Best Beach Boys / BW album NOT by the BB / BW

[Wirestone]

I think Coyne's voice is somewhat charming. The band made it because the Lips have consistently written good songs and have good players (well, player -- Steven Drozd). Plus, they put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen.

[Bean Bag]

His voice sounds more like Neil Young's to me, than like any other post-punk act. Maybe I'm missing something.

I guess by "post-punk" I meant in the way punk "doesn't care" about "being good."  That's the point of it all.  Kind of a "we're not trying to be good - so it's okay that we're not -- and it's actually you who's no-good for not 'getting it' that that's what we're doing" sort of thing?

You're right, he does sound a little like Neil Young. 

[Bean Bag]

I think Coyne's voice is somewhat charming. The band made it because the Lips have consistently written good songs and have good players (well, player -- Steven Drozd). Plus, they put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen.

I agree.  It has its charm (but I stand by my 'national anthem' claim!) They're one of the few bands that I actually look-forward to hearing their next album.  Though I didn't care much at all for the last one.  Something about war...I forget...it was nothing new, nothing good. 

Speaking of BW/BB bands -- I've noticed Beck has a done a lot of BW-inspired stuff.  Mutations...and most of his tracks seem to be doin' the wall-o'-harmonies lately.

[Jonas]

I hate the Explorer's Club. All of their songs are just ripoffs of specific Beach Boys songs. I hope Mike Love sues them.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I see a lot of people praise them but they honestly don't bring anything unique to the table. I see that they're pretty popular and its a shame because I see tons of bands that are a lot more talented and original that aren't getting half the attention.

I really don't get the hype, they bore me.
 

[Wirestone]

Jonas -- What's the hype? I'm saying I like them. They're an indie band on an indie label and still work full-time jobs in North Carolina. It's not like we're talking about Britney Spears.

And as for the uniqueness -- this thread is, as I said, about the best BW/BB records not made by the BW/BB. It's not about random great new bands. Start your own thread for them.

(And frankly -- I'll take Darian Sahanaha and Brian Wilson's musical taste over yours. Just sayin.)

[brianc]

Yeah, but Clay, what I think everyone is saying is that it's LIKE a Beach Boys album that isn't a very good Beach Boys album. And the title of the thread is asking for the "best" of those Beach Boys-esuqe albums.

I have high hopes for them, and maybe it will grow on me. When Subpop released the 4-song EP of Pet Sounds cuts in 1996, I was really stoked about that. There were already quite a lot of indie bands channeling Smile on their records, but no one was bringing the pre-1966 Beach Boys sound into the indie world. I hoped for a lot from Exploerer's Club, but wasn't that crazy about it. I thought it would be a lot of post-modern or quirky, but the lyrics just left me kinda cold. Whereas, bands like Fountains of Wayne and Fleet Foxes sort of channel a sound that is obvious, but they had something very modern to it.

[Wirestone]

Brian: That's not what people are saying. Or at least not the posts I've read.

The comments have all been along the lines of "they sound too much like the Beach Boys" or that every song is a rewrite of a Beach Boys tune. The second point is demonstrably false. The first point, as I have stated repeatedly, is kinda what this thread is about.

Again, they might be not to everyone's taste. That's okay. People might not like the songwriting. That's okay. You might think they just didn't make a good Beach Boys album. That's okay, too. But to say they sound too much like the BBs/BW on a thread that is explicitly about soundalikes (or inspired-bys) -- it befuddles me.

And frankly, it befuddles me even more that people want to spend so much energy tearing down a group that has pretty much the same aims as lots of folks in the BB/BW fan community -- to pay tribute to this wonderful music. Brian and his band understand that. Why don't we?

Or, and I guess this is the elephant in the room, has someone from the group made an ass of themselves online somewhere and I haven't heard about it? Is there some particularly annoying person who has been making their case (well, aside from me) that has pissed people off? I mean, why is it okay for Jeff Foskett to rewrite "I know there's an answer" as "Through My Window" and somehow when the Explorers Club does something similar it's a betrayal of music and taste?

[Jonas]

Jonas -- What's the hype? I'm saying I like them. They're an indie band on an indie label and still work full-time jobs in North Carolina. It's not like we're talking about Britney Spears.

Where's the hype? Did you read this thread? Have you read other similar threads? People are always hyping up the EC as if they're some wonderfully amazing band and to me they just settle short. Sorry if you disagree, but thats my opinion.

And as for the uniqueness -- this thread is, as I said, about the best BW/BB records not made by the BW/BB. It's not about random great new bands. Start your own thread for them.

This is an open forum where discussion ranges vary from thread to thread. My reply has nothing to do with your post or your opinions, I was just agreeing with Aegir. None of my comments were ever directed towards you.

