Maybe you'll like it.

www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

"Yellow Pass"

I am, out of nowhere, listening to this again now. And I am a bit, uh, in the holiday spirit, so to speak. And I can't help but say I think this is a really nice album. And the new songs are good. Nothing crazy, nothing about "the best songs ever" or anything. But it is a good little Christmas album. And I HATE Christmas albums.

It's funny how many bands I consider among the best, and funny how many of the bands others list as best are among those I hate most, or feel ambivalent about. Shows how wide people's tastes can be, I suppose.

Voxtrot!

Remind me not to come around here.

Actually, no. I think he's the worst one in the band. By far. (Although I also don't much like Mertens' solos.) I prefer them because I think Wondermints and Jeff and Scott and Taylor sing brilliantly together, and Probyn (in particular, although also the others) is remarkably versatile and talented. That's why.

And I respect my fucking opinion, too.

I'm not, and wasn't, saying it isn't a valid opinion to prefer the Beach Boys to Brian's band. And I respect people's opinions, and their right to have opinions. I've never said otherwise. I don't say otherwise now. All I ever did was GUESS at what might be behind SOME people's opinions. That's it.

Well, no, later on I said it seems narrow minded to say nothing in the future will ever be able to top something that's past.

Anyway, everyone, have opinions. Enjoy your opinions. I'm not judging you. I wasn't judging you. I don't even know you. It doesn't matter. Clear? I hope so. Jesus...

(BTW, MBE, I was going to note that your preference still could be based more on "legend" than fact. You know, like deep in my heart I will always have a bias toward Hendrix on guitar and Freddie Mercury on vocals just because of stories I heard, books I read, etc. A person could do that--be so steeped in the mystique of a band so as to build an aura that makes a person closed off to anything else. But I don't want to note that anymore because it seems like too much work, I'll be interpreted as having somehow said everyone who was born in 1976 is stupid and doesn't respect opinions [or something, and by the way, I was born in 1976 and am just fucking around, so don't be offended by that] and have to explain all over again. Oh yeah, and I already did say it.  Right here. In this paragraph. But to reiterate, I don't know why you prefer them, or care. I come in peace. I go in peace.]

Brian Wilson had a better falsetto than anyone else will ever have

Ever listen to King Diamond? His falsetto is INSANE!

No, but I saw his pic in metal magazines I used to buy as a young teenager. That reminds me, I had awful taste as a teenager.

No it doesn't.

My opinion on which band is better is Brian Wilson's current band. Nobody agrees. I believe that many people say that the Beach Boys are better purely out of nostalgia.

The latter posts aren't about which of two bands is better, but the statement that "nobody will ever top..." the Beach Boys (or anyone else). That is wholly different.

If someone prefers the Beach Boys to BW's band because they think they were a better group, fine. My initial posts only had to do with letting the legend or mystique get in the way. My latter posts weren't about preference between the two, but shutting off one's mind to the possibility of some band (in this case, the BBS) ever being topped.

Those aren't contradictory--they're different topics. I changed my point after the phrase "nobody will ever top" (or whatever it was--I'm not going to go digging for it) came up.
 

I don't know. It is always an opinion how anyone feels about some music. Different people will have different ones. I don't have a problem with that. It's the closing off of one's mind to the potential for change in the future that bothers me. I can have an opinion that Brian Wilson had the best falsetto ever and I think that's fine. But if I think Brian Wilson had a better falsetto than anyone else will ever have, that is an entirely different thing and I'd consider myself a closed-minded fool if I said that. To do so is stopping your potential for development of taste, ignoring current and future music, etc. I'm not saying you're doing this, but I'm saying that to determine something past is better than anything that could ever come lends itself to just shutting down.

What's wrong with "Nothing will ever be as good as the original Beach Boys"? It's as good a opinion as "Nothing was ever as good as Brian's band".

What's wrong with it is that it's taking everything else out of consideration (at least as stated). It's saying it doesn't matter what else there is or will be, because the best has already been acvhieved. (BTW, I never said, nor ever would say, that nothing was ever as good as Brian's band.) I think once a mind is so firmly made up as to make musical taste almost religious conviction, it just gets...weird. (I guess posting that thought on a BB message board of which I'm a member might not be the best place...)

I believe the folks are refering to the current Beach Boys, right? Otherwise what's the point?  Nothing will ever be as good as the original Beach Boys

Yes, the original Beach Boys. But the beginning of the last sentence I left in the quote above is exactly what I think is incorrect. "Nothing will ever be as good as the original Beach Boys"...why not? I think that's nostalgia talking, not reason. Something can be. Some things are.

I saw it when it played, and wasn't so thrilled. But it was ok.

Because I'm beginning to compile my initial thoughts on the 2006 Top 15 discs, a lot of things, one at a time, over and over: Dylan's Modern Times, Voxtrot's Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives, Joanna Newsom's Ys, Half-Handed Cloud's Halos & Lassos, and the albums by Bonnie Prince Billy, Mountain Goats, Elf Power, Belles of Skin City, Fred Thomas, Matthew Friedberger, Fiery Furnaces, Theater Fire, Decemberists (hated it), and a billion others. My head is swimming.

As performing musicians, I almost completely disagree. I think Brian's current band is filled with better singers and players than the basic Beach Boys group (meaning not counting touring musicians, just brothers, cousin, friend and, if you want, Bruce). I know nobody else tends to agree with that, so whatever. Rant away. This is where that talk of that "certain indefinable magic" and "brotherly blend" comes up, but I call that nostalgia or mythology more than fact.

I'm not saying anyone in his current band could create music that was the equal of Dennis' best, or even the others' best (although I like a lot of the 'mints' music). But as for performing what has already been created, for me it's hands down.

Who would you rather have singing lead vocals in Brian's band today, Brian or Jeff Foskett?

