drive, or traveling to the underworld with one’s shadow to recover a lost item, which is the theme behind the single’s video.
The idea was inspired by a 1979 TV performance by Brazilian singer Gal Costa. Visual elements throughout the video, particularly color schemes, recall Italian giallo horror films like Suspiria and Black Sabbath. Filmed at San Jose’s Art Boutiki, the video features a few familiar faces from the 408 scene, like Bailey Lupo (Scowl) and Aidan Delaney (Star 99).
“I really wanted it to be reflective of my community,” Huguenor says. “I also really wanted the opening shot to have a convincing appearance of being a band performing, so musicians that could convincingly perform the part.”
Staying with that idea, the album’s art was created by Saoirse Alesandro, lead vocals and guitar for Star 99 and an artist who’s created fliers for shows throughout the area.
For the album’s second single, “Jaywalking Around the World,” Huguenor took inspiration from Casino (one of his favorite films), which just celebrated its 29th anniversary. In it, Huguenor is hit by a car and launched spiraling around the world with his guitar. While the connection might not be a direct one, cinema fans will catch the subtle nods, like the fiery explosion.
Then there’s “Snap the Blue Pencil,” one of the more intense and personal songs on the album with its ominous bass lines and ticking sounds all underneath a wailing guitar. The song itself is an anti-fascist anthem inspired by a time Huguenor was touring in Portugal with Jeff Rosenstock. One of their taxi drivers told them about the history of the country and how for most of the 20th century Portugal was under a dictatorship.
“The Blue Pencil was the state censorship board and it would cross out anything that was not allowed to be said,” Huguenor says. “Anything that was against the state or against the Catholic norms. By not allowing people to express these things the state controlled the population’s thought.”
So along with husband, musician and author, it’s safe to add “activist” to Huguenor’s long line of credentials.
“[‘Snap’] is a single voice, an individual making its case to the world,” he says. “And to me, that’s the core of what opposing fascism is. It has to be a personal choice because it always comes down to the institution versus the person. And the person has to stand up.”
Surfing the Web With the Alien debuts June 27 from Lauren Records. Visit lauren-records.com.