(And frankly -- I'll take Darian Sahanaha and Brian Wilson's musical taste over yours. Just sayin.)

Don't get butt-hurt just because I don't agree with you on 'musical tastes' and a certain band.

[Wirestone]

Jonas: There's a difference between hype -- defined as "promotional publicity of an extravagant or contrived kind" -- and someone saying they like a band on a message board. Sheesh.

[Jonas]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hype

I don't see what the major difference is if the 'hype' is coming from a publicity program or word of mouth. Maybe its just me...

[Wirestone]

Yes, let's go through that definition.

1.   to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually fol. by up): She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.
2.   to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily: a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.
3.   to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually fol. by up).
4.   to trick; gull.
–noun
5.   exaggerated publicity; hoopla.
6.   an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.
7.   a swindle, deception, or trick.

You wrote: "I really don't get the hype." You don't mean definition 1. Definitions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are precisely what I wrote. So the only one left is 7, which I also assume you don't mean.

I am not a publicity agent for the band. I'm not making false claims about them. I'm merely saying I think they're a great BB/BW soundalike band. That's not hype. It's me sharing something I like on a message board. Perhaps you mean you don't like people praising a band you think is crappy. But that sounds more personal. So you say you don't like the hype. Because it's easier to say "hype" is misinformed or tasteless than a specific person's opinion.

Of course, I could pointlessly defensive. Maybe my opinion is misinformed or tasteless. It certainly has been before (and probably still is, given the double-disk ABBA collection I purchased over the weekend).

[Wirestone]

Incidentally, I'm so sorry to have derailed this from the point. Please forgive.

I didn't compare anyone to Hitler, but I did cite the dictionary first, which is nearly as bad.

[Jonas]

you're ridiculous.

I'll mention this again, my original reply wasn't directed towards you and your post. So get off your high horse assuming it was to attack your opinion. However, I've read in many other places (besides SS) of people 'hyping' the band because they thought they were so great (see definitions 2 and 3 as I find them the closest to the meaning I was going for)...and hence I said 'I don't get the hype.' So I was never saying that YOU were specifically hyping the band, but that there has been general hype for them on different parts of the interweb. Geez folks, besides the negativity in this board there really seems to be a reading comprehension problem as well...

[brianc]

And frankly, it befuddles me even more that people want to spend so much energy tearing down a group that has pretty much the same aims as lots of folks in the BB/BW fan community -- to pay tribute to this wonderful music. Brian and his band understand that. Why don't we?

Well, see, that's where some of us disagree. Some would want EVERYTHING in the world to just sound like the Beach Boys. And anything that sounds just like that magic music is perfect for them. Others just see the Beach Boys as one band that they like. And of course, there are so many in betweens. But the point is, there is a small contingent that really only follow the Beach Boys, their solo materials and any off-shoots that sound like the Beach Boys expressly.

Or, and I guess this is the elephant in the room, has someone from the group made an ass of themselves online somewhere and I haven't heard about it? Is there some particularly annoying person who has been making their case (well, aside from me) that has pissed people off? I mean, why is it okay for Jeff Foskett to rewrite "I know there's an answer" as "Through My Window" and somehow when the Explorers Club does something similar it's a betrayal of music and taste?

Myself, I'm not a Jeff Foskett fan. It's too much of a tribute, and I'd prefer something like the High Llamas or Olivia Tremor Control, where I can hear the influences I love, but there's an implicit growth, diversity and artistic independence. It's okay to pay tribute to your favorite band, but I have to say, I want something a little more personal. Even with the '60s Beach Boys knock-offs, I tend to like them more, because they are less attached to this spiritual mumbo-jumbo, and more inclined towards just songs about being young and carefree.

[Wirestone]

Brian: I think that's absolutely the crux of the matter. Very nicely put.

I suppose that for me, it's not an either/or. I find the duplication and inspiration both compelling. Certainly an album like "The Soft Bulletin" or something has greater individuality (and arguably more artistic quality) because the band is trying to extend the orchestral pop sound. But I can enjoy the Explorers because it sounds like a lost album from the 60s -- on the level of Sagittarius or something.

And speaking of ABBA -- "On and On and On" totally rips from "Do It Again." I had no idea.

Also, REM goes to the BW/BB well in both the "Up" and "Reveal" albums. Peter Buck has a thing for the "Love You" synths.

[JCarson]

And I really need to check out that Animal Collective record.

My two pennies worth...

I really loved Person Pitch and Strawberry Jam. Certain tracks put me in the same emotional place as the best Beach Boys output. There's the weird shouldn't work but does work throwing together of sounds, the sudden shifts in tempo and instrumentation. Winter's Love from Sung Tongs is also superb (but the rest of the album, for me, does not quite reach the same standard). Some of the AC/Panda Bear output has the same intense yearning quality that I hear in so much of the Beach Boys music.