Both, and almost everyone else besides. While I like Brian's ragged vocals on some parts, there are others that are simply embarrassing. I'd prefer--and I've been saying this for years--that Brian dole out parts the way he did with the Beach Boys. Let the best voice for each song (or verse, or phrase, or whatever) take the lead. Now, I'd take Brian circa 65 or 66 over anyone, but those days are long gone.

Luther, I totally agree with you on this one too. And I'll take it a step further. I wish that Brian would dole out parts the way he used to - ON HIS UPCOMING SOLO ALBUM BY DOLING OUT PARTS TO MIKE, AL, BRUCE, AND DAVID! And bring along Jeff Foskett for the background vocals...

Now that I can't agree with.

As performing musicians, I almost completely disagree. I think Brian's current band is filled with better singers and players than the basic Beach Boys group (meaning not counting touring musicians, just brothers, cousin, friend and, if you want, Bruce). I know nobody else tends to agree with that, so whatever. Rant away. This is where that talk of that "certain indefinable magic" and "brotherly blend" comes up, but I call that nostalgia or mythology more than fact.

I'm not saying anyone in his current band could create music that was the equal of Dennis' best, or even the others' best (although I like a lot of the 'mints' music). But as for performing what has already been created, for me it's hands down.

Who would you rather have singing lead vocals in Brian's band today, Brian or Jeff Foskett?

Both, and almost everyone else besides. While I like Brian's ragged vocals on some parts, there are others that are simply embarrassing. I'd prefer--and I've been saying this for years--that Brian dole out parts the way he did with the Beach Boys. Let the best voice for each song (or verse, or phrase, or whatever) take the lead. Now, I'd take Brian circa 65 or 66 over anyone, but those days are long gone.

I hate when Brian says his new band is better. Is there anyone with the charsima of Dennis, or the voice of Carl, or even Mike's lyrical abilities (Please Let Me Wonder anyone. The Beach Boys were special and I agree with Mike on some of these things. I don't agree with him being so lawyer happy, but Brian's brothers were terrific. I like the Mints much better then the Beach Boys of the last 25 years, but the real Beach Boys will always be my favorite group. And I mean group.

Agree totally.

As performing musicians, I almost completely disagree. I think Brian's current band is filled with better singers and players than the basic Beach Boys group (meaning not counting touring musicians, just brothers, cousin, friend and, if you want, Bruce). I know nobody else tends to agree with that, so whatever. Rant away. This is where that talk of that "certain indefinable magic" and "brotherly blend" comes up, but I call that nostalgia or mythology more than fact.

I'm not saying anyone in his current band could create music that was the equal of Dennis' best, or even the others' best (although I like a lot of the 'mints' music). But as for performing what has already been created, for me it's hands down.

How different do you think it will sound when the band get hold of it?

To be honest, I only did it off the cuff--I'm not sure I'll give it to the band to do. We'll see about that.

As for shows, we had another run-through of some of my songs, and we've got a repertoire of about a dozen of mine and a few nice covers. I spoke to a local promoter the other night about lining us up, and as an Ellen Kay fan, he's ready to go.

I think to go along with the last post, to say someone is good at music is far too broad--just as saying someone is good at basketball. A basketball player might shoot well, but defend terribly and only handle the ball adequately; another might run and jump, allowing him to defend and fill the lanes on a fast break, while he can't shoot a lick.

Music is such a huge territory, and the various skills that make it up are so varied, it is VERY different skills that make someone good at some part or another. While studying composition in college, I knew dozens of wonderful singers, but found most of them actually struggled with theory and sight-reading (I have no idea why that is.)--they learned by ear. Others coudl improvise solos, but also struggled with reading. Others could (as they say) read the paint on the walls, but couldn't invent something if their lives depended on it. I've known composers who can barely play anything. There are just so many different areas, and they all require different talents.

Awww, c'mon, that first album was fun! 

Fun, maybe. Good, no. Not nearly as good as what came after.

What Paul's Boutique?  I bought that and thought it dreadful.  I lost interest thereafter.

Paul's Boutique wasn't their first album -- Licensed to Ill was -- but it (P.B.) is their best. Easily. It's fucking brilliant, one of the best hip hop albums ever. (Sorry, that little rant has nothing to do with Sean Lennon, whose music sucks. There. Now it does.)

Has anyone else heard Joanna Newsom's new album Ys, for which VDP arranged strings? I got my copy yesterday. It is the sort of album that I think deserves repeated listenings before comments, but it is interesting enough that I look forward to those listenings.

In case you are only marginally interested and don't want to download this, I have now posted it at my band's myspace site, too: www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

The song is the first one, "Curses and Blessings."

I did this kind of country-folkish thing today after work. (Actually I wrote it while at work. Shh. Don't tell.)

http://download.yousendit.com/3F4948C5267E0A08

Oh, about Beachwood Sparks, though--those guys are in about half a dozen bands each, it seems. Or album projects, anyway. They're all just as derivative of previous sounds as Beachwood Sparks were, too--although of different eras. Frausdots is mid 80s-sounding. SPirit One Radio, or some such title, is a psych thing in the early Pink Floyd vein. There are more I'm forgetting... The Tyde had a new album, I believe. That's one of theirs.

yes, i can undersatnd how people 'don't like newer rock'  -- but then they DO like white stripes and franz.  no criticisms of those two bands, or the poster for liking them - i like em too.... but those are just two of the most high profile bands around.  you may or may not find more you like out there....

thermals
wilco
islands
golden smog
supergrass
constantines
goldcard
deerhoof
fiery furnances
sharon jones and the dapp kings
malkmus
gorky's zygotic mynci
beachwood sparks (awe.... so sad they are gone)

So are Gorky's...they disbanded recently.