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Author Topic: Who Sounds Like The Beach Boys?  (Read 6651 times)
willmansell
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« on: April 24, 2018, 12:52:17 PM »

What are everyone's favourite modern (90's and beyond) bands that sound like or take heavy inspiration from the Beach Boys?

I've been compiling playlists, mostly with chamber pop bands like the High Llamas and Olivia Tremor Control. There's also newer bands like the Explorers Club and The Lemon Twigs.

I'd like to know what others have found over the years!

 


« Last Edit: April 24, 2018, 01:03:29 PM by willmansell » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2018, 03:32:09 PM »

Well, a lot of people said Animal Collective was Beach Boys-esque when Merriweather Post Pavillion came out.

This song in particular could be an artsy-modern interpretation of a Beach Boys song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhtIIyvivSw
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Rick5150
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« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2018, 04:21:56 PM »

Quote
Who Sounds Like The Beach Boys?
Nobody. Not Mike's band. Not Brian's band. They had a truly special vocal stack that has not been matched.
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willmansell
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« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2018, 04:34:32 PM »

Haha, obviously not. I like the BB for their uniqueness.

I just find it interesting that whilst a lot of characteristic older songwriting/production styles are being copied today to huge success (i.e uptown funk with the eighties, Greta Van Fleet the Led Zep cover band, Amy Winehouse etc. etc.), no one has tried to step in Brian's footsteps and produce orchestral, jazzy, catchy rock music with huge vocal backing... or at least not successfully.

Perhaps the chemistry between the boys is something that will never again be achieved. I don't think one singer stacking themselves could get close to that.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2018, 06:48:25 PM »

What are everyone's favourite modern (90's and beyond) bands that sound like or take heavy inspiration from the Beach Boys?

I've been compiling playlists, mostly with chamber pop bands like the High Llamas and Olivia Tremor Control. There's also newer bands like the Explorers Club and The Lemon Twigs.

I'd like to know what others have found over the years!

 

COMMENT to willmansell:

That's an easy answer for me !!

Any of Alan Boyd's "Channel Surfing" songs.

Look on the link below for some of his songs. Also Google further on the  second, third, and forth Google lists for even more of Alan's work.

Listen and I think you'rll agree, this is the closest to THE BEACH BOY SOUND that you will find.

I think you can still buy CD's from Alan Boyd. Contact him on the Honored Guests thread above for further info.

Check it out >>> https://www.google.com/search?q=alan+boyd+channel+surfing&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmq9iJo9TaAhXEu1MKHfaAAcEQ_AUICigB&biw=1152&bih=628

~swd


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Lady Lynda
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« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2018, 07:45:36 PM »

Very nice!  I really like the sound of the music of Alan Boyd.  Definitely has a Beach Boys feel.  Thanks for sharing.
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the captain
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« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2018, 07:15:30 AM »

This is a journey many of us have taken, I suppose: with a limited catalog, eventually one tries to find lookalike supplements. In the late 90s to the mid 00s I was doing the same thing, including with some of those bands you mentioned. My unsolicited opinion on the whole effort is that it ends up empty: any group worth its salt isn’t trying to ape another band, but to add different influences or (hopefully) create something new. Those bands, then, peel off from being Beach Boys (or Beatles, or whoever) sound-alikes, while those that really stick to a script are just inferior and somewhat dull copycats.
 
It complicates it even more that the Beach Boys, like every great band worth copying, is too diverse to be easily copied. Are you channeling “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Surf’s Up,” “Kokomo”? Maybe “Sail On, Sailor,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” or “Busy Doin Nothin”? There are so many elements to incorporate, and it’s pretty unlikely that any band’s taste would lean toward more than a couple of them (unless it’s an actual copycat pastiche kind of act). Think of it this way: would the Beach Boys have been great if they served as the result of a Chuck Berry fan’s quest to find a band that sounded like Chuck Berry? Or the Four Freshmen? It’s the combination of diverse sounds in a unique way that makes any band great.
 