And I know already that others will passionately disagree!

C'est tout.

[brianc]

"At My Most Beautiful" by REM is a great song. Heavily influenced by Pet Sounds, yet gorgeous in its own way.

I also didn't mean to imply that Jeff Foskett is somehow untalented. There was an album he released in the late '90s that I liked. It was a duets album. Also, Jeff Larson is another one of those artists closely aligned with the Beach Boys touring band and Papa Doo Ron Ron world, yet I like Larson quite a lot. I even wrote liner notes for his CD Swimming in the Make Believe. So I know I don't come from the avant-garde only angle here. When guys like Larson or Foskett connect, I'm totally cool with it.

[buddhahat]

And I really need to check out that Animal Collective record.

My two pennies worth...

I really loved Person Pitch and Strawberry Jam. Certain tracks put me in the same emotional place as the best Beach Boys output. There's the weird shouldn't work but does work throwing together of sounds, the sudden shifts in tempo and instrumentation. Winter's Love from Sung Tongs is also superb (but the rest of the album, for me, does not quite reach the same standard). Some of the AC/Panda Bear output has the same intense yearning quality that I hear in so much of the Beach Boys music.

And I know already that others will passionately disagree!

C'est tout.

No totally agree. I saw them live and they were amazing. They are the only new band that comes close to the genius of peak Brian Wilson. That doesn't mean that they sound the same, or if you like Pet Sounds you will like Animal Collective. I just find that a lot of new music that is derived from The Beach Boys can sound a bit overly derivative and pastiche-ey (sorry don't know the correct word there), whereas the Animal Collective sounds both new and exploratory, AND obviously influenced by Brian Wilson at the same time. For the uninitiated, I'd say Person Pitch by Panda Bear (a member of AC) is the best access point, after that Sung Tongs and Strawberry Jam.

[the captain]

^ I'll be the one who disagrees, then. I think they're dramatically overrated (both AC and Panda Bear). There isn't much there worth paying attention to, in my opinion.

[the captain]

Can I go just sort of off topic and give my opinion on "it sounds like!" bands and albums? I mean, since you probably really want to know?    It's along the lines of what brianc said earlier: while I like to hear from time to time "oh, that's like [band]" in someone's music and admit of course that recognizable references or influences are pretty much unavoidable, I generally dislike sound-alike bands or albums. Or rather, I can't quite fully love and respect them the way I do a more original album. Because even at its best, that kind of music is imitative, which is difficult, sure, but it's like fetishism, admitting that you are inferior of the object of your obvious adoration. I prefer to think of bands as themselves, and over time figure out who is doing the more enjoyable or interesting things. That's just me. I know everyone is listening to different things for different reasons, and that's all well and good. And thus ends our interruption.

[brianc]

Well said, Luther!

I feel like most of the '90s were all about who your references were. It was as if the possibility of a band like the Beach Boys or Kiss was never going to happen again. Just someone that you couldn't compare anything else to, even if the references were on their sleeves.

[Wirestone]

Well, I think the chances are very good that we won't have another Beach Boys, Beatles, etc. anytime soon.

The world is simply too different for any one group to have such cultural leverage. Means of distribution are decentralized, and there is no single (or even half-dozen) tastemakers to determine what gets played.

I think that probably makes for more interesting music, but it's less influential across a broad swath of people.

[the captain]

That only matters if you're interested in bands as a sociological experiment, though, or in being caught up in that kind of wave of excitement. If you're interested only in music, it's irrelevant whether a band gathers such an immense percentage of the population's interest for a sustained period of time, a la the Beatles.

[brianc]

Myself, I like both. Of course, the music comes first. if it didn't, I woudn't have spent the better part of my twenties chasing an unreleased album that i thought brilliant. At the same time, I love that part in the film Almost Famous, where the brunette is talking about how she loves a band or a piece of music so much. I mean, there's something amazing about being swept up in the excitement of rock 'n' roll. Your soul comes alive.

And while I have a ball playing drum circles or playing music that is artistic and personal with friends, I also get a big thrill out of doing open mic nights or karaoke, and just nailing a song with one of those big choruses.

[Wirestone]

Luther: It does matter if bands and musicians are able to have careers doing what they love. Do you think the Beach Boys -- or any other popular band, for that matter -- would have been able to continue making elaborate studio albums without a broad public buying them?

The counter-argument, I suppose, is that music shouldn't be a full-time occupation anyway -- or if it is, it should be like the classical world, where composers generally work in academia or in soundtracks to subsidize their more purely creative endeavors.