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I don't now what this is supposed to be....



LoCash Wrote + Recorded New Song ‘Beach Boys’ With the Actual Beach Boys


https://tasteofcountry.com/locash-beach-boys-new-song-collaboration/?fbclid=IwAR32Cl2hjeWDKQ23uw8McmBREHJVo9-XuWpl4SXfI-HwSrIAVd_Li4ocM44

Only 4 days away from getting to hear “Beach Boys” (feat. Mike Love & Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys) :smokin

(https://i.imgur.com/isGrxfh.png)

(via https://twitter.com/LOCASHmusic/status/1490824426572582913)

Digital-only release?

Here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGUPAaojCcQ

Vid uploaded a few months ago, 1st listed I can't hear Mike & Bruce - Will certainly re-visit with headphones OR Maybe the Boys vocals where added recently for the single release ??

I think that's the original version.

Didn't we already do this runaround a few years ago with Mike's "Unleash the Love?"

Why are they using the actual Beach Boys logo? Yes, there's a microscopic "of" there, but let us all recall that even on an actual Mike Love album a few years ago, they actually re-did the sticker on the cover to remove the actual Beach Boys logo. The fact that this song is called "Beach Boys" is obviously only extra confusing.

This all as Al Jardine can't sell 100 tickets to his "Family & Friends" shows. Want to take a wild guess as to how Mike would feel is Al used the actual "Beach Boys" logo on his concert posters and albums? I again have to point out that had Al Jardine put the Beach Boys logo on the cover of his "Live in Las Vegas" album back in 2001, he would have been sued into oblivion.

And I just listened to the song and it's f**king awful. Like the worst. Like, it makes "Stars and Stripes" sound like "Pet Sounds." It makes "Unleash the Love"  sound like "Holland."

It's awful, like truly one of the worst things I've ever heard any BB even tangentially linked to. It's *that* bad. This is the one time where I absolutely think this does not need to be pressed onto any physical media, ever.

These guys also appear to be predictably shameless in promoting this thing. "Co written with Brian Wilson and Mike Love?" Like you sat in a room with Brian Wilson? They seem to want people to think that they did this with "THE" Beach Boys, and imply they worked with Brian in the article.

The article claims both Brian and Mike "endorsed" the project. I'm curious if this is truly the case.

Truly, truly awful, awful music. Makes that Beach Boys Status Quo team-up sound like "Sunflower" in comparison.

No room for McGrath and Stamos! You just lost a sale LoCash!  >:(

The McGrath/Stamos track is better. Truly. I'd listen to it in a heartbeat over this Locash thing.

That being said, you probably just gave them an idea.....

You okay Jude! ;D

He seems unsure of the level of quality.  :lol

6 seconds....
wow crap

Where's this supposed new version then?

"The duo co-wrote "Beach Boys" with Brian Wilson and Mike Love from the Beach Boys."


Makes me wonder exactly what parts of this song that Mike or Brian remotely had a hand in writing? Was it the John Deere line? Or the part about trying to get a peek where the sun don't shine? Or where the boys are taking shots of Cuervo?...Given Mike's staunch and public lambasting of Brian's self-medicating I just can't imagine Mike Love endorsing such an artificial stimulant.


Yeah I'd love to know the extent of this collaboration.

Honestly I love hearing Beach Boys' influences in modern music (I heard a modern bluegrass song the other day that had obvious Beach Boys harmonies and it was so pleasant to hear), but this^ is exactly every country song that has been made in the last 10 years...only this one has a Beach Boys homage haphazardly slapped onto it during the chorus.

John Deere reference? Check.
Alcohol reference? Check.
Truck reference? Check.
Redneck reference? Check.

Any mainstream modern country I've heard for the last 10+ years has been an atrocious unintentional parody of the genre. Kinda sad to see The Beach Boys get dragged into it - but after the Mark McGrath collaboration made it clear that any standards The Beach Boys may have had have been tossed into a flaming dumpster, I guess anything is possible at this point.

But hey, absolutely and positively nothing can hurt the legacy at this point, so I'm not worried about it. It's just like any other day as a Beach Boys fan...

(https://s1.r29static.com/bin/entry/ae3/340x283,80/1877048/image.jpg)

The version featuring Mike and Bruce is out digitally this Friday.


I have to imagine Brian and Mike are getting credit solely because the song samples “I Get Around.” Probably just sloppy reporting from tasteofcountry.com.

Yeah I definitely think this is the case - just funny how the article states at least 2 times that LoCash co-wrote the song with The Beach Boys....when the closest the band comes to describing their collaboration is recording with Mike and Bruce in a dressing room (which is perhaps an upgrade from the Mark McGrath collaboration which was seemingly filmed and/or recorded in a hotel room (https://extra-images.akamaized.net/image/19/16by9/2017/07/19/198bedbc6bac5b40891c84e9fa4747bc_xl.jpeg)).

However, perhaps The Beach Boys collaborative version has different lyrics? - and for once I'd probably rather have Mike rhyme about good vibrations/assassinations over this John Deere nonsense.

As a foreigner, the music genre of 'autotune country' is quite something to behold

This video is from 2013 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySgNm8qH-I) and it gives examples of how unoriginal and vapid country music was in 2013 - and sadly absolutely nothing has changed since then. I mean this LoCash/Beach Boys song would fit perfectly into this video.

I find it amusing for the most-part, especially living in the country you hear it pretty often - at restaurants and sometimes blasting out of someone's lifted truck. Bro country, beat-country (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT9iox7jH1g), it is a complete mystery to me how people can consistently listen to this stuff. It's like there are 5 main topics of mainstream country and these artists pick 2 or 3 per song, shuffle the order around, and there's your song...rinse and repeat. For 2+ decades.