But while you’re searching, and since you mentioned Olivia Tremor Control (who pretty rarely sounded like the Beach Boys, I think, but certainly worshipped Smile-era stuff), you can dig a lot deeper into the associated bands from that same circle, the Elephant 6 collective. Especially in the late 90s and early 00s, a lot of those groups (especially since they tended to share the same musicians) mined that Beach Boys territory, along with the adjacent Beatles, Kinks, and Os Mutantes. If you liked OTC in particular, their offshoot bands Sunshine Fix and Circulatory System would probably be to your liking. Early Of Montreal has its Beach Boys moments, and did Beulah. The Music Tapes shared the so-called experimental vibe of OTC. Chocolate USA, the Essex Green, the Ladybug Transistor, Black Swan Network, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, the Late BP Helium, Marshmallow Coast, and the Minders are others that had a mid-to-late 60s pop vibe that sometimes reflected various Beach Boys sounds… Heck, Apples in Stereo basically came into existence based on a chance train-ride conversation about the Beach Boys and later named their studio Pet Sounds Studios.
 
Most longtime posters have seen a lot of these bands name-checked a million times by now, as this sort of thread pops up somewhat often. Usually the better music being cited doesn’t really sound like the Beach Boys on a consistent basis, but is heavily influenced by them in some way; the influence shows up only here and there, not everywhere. (Raspberries and Eric Carmen, Big Star and Alex Chilton, REM, Super Furry Animals, Belle & Sebastian and God Help the Girl, the Delgados, Flaming Lips, Wondermints, Cotton Mather, the Shins, Fleet Foxes, Dent May, Eels, Girls, Jeremy Messersmith, Euros Childs, Tame Impala, aforementioned Animal Collective and offshoot solo Panda Bear, some Dirty Projectors, etc.) That or it name-drops the BBs. Sometimes it’s some of each, like in Splitsville’s Pet Soul. None of these really sounds like the Beach Boys, but all of these has moments that are clearly either inspired by, similar to, or derivative of them to some degree.
 
Happy hunting (even though I hope you give up).
« Last Edit: April 25, 2018, 07:16:32 AM by the captain » Logged

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« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2018, 08:19:44 AM »

What are everyone's favourite modern (90's and beyond) bands that sound like or take heavy inspiration from the Beach Boys?

I've been compiling playlists, mostly with chamber pop bands like the High Llamas and Olivia Tremor Control. There's also newer bands like the Explorers Club and The Lemon Twigs.

I'd like to know what others have found over the years!

 

COMMENT again to willmansell:

If it's the tribute band sound you are looking for consider this . . .

Back in 1985 Telarc (a high-quality record company) issued an album and CD (I bought both) called

"CALIFORNIA PROJECT -- Papa Doo Run Run"

It sounded like the Beach Boys, but the recording was true to the Telarc audiophile grade sound -- extreme fidelity. Nominated for a Grammy in '86.

That CD is hard to find, but in looking around the Internet I came across this offer you should check out.

This looks like a real value -- 10 albums of California Project, including the Telarc Papa Do Run Run & a video for $30.00

>>> http://www.papadoo.com/music.htm

Looking at the Papa Doo Run Run Telarc album on the above link, click on any title for a sample of that song.

Take five minutes and look at the band's video live performance

>>> http://www.papadoo.com/video.htm

Watching this video reminds me of the concert sound I use to mix when all six real Beach Boys were on stage performing; tight and smooth.
Note the chart. By clicking on the "YOU TUBE" box of any title, it takes you to a video of that song.

While you're checking out the "California Project" link listed above, keep going to "next page" and for you will find in several pages -- a treasure trove of Surfing Music, and Beach Boy Tribute bands.


~swd

« Last Edit: April 25, 2018, 09:32:19 AM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
Summertime Blooz
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« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2018, 11:38:12 AM »

Check out Louis Philippe. Beautiful music. He seems to get overlooked in these types of threads until I bring him up.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2018, 11:39:33 AM by krabklaw » Logged

Please visit 'The American(a) Trip Slideshow' where you can watch the videos and listen to fan mixes of all the Smile songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doOws3284PQ&list=PLptIp1kEl6BWNpXyJ_mb20W4ZqJ14-Hgg
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« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2018, 02:23:36 PM »

The Surfin’ Lungs from the UK. Heavily influenced by The Beach Boys and The Ramones in equal measure.
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« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2018, 02:35:07 PM »

My favorite Beach Boys tribute band is the Fendertones! I found them on Facebook and YouTube Grin Their attention to detail in recreating the Beach Boys recordings is incredible!
Thanks to Mr. Desper for the info on Channel Surfing by Alan Boyd. I