It makes money, so I get why it keeps being produced/recorded. I just can't believe that the core audience doesn't realize that they are listening to the same songs over and over and over again....or if they do, that they don't care.

Agree 100% with everything that's been said. Can I just mention as well, the 'trade our ball caps in for sombreros' line seems... problematic... for entirely different reasons.

I tried it again showing it to somebody. Awful. The worst.

This thing was irritating before I heard it just based on the use of the BB name and logo after the myriad of lawsuits and threatened lawsuits against BB members in the last couple decades over use of the BB name. Actually listening to the thing absolutely leads me to the inevitable conclusion that this might be the worst thing ever released connected to the band. I'll even include awful unreleased stuff. I'll take any of it. "Battle Hymn of the Republic." That doctored off-key "Can't Stop Talking About American Girls." Even "This Too Shall Pass." Santa's Goin' to Kokomo, Carl's drunken Australian tracks, Dennis's 1983 "You Are So Beautiful", anything from "Going Public", Mike's Hyatt Regency jingles, Adrian Baker's knock-off medleys, that tape of Brian singing "Barbara Ann" drunk, Al's "Eternal Ballad", that "America, I Know You" thing, anything off of "Summer in Paradise", the isolated vocals from the Queen Mary '81 gig, Murry's "Kentucky Fried Chicken" jingle, Mike and Bruce's car dealership TV commercials, anything. This Locash thing is worse than all of those combined.

I really hope Brian didn't actually endorse this. If he did, I blame him too. It's that bad.

The dumbest, worst thing possible to be the first thing of their 60th anniversary year to bare the actual Beach Boys logo.

:lol that is one impressive list of tunes, HeyJude!

Makes me wonder how bad this song is (the version with Mike and Bruce coming on the 4th) considering LoCache said "we want to get out to the fans ASAP" yet it has been about 4 months since the original "Beach Boys" song came out. I'm hoping that robo Mike doesn't make an appearance to make an already dreadful song that much worse.

"Just having Mike Love and Brian Wilson even endorse this project and just say we will even allow this to happen is huge, because there's so much protection around that dynasty, around that legacy"

(https://media3.giphy.com/media/DdiqQoeseUOWc/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47bo31d1f0n9h8o3k5rs1kymuwht11s0qsdwxhdkcb&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)

Someone needs to remind Preston Brust that saying the words "legacy" when referring to The Beach Boys starts a chain reaction of sheer panic from certain fans. Remember, kids, absolutely nothing can ever alter the image of this band....Mike Love playing a Trump endorsed trophy hunting gig? It's not like Brian Wilson himself went on to boycott The Beach Boys music after that...

What is interesting is that LoCash asserts the idea that The Beach Boys' legacy is something that seems to have protection around it...and then they completely prove this notion wrong by releasing this gem. If there was any protection regarding this legacy I highly doubt that this single, recorded in a Tuscaloosa dressing room, would ever have The Beach Boys logo anywhere near it.

Heyjude and Rab better get in line and like the song (or else) from the good people at the EH board. ::)

:lol yeah, I guess me sharing my viewpoints is me “stroking out”? One guy said the “rage” here made him relisten to the song, whereupon he found he likes the tune.

Honestly, if people like this song and get some joy from it, I’m glad! For me, I live in what was previously a confederate state (whose many occupants listen to this music constantly), so I’ve heard this exact song (with slight variation) for the last 15+ years (trucks, rednecks, booze). If this music is new to some people (or the addition of The Beach Boys adds a nice flavor), or they just like the song, that’s great. For me, it has been an unoriginal genre for over a decade (maybe even longer), and it’s odd to see The Beach Boys associated with it…especially as the year of the 60th anniversary gets underway.

The version with Mike and Bruce doesn't drop until tomorrow, but having heard the original, I think it's fine. It probably would have been stronger had they NOT sampled the "I Get Around" chorus. But, this will be FAR far from the worst thing Mike and Bruce have ever done, especially because I'm assuming they just threw their vocals on top of the first version. I'm not going to go out of my way to criticize the song. It's not worth it. And no, this doesn't diminish the band's legacy. Heck, this song is at least a more sincere venture into Country Music than "Stars and Stripes."

Everyone get your questions ready…

(https://i.imgur.com/rOCp5R7.png)

(Via https://twitter.com/MikeLoveOFCL/status/1499442274207293441)

I have no affinity for country music, but I can't fathom there's anything more "sincere" about this track than the stuff on "Stars and Stripes." This uber-autotuned dude-bro stuff is less sincere than a beer commercial.

Join us for a fun-filled, rowdy afternoon chock-full of bros n' brews, hats n' tats, and a good ole time chewin' the fat.

As if the last two weeks couldn't get any more surreal, Mike and Bruce are joining the Bro Country scene. Happy 60th!

I thought I was the one stroking out. I appreciate the namecheck on another board. I'm fine. I just find this particular track to be the aural equivalent of that photo of Mike from 2016 with you-know-who.

But I've never been afraid to admit when a song is catchy even if the people making it are caricatures, or even if the lyrics are bad. There's just none of that here. It's just simply grating across the board, from the synthetic nature of the recording, to the absolute insincere nature of the song and everything of this sub-genre of music (I don't think the vast majority of people who listen to *this* type of music tend to hold the original 1964 "I Get Around" in great reverence), to the lyrics that are so beyond parody, to the lack of originality even *within* this awful sub-genre of music. It's truly Weird Al territory, and even saying that is truly offensive to Weird Al and his fans.

I mean, these elderly "legacy" artists piggybacking on younger artists is usually pretty awful anyway. That McCartney Nirvana track, or that Kanye/Rihanna song, those are pretty awful as well. But I'd listen to those on a loop over this.

I'm not losing sleep over it, or fuming for any length of time, or even thinking about this track other than the couple of times I listened and when I'm writing about it here. But I also have no problem citing it's possible status (I suppose we should give it a little more time to stew) as the worst Beach Boys *related* track ever. It's not uncommon for some cabal of fans to offer their anti-criticism on material like this with some variation of a shoulder shrug and "it's not that bad!", and if that's how they actually feel, awesome.

And, as I've already gone on about, the use of the BB trademark and the BB logo on this release is also something that adds insult to injury *in the context* of the how both Brian and Al have been sued and/or had lawsuits threatened over issues related to use of the BB name/logo/likenesses. I honestly thought, having seen the cover art *prior* to hearing the song, that the icky use of the BB name and logo would be more awful than the song itself, which I assumed would just be hack, bland material. I wasn't fully prepared for the cringe of the actual song/recording.

And to the issue raised elsewhere of there being worse actual Beach Boys tracks than this Locash thing, I'm more than happy to have some fun if people want to start spitballing ideas/examples of something they think is worse, whether an actual BB track or a track that involved some BBs. I'm more than happy to amend my rating of this new track if someone can cite some worse track that I just haven't thought of. Truly.

While I have to reiterate that I'm not as angry about this track as apparently a few folks think I am, I have also been informed that it has been clinically proven now that if you listen to this song enough times, you may turn into the Joaquin Phoenix Joker. Just saying......

Yeah I don't see how anyone could think that Willie Nelson's lead vocal on 'Warmth of the Sun' is somehow less sincere than a song that is an unintentional caricature of every mainstream bro-country song that's been recorded for the last 15 years. But that's just my opinion.

As for The Beach Boys image being tarnished by this - I think this is just yet another small blip added to the list of "seriously?" moments that keeps piling up every year. I think I just need to resign myself to the fact that The Beach Boys will forever be associated with Uncle Jessie, Trump, supporting Trophy Hunting, lawsuits, fighting...and however you personally feel about any of these topics - none of these things should have happened (and it's not just Mike's fault, but every band member who did things to mess things up along the way). Just for the sake of defending Mike we don't need to pretend that this band hasn't done anything to alter their image for the worse. Nor do we need to pretend that their image is completely untouchable.

We currently are 3 months into this 60th anniversary year and the most memorable thing to happen is The Beach Boys name being tethered to a song about John Deeres, Rednecks, and Cuervo. I guess for some fans that is something to celebrate, for the rest of us, I think the Boys can do better than this.

As someone who has only begun to appreciate various types of country music over the last ten years or so, I can appreciate this song for the fun little ditty that it is. And yes, I do find it more sincere than "Stars and Stripes" if only because it's a country act performing a country song as opposed to The Beach Boys pointlessly remaking old material with country artists, thereby producing inferior versions of those songs. To be clear, I understand not liking this type of music. But the song itself is not inherently bad.

This LOCASH song is a country song by a country band. "Stars and Stripes" was The Beach Boys needlessly remaking their old songs with country singers, thereby producing inferior versions of those songs.

As for The Beach Boys legacy and its true connection (if any) with this song, it does basically nothing one way or another, in the sense that it is not a Beach Boys product/project. I understand that it has arguably been misrepresented as such, but that doesn't change the facts. I don't think it's fair to lump solo projects into any band's legacy. I strongly dislike Paul McCartney's "Driving Rain" album, but the disc does nothing to impact The Beatles' legacy or anything like that.

I think the "what damages the legacy" debate is a non-starter. I think one either gets or doesn't get it. Nothing much (barring some Billy Cosby/Michael Jackson-level scandal) is going to like literally bring down the BB legacy, and even a scandal of that order probably wouldn't since the BBs are a group and not a single person.

It's simply a question of what adds or subtracts to it. This track can only subtract, but probably not a great deal. This track will surely quickly fall into obscurity. I'd have to look back, but I don't think I even invoked any ideas of the band's "legacy" regarding this Locash track. I think other things (a few Mike gig choices of recent years, the clusterf**k ending of the 50th anniversary, that '88 Rock Hall speech, etc.) are far more damaging to the band's legacy.

My criticism of this track has been entirely in the here and now. It's just awful music on every level. Even viewed simply as *product*, it's bad. This act doesn't even seem to be an A-lister within this country sub-genre.

Did Locash track down Mike Love on Cameo or something? This smells much more like that than some kind of inspired collaboration.

I'm not saying Mike's the only guy in the music industry with a ton of side-hustles and whatnot. But I don't think it's crazy to be a little depressed that he'll sign up for stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrtoQ0e5hoQ

And this Locash track is the musical guest star equivalent of agreeing to do what's in that video.

Like, I'd *love* to see the requests for collaborations and guest spots that are *turned down* by Mike....

The song is literally called "Beach Boys" and the marketing for it has The Beach Boys logo on it, and two of the original Beach Boys sing on the song, and two of the original Beach Boys are going on the 7th most popular website in America tomorrow to do a Q&A regarding the song called "Beach Boys". Does it have any connection with The Beach Boys legacy? Legacy merely means anything left behind by an entity for certain people...in this case, fans or the general public. So from the Radiant Radish to lawsuits, Good Vibrations to Ten Little Indians, anything this band leaves behind, be they songs or memories, it's all a part of the legacy. So yeah, I'd say this is a very infinitesimal part of Beach Boys history.

As for Stars and Stripes - I guess it's all subjective (like The Beach Boys LoCash song). Remaking classics isn't always a bad thing - there are remakes that I actually prefer over the originals, some that I'm indifferent about (I don't listen to Stars and Stripes but I do listen to Willie's Warmth of the Sun song because I find it beautiful...it's not better than the original, but Willie's performance is something I love about it). In some circumstances, just because something is remade doesn't make it "inferior" - it just makes it different. Kinda like BWPS vs the original recordings. There are some songs on there that are straight up copies of the original material, but in their context of the album they don't need to be considered inferior, they're just different.

Anywho, I'm glad you enjoy the song. Honestly, I'm sure a lot of people will get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and who knows, it may lead some people to become fans of The Beach Boys.

*edit, when I credit Bruce as an original member, I just mean that he has been with them since the 60s - I don't mean that he was a founding member.

And while I can envision that Mike would find these types of dudebro Country lyrics appealing because they are kind of like a Country version of what Mike might write (idealizing the now, idealizing the past via nostalgia, very direct, blunt, inartful lyrics, etc.), I do genuinely feel bad for Mike even if he doesn’t, because he’s also the guy that wrote lyrics to songs like “Only With You”, “The Warmth of the Sun”, "Please Let Me Wonder", "I'm Waiting for the Day", "All I Wanna Do", "Add Some Music to Your Day", and so on. Mike's better than this, even if he doesn't know or doesn't care.

(https://i.redd.it/g9rv6hmp6th71.jpg)

Here's a better collab: Al Jardine signing someone's drawing of a can of sardines:

(https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2018-10/10/18/asset/buzzfeed-prod-web-04/sub-buzz-27551-1539210388-7.jpg?downsize=600:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto)

For several decades I think this has been the internal response to any of these things, I call it the Alfred E. Newman reply:

(https://i.imgur.com/JvnkNtc.jpg)

Or this from others:

(https://i.imgur.com/Imv3IGO.jpg)

"Baywatch" was actually bumped up to HD awhile back, and thanks to a heads up about this from Elora on YouTube, I was able to get this upgraded screengrab:

(https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/119990761_2680051242264889_6620975168675640963_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=e3f864&_nc_ohc=neczuY3FyZ4AX8Rp0V6&tn=Bf-MFY6rR7rA77el&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AT83-I9pUQ5fuQPSWKHd0TroWM70gIzbK8sM_CnytJehDw&oe=6247EE19)

Didn’t somebody make a meme of that with “sometimes I feel very scared” from IJWMFTT?

No desire to even listen to this. It could be 1966 Brian on there and I’d still pass. I despise everything about bro country.

That said, nobody cares either way except on bb forums. No issue with affecting the legacy…that’s intact. We as BB fans (not just here) are so focused on we think that somewhere along the way The Beach Boys already got their career reevaluation ; this is lame, but it’s just something to roll our eyes at and move on. If any of you all are worried about his they would be viewed by future generations, don’t. We got copyright extensions out the ass coming. The influx of new fans coming in vs most of their contemporaries is telling. Just use Spotify as an example. The lowest amount of new followers I’ve seen in a single day since UA took over has been a shade over 1000, but usually it is 1500-2000 new followers a *day*. There are indie  rock playlists with them on there (which doesn’t mean anything to most of you all but for the Gen Xers like me that’s a hell of an accomplishment).  The generations after mine missed the whole Full House and Home Improvement fiascos.

So yeah , this is just something to laugh at and move on. Oh, that Mike. Doesn’t change what came before, and never will. 20 years ago would be different

Where is the long tall Texan bro country version? ;D

Whatever is churned out, be it Stamos murdering Forever, or Brian talking inappropriately to his young kids, that’s all there for people to see/read about anytime they want thanks to the internet. It’s stuff we remember because it’s either completely amazing or embarrassingly bad. I wasn’t really a fan when Santa’s Goin to Kokomo came out, yet I’ve seen it a decade after the fact and it’s cringy as hell and it does impact how I view the band. It doesn’t ruin their amazing music - but it is something there that we’ve all seen and heard because it’s terrible and its associated with the band (yeah it’s a Mike solo, but it’s still associated with the band and it’s #1 hit Kokomo). Mark McGrath, the Trump connection, the boycotting of The Beach Boys catalogue, the pointless lawsuits do nothing to ruin my love of the band or their music, but yet those things are negatively attached to the band and their music. That’s just the way it is and I don’t get why that is hard for people to grasp.

I agree that this LoCash song is a very minor blip on the radar, but it’s a drop in an ever full bucket of embarrassing crap that this band is associated with.

I can’t imagine the remaining Beatles attaching the Beatles logo to a Luke Bryan song called “Beatles” with the chorus lyrics “I wanna hold your hand in my truck”

Why? Because they have standards when it comes to that legacy.

We’ll agree to disagree but a sizeable amount of people that let things like this color their views of the band’s legacy quite frankly going to be around in a couple of decades. Obviously it bothers us here because most of us have been fans for decades. The younger fans generally don’t care.  The folks who were hitting college when the SMiLE box came out and then went on to form bands influenced by what they heard( including  the band with the #2 song on the Hot 100 ) don’t care. There is an entire generation of fans who view The Beach Boys as the innovators of indie pop, lo-fi , and shoe gaze.  The stuff that Mike’s doing isn’t hurting that; it’s hurting the touring band *only* after this point. *we*, the long term fans, are the ones with the problem. 70+ years of rock has proven that every artist who continues into advanced age eventually will end up being cringey or embarrassing. It happens. We get older and lamer with age. It happens. We care. Nobody else does.

I stepped out of my little bubble during my sabbatical, (especially when the board went down ( pretty much avoiding The Beach Boys fan community. Besides preparing for the birth of my son, I was concentrating on my own music career and also helping others with their projects. I still ended up talking quite a bit about The Beach Boys with other musicians I was working with… except I wasn’t the one bringing them up. I acted like I wasn’t familiar with them, or that I wasn’t a fan really. Very eye opening.

One list thing…the bitching I’ve seen about the LPR doc’s “talking heads”  said a lot too. We’re not the target audience any more. The copyright extensions are kinda like our reward for loyalty and dedication (if one looks ar it like that) but the focus is on winning new fans. And it’s working, and no lame ass “God n country yee haw” bullshit is going to ruin that

Thanks for writing that up, Billy. I see your point. It’s a shame that some of these fumbles (not including this LoCash song) have done damage in the short term (perhaps reunion chances ruined, etc), but yeah in 100 years a LoCash song isn’t going to matter to fans of the band.

Behind the scenes.

https://youtu.be/KxQpuycNeLk

I like when guy number 2 says you wrote California Girls right?  :lol awkward. First time I've ever heard the term bro country.

I hear Mike in the beginning and I think I hear him in the chorus throughout the song but he’s definitely buried. I don’t hear Bruce at all. The “round round get around” is catchy but that’s because it emulates the original - the falsetto makes it more appealing to me, but not much more. It’s odd to hear “drink ‘em down down drink ‘em down” considering The Beach Boys and their depressing history with alcohol abuse - I know it’s just meant to be a fun song, but to me it’s just an odd combination.

It does make sense that they waited for a little warmer weather to release it, I can see this being popular on summer playlists for barbecues.

It’s not my thing, but maybe it’ll get some people interested in the real Beach Boys.

HeyJude, you may be relieved to see the Beach Boys logo didn’t make it to the final release. (I guess just the advertising leading up to it?)

(https://i.imgur.com/3PzbLE8.jpg)

The guy making the accusation was the asshole who threw a hissy fit and pulled his News clipping scans when AGD was banned. And he has the nerve to say rab and HJ were “stroking out”.

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree, and that's fine in this case. I don't think this track subtracts at all. I suppose it's largely going to come down to whether or not you like the music. And I think it's fine. Also, for what it's worth, I haven't really seen any of Mike's gig choices in recent years as problematic.

He also randomly asked Guitarfool to stop posting his opinion (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,26488.msg676958.html#msg676958) a couple weeks ago for whatever reason....the most odd part being Steve was responding to Guitarfool's post about distribution/financial backing on the LPR documentary and how it related to the Jonas brother's inclusion in the film...probably the least controversial Beach Boys topic in existence. But hey, to each their own - some get pissed off at trophy hunting gigs and bro-country, I guess others get fired up about conversation surrounding LPR talking heads.

I'm actually surprised that Mike is going on Reddit for this AMA. Reddit is very well known for being a haven of liberal/progressive thought. Given Mike's Trump connection, The Beach Boys music boycott, etc - I wonder how it will go. Perhaps few even remember that stuff or don't know much about it - but I don't think I'd risk it if I were him.

I wish him the best, and perhaps nothing controversial will be brought up.

Just to refresh and update, here's the link to the track on YouTube again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pSI_YHBX0w (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pSI_YHBX0w)


And what's interesting to note is in the comments, there is this from an Austrian fan:

I am sure many self-proclaimed diehard fans of the Beach Boys (especially from the infamous Smiley Smile Board) will hate this with a passion, even without listening to the song (mainly because they hate everything that Mike Love does; but that's a different story), but I love it. It gives you a great summer feeling.

So now people are trying to take shots at this board on YouTube too? Nothing better to do? Thanks for the name-check though, and if this LoCash video gets more than the 490 views it has as of this morning, maybe more people will say "Hey, what's this infamous board they're going on about?" and check it out. Unless it's just some of the same tired, old, usual suspects and banned/disgruntled former members trying to go around bashing this forum and promoting another. Who knows.

As far as the song itself, I don't hear much of Mike and Bruce at all, and production-wise, the Autotune is annoying, as is the repetition ad nauseum of the "round round get around" hook, especially at the end, and also nicking the classic Dobie Gray "Drift Away" hook over that other BB's hook. It sounds pretty much like a lot of other Bro Country that's been out there for the past 8 years or so, and not too far away from what Uncle Kracker was doing 20 years ago. Like Rab said, if people dig it and this tune makes them happy, that's cool.

Is Bro Country still a thing? I thought it peaked, like 5 years ago.

Speaking of collabs, a new Noven Jaisi/Mike Love video just dropped this week too, I guess it's either fake or real depending on how the coin lands, but interesting how not only are there more random C50 clips showing Brian and Al and others no longer on tour with Mike, but also an out of context Sean Lennon clip this time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mQRm2VfaAg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mQRm2VfaAg)

The more things change, the more they stay the same? I guess the consistency is comforting in the same way going to a dentist for a procedure and knowing in advance you'll get a giant needle jabbed into your cheek lessens the impact a bit.  ;D

If everyone here hates everything that Mike Love does then this place would be nonexistent - as he was pretty integral to the formation and success of the band. So right off the bat the dude is just spouting nonsense. I think most grounded fans can both appreciate Mike's positive contributions and critique his ongoing poor decisions...I mean it was just two years ago(?) he sparked a boycott of his own music because Mr. Surfrider TM positivity wanted to support the act of firing bullets into beautiful animals throughout the world. I mean, I know some people will bend themselves into pretzels to defend that, but the reality is that it was a rather poor choice for Mike to make.

I don't dislike the LoCash song because Mike had anything to do with it, I dislike it because it's the same bro-country song I've heard in local barbecue joints for the last 15 years. It's unoriginal, autotuned*, the song glorifies getting wasted on booze (about the dumbest thing you could glorify in a song called "Beach Boys" considering the history of booze with this band). It's just not my thing.

*And actually, per Mike's own specifications of what makes a great song, this song isn't great because it has autotune - just going by his own words. So even Mike Love should despise this thing.

I see autotuned mentioned a lot....It's not though is it? just how the vocals are processed.  Surely a production decision rather than these LoCash guys not being able to sing.

I get the impression Mike doesn't like those guys much from the behind the scenes video...maybe they are living the song with what's in those plastic cups  :lol

I'm pretty sure it's there - especially when the background falsetto changes notes - I don't think it is the processing that creates that abrupt change in pitch (or whatever - my music lexicon is rather lacking haha). But if you listen to when the pitch/note shifts in the vocal lines of Mike (and the bg falsetto), I'm pretty sure those aren't natural changes in pitch. And while an overall process of the song kinda "digitizes" the vocals, I think there is more there than just processed vocals - it's correcting pitch of certain lines to my ears. Perhaps that isn't autotune, I'm not sure, but it sure is manipulating the vocals a lot.

I should say that this track is nowhere near the level of pitch correcting/autotune that has been on Mike's recent solo albums, so that is pleasant. But it is still there nonetheless.

You've summed it up very well, the point made by that commenter on YouTube gets contradicted immediately by the most basic fact that people are here because they're fans of the band's music, and it comes off yet again as someone spouting crap or trying to bash this forum and the people here for whatever reasons they may have. It's obvious, it's very transparent, and it's childish, but would we expect anything less than that from those circles who seem to have nothing better to do than find ways to trash this forum?

Like I said, maybe if more than 500 people eventually view that video, some will see the word "infamous" next to the board name and want to see what is so infamous about it, so thanks to that person for the name-check and reference.  :lol

And I really do not hear Mike or Bruce being much of a presence on this recording, so it's just a song that isn't really my style and not what I would listen to regularly.

I do question, however, why LoCash released the song near the end of 2021, had their fans buy that version if they wanted to, then basically rerelease the same song with contributions from Mike and Bruce which aren't even prominent enough in the mix and which do not significantly change the original all that much, and expect fans to buy it again! From a marketing standpoint that doesn't make much sense to release almost the same single about 4-5 months apart after fans already would have bought and heard it.

Yes, the infamous (love that word...) "Red Solo Cup" is on full display in that video, and for those not familiar with Bro Country or Beer Country or Booze Country or whatever name can be attached to the genre, Red Solo Cup was a massive country hit a decade ago.

And on that point, I have to wonder why Mike Love is attaching himself to songs that glorify drinking a lot of booze and partying with booze (and in the case of Somewhere Near Japan scoring hard drugs) given his decades-long history of discussing his cousins' and bandmates' history of addictions and substance abuse, which included alcohol and alcohol abuse. I can understand Mike's viewpoint 100%, anyone who has seen a friend or family member go through any addiction can relate, but when you're making public comments regularly about how such abuses and addictions ruined your band and your family, I guess I couldn't see how singing and writing songs almost celebrating booze-filled parties and the like would line up with that previous commentary. It just seems like an odd fit to get involved with a song that replaces one of the best hooks  the band had in "round round get around..." with the phrase "drink 'em down down..." considering the history behind it all.

Here's an article from a month ago about it along with a related photo from a concert:

https://musicrow.com/2022/02/locash-collaborates-with-beach-boys-mike-love-bruce-johnston/ (https://musicrow.com/2022/02/locash-collaborates-with-beach-boys-mike-love-bruce-johnston/)

(https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Locash-Beach-Boys-1030x579.jpeg)

Country love bro-country remix? ;D

Almost 2 hours into the AMA on Reddit and it has 4 upvotes yikes. It's a mediocre AMA - didn't know that about the genesis of 'How She Boogalooed It' which is a cool story. One question made me chuckle: "Bruce how do you sleep at night" :lol. Between 4 guys answering questions in that AMA it's odd they only responded to 9 questions.

I'm hoping they answer ExUpstairsCaptain's question about Brian's involvement with the project. But it looks like they stopped answering questions an hour ago.

For those interested, here's the Q&A:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/t6p13d/its_chris_preston_from_the_country_duo_locash/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/t6p13d/its_chris_preston_from_the_country_duo_locash/)


I think they needed Wink Martindale back again to moderate this...wow. Reddit? No thanks, I'll pass.

Although yes, the info behind "How She Boogalooed It" is pretty interesting, I don't recall hearing that elsewhere unless I missed it.

Actually, Mike promising a live 'Big Sur' in the setlists is a super cool little nugget of news. Here's hoping it happens!

Just in case those with reading comprehension problems are visiting this thread - I don't think anyone here or elsewhere (from what I can tell) has said this song is, quote, "ruining The Legacy," nor has anyone even alluded to the idea that this song is going to crash and burn the image of the band.


Oh wow I totally forgot about the Wink Martindale Q&A.


Yeah, I know it's meant to be a fun song for people - so I'm not really going to harp on this point. But it is odd given Mike's very public outbursts not too many years ago about Brian's dependency on substances and how it ruined his life (and supposedly it was the only thing Mike Love ever regretted in his life somehow?). Just in a million years, given what Dennis went through, I can't really see Brian doing a song that tells people to chug beer and take shots. But then again, he supposedly gave this song his blessing? So who the heck knows with this band haha.

I am the EH board boogeyman! :bw

Hey I have it on good authority that you’re Melinda Wilson! Which is it!?

I am Joe Thomas as well.

I
:lol

To this day, that’s one of the funniest , most ridiculous things I’d ever heard/read. Old guy probably should’ve switched his cape for a straight jacket

Is Billy C. really Superman? :lol

Nah..I’m Batman

That was an interesting time back in 2015, with some backstory as a refresher - So someone either working with or for Mike's website tried to set up another message board called "The Vibe Room", connected to Mike's website. And I'm not 100% on the timeline, but there wasn't much interest nor were there many posts or discussions to note, and eventually they announced a Q&A with Mike where fans could register at and post questions on "The Vibe Room" message board where Mike would answer them. Then, they got Wink Martindale to shoot a video interview with Mike where Wink would read these questions off index cards in between chatting with Mike and if I recall there was a lava lamp or something as the room decor? Anyway, the message board had some issues where people tried to register and were unable to, etc. And the Wink Martindale interview got uploaded to YouTube, but Mike's "Vibe Room" never got off the ground I guess.

Anyway, that's the failed "Vibe Room" which was an attempt to give Mike his own message board, I guess, back in 2015. It didn't work out.

I was reminded of that reading and re-reading this recent Reddit Q&A with Mike and Bruce and the guys from Locash, there weren't many participants considering the reach of the Reddit platform and the two acts' respective fan bases. I don't think anyone asked Locash a question during the thing, and some of the questions to Mike and especially Bruce were just absurd. That's why I said I think they need to bring Wink Martindale back with his index cards to moderate something like this... :lol

And "The Vibe Room" didn't really work as a name for that failed forum, did it?

Here's some vintage discussions on the Vibe Room topic:
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,19960.0.html (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,19960.0.html)

This is at least the second time a Mike Love-related product has used the "Beach Boys" logo initially only for it to pointedly disappear subsequently. I'm guessing they didn't just randomly decide to *not* include the logo on the actual eventual release, but rather somebody somewhere let the pertinent parties know that they can't and shouldn't use it. *Especially* when the the song is called "Beach Boys" and the artists releasing the song have oversold just exactly *whom* they actually worked with on this track.

I'm certainly not prepared to say simply calling the song "Beach Boys" is like trademark infringement; I honestly don't know. Can anybody just release a song called "Coca Cola" or "Kellogg's Frosted Flakes" or "Beatles", etc.? I'd guess the law is kind of murky on that, but certainly those things can usually be mentioned in song lyrics, so I suppose they can be used as song titles.

But I'm also pretty sure if I release a song called "Coca Cola" and also use the Coca Cola logo at any point, even in a descriptive sense ("Featuring Al Jardine, who loves <INSERT COKE LOGO HERE>"), that's a no-no.

There is an old Andrews Sisters song called Rum and Coca Cola.  Weezer had a song a few years ago called Beach Boys that samples Murry in it.

I think the equivalent to this is if I wrote a song called “McDonalds” and then sang “Ba da da da da, I’m lovin’ it” over and over during the chorus. While I think people can write a song called McDonalds with no issue, I’m not sure they’d be legally allowed to use the jingle/lyrics of the song.

Or, as I said in a previous post, having Luke Bryan call a song “Beatles” and then sing “I wanna hold your hand, in my truck” - I don’t think that would fly.

One real world example of this is when Katy Perry released her song “California Gurls”

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/08/beach-boys-katy-perry-a-warning-not-a-lawsuit.html (https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/08/beach-boys-katy-perry-a-warning-not-a-lawsuit.html)

I'm not sure where that ever led to, but it shows that this goes beyond just Mike and Brian giving someone their blessing (and that taking lyrics that are directly related to a song isn't exactly legal in some cases).

Is that actually Murry in the song? I thought it was just someone who was pretending to sound like him (unless that's what you mean). I think the difference with the Weezer song is that they didn't rip any lyrics/melodies from a Beach Boys song. It's like the 'Brian Wilson' song by the Barenaked Ladies (I think?) - they use his name in the song but I don't think they copy any of his work - but it has been years since I've heard the song so I could be wrong.

That Weezer song comes from a great album called "Pacific Daydream" if anyone wants a great summer album to listen to.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150601022631/http://mikelove.com/viberoom (https://web.archive.org/web/20150601022631/http://mikelove.com/viberoom)

^Take a trip in the Way Back Machine to the glory days of the Vibe Room! I love bossaroo's comment: "The Vibe Room... sounds like the back of a porn shop. no wonder Brian didn't want to get together with Mike in a room." :lol

Probably would've been more successful had they called it the Koke House.

But really, I wonder what Mike's initial intentions were with this forum - I bet it would've been a lot more successful had Mike himself posted there. But then again what a hornets nest - between users trolling the hell out of that place to Mike possibly going too far with some things (I think that was during the time he was constantly/petulantly critiquing Brian's weight, drug use from decades prior, and Melinda supposedly being controlling (i DoNt UnDeRsTaNd WhY pEoPLe DiSlIkE MiKe LOvE!!&$@#@!)). No wonder he needed a moderator back then for the Q&A.

The wonders of the internet...I never thought I'd see the infamous "Vibe Room" again! Maybe that's a good thing haha...

Not to open it up again, but when you got beyond the surreal nature of Wink Martindale interviewing Mike, holding blue index cards with the questions, and sitting in front of a lava lamp or something, it seemed hopeful that Mike was going to be more relaxed and less negative in his interviews as he was with Wink on that video. And then not long after his chat with Wink, an interview got published where he lapsed right back into the "Wilsons-drugs-Brian is controlled" company lines. Even 7 years or whatever later, it still just doesn't make sense.

I am not trolling when I say I quite honestly love the locash song. It’s a great way to bring together two cornerstones of Americana, COUNTRY MUSIC and The Beach Boys! It’s a great way to preserve their legacy for the next generation. Locash is a cool, hip new American country duo and it’s great for Mike and Bruce to be associated with them. I also think the song is great, pretty complex harmonies and lyrics that really put you in the zone. I think this song helps their legacy, rather than hurts is. I can only think Dennis would have even liked it. Shotgunning beers in heaven and catching a John Boat Buzz on a catamaran! Mike and Bruce’s lyrics are both pretty solid as well. I hope to see more of these types of collaborations in the future, this will really help preserve their legacy.

I'm in the camp of those who enjoy the song. It's fun, what can i say? I'm not very well informed in the Country music genre, but I can dig the harmonies. Seeing the Behind The Scenes video made me enjoy the song even more, because clearly the Locash guys were honored to be in the prescience of The BBs. After years of not being credited for the song, it also made me smile for Mike to receive recognition  for writing the lyrics of California Girls.

The song is made in good fun.

I'll be excited about any new music from Mike, Bruce, and the rest of the band members for as long as we get it. We take for granted how cool it is that they're still recording in their 80's!

You might be onto something my crazy beach boys uncle…. ;D

I think Mike has been receiving credit (and royalties) for writing the lyrics to "California Girls" for quite some time now. 27 or 28 years in fact.

In fact, we're a year or two away from coming up to a point where he's been credited on the song more years than he hasn't.

Yeah, this song is good, if you think absolute sh*t is good.

It's the worst, still.

I'm quite able to properly contextualize these things and set an appropriate bar for quality. I'd never expect much. But this is truly awful music on every level. I'm surprised that I'm surprised it could get this bad.

I mean, I *guess* it could be worse; it's *someone else's* track, not the Beach Boys'. That's something I guess.

I think it's an awful song, but I'm glad others get some enjoyment out of it. I like music that some here would (and have) criticize me for listening to - I understand why they dislike that music, but that criticism doesn't change my brain chemistry from feeling happy when listening to it. We've all got different reasons for liking what we like.

What I do find funny is the pages upon pages of criticism at Brian for the 12 second sample of 'On The Island' where he was berated for the use of autotune, he was berated for teaming up with a country artist*, he was berated for seeking out younger talent, etc etc. Yet those who make it a habit of ceaselessly berating Brian's every music release seem to be fairly quiet about the LoCash song - yet this song seems to have every hallmark of a "bad" Brian Wilson song and soooo much more).

(*edit, wanted to clarify that I know that GYHTBT and On The Island are two different songs, I'm more commenting about the general negative hysteria that followed the initial information/offerings from the NPP album)

Actually the comparison between the LoCash and Musgrave's collaboration is interesting - both seem to be born from phone calls (though I think Brian's people called up Musgraves and LoCash's people called up Mike). Both songs refer to driving around. Both songs talk about drinking alcohol. Both songs are rooted in country. Yet both songs are so strikingly different - the Musgrave song is seemingly introspective about the dangers/regrets of excess - and the LoCash song is flat out promoting excess. The Musgrave's song talks about "sipping on a new wine" (which isn't meant to be taken literally), and the LoCash song stresses pounding back beer and hard liquor on a boat. The Musgrave's song has country elements but Brian meets that style halfway with his own production style. The LoCash song definitely has Beach Boys elements but it's completely slathered with modern bro-country production.

Not saying any of that is good or bad for either song, but it's interesting that both songs have a lot in common but yet they are also polar opposites in many ways.


I'm not sure what he would've thought. Towards the end of his life he was irreparably damaged from his use of alcohol. He was broke, homeless, and had severed relationships with people he loved (and who loved him). While we all love the idea of Dennis being a fun party animal, we seem to forget that alcohol is still a drug that kills millions of people annually. Again, I know the LoCash song is meant to be a fun romp so I'm not harping on this point, but I do think it's crass for the band to endorse a song that promotes binging on alcohol. That Brian supposedly gave this song his blessing is completely baffling to me. Again, I get that it is meant to be a fun song, but given the way Dennis died (and the depressing events that led up to that death) it's just odd that these guys would be all for this song.

Kasey M was a guest on the Brian track, whereas Mike and Bruce are the guests on the LoCash track.

Brian has done some great guest spots of course. I really liked Dirty Computer.

My favorite modern guest spot of Brian’s was ‘Any Emotions’ by Mini Mansions. He didn’t have a major part in it, but his vocals/harmonies are all over the song and they fit it perfectly.

I like some Brian guest pairings more than others (whether it's a "Brian" track or someone else's), but at least with those, whomever is instigating those, whatever intermediaries or whomever is making those suggestions, they usually have some artistic merit or have an eye towards working with artists with some clout and/or genuine talent.

I'd perhaps make a partial exception for that "Our Special Love" track, but even that track, which is probably the worst "duet" type of track Brian has released, is less grating on every level than the Locash track. At least with "Our Special Love", it was some other artist fishing an actual Brian composition (albeit not a particularly inspired one) out of the circular file and trying to do something with it. And, obviously, that track was never sold as a "Beach Boys" track or "Beach Boys collaboration."

Yeah I've been impressed with Brian's guest lineups. I can't say I care for 'Dirty Computer' (it's just not my style), but I see the talent there. He also did one with Kesha a couple years ago - you can't really hear him in the mix but I think he's in the bg vocals. This sent me down a rabbit hole of looking up Brian Wilson and Mike Love guest songs - I always forget about the Emile Haynie song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQLcyiCwMHw) Brian guested on - really love that one. It's seems like all the songs Brian collaborates on they realize there are limitations to what Brian can do (or wants to do) and they structure his parts accordingly.

It's really a shame that 'Our Special Love' didn't work out as well as it should've. I know the collaborator on that was fairly hurt by all the criticism he received. It's not my style, but there are some great moments in that song. There was legitimate time and effort put into that song - and it's impressive that the entire song is done by voice.

Mike's Hanson collaboration honestly had some potential - it starts off great, but the amount of vocal correction/processing on Mike's lead just takes me out of the element - kinda like Brian's first line of the 'Right Where I Belong' song (only that was one line, not the entire song so it doesn't totally ruin it). And that seems to be a thing with a lot of Mike's solo output. It's odd considering some songs are completely untouched by autotune (and they sound great), then others it's like they ran his voice through 5 rooms of IBM supercomputers running pitch correction software to the point the end result is almost unrecognizable as Mike Love. It's like Mike actually liked that awful Joe Thomas 50th live album and wanted to emulate that sound on most of his future recordings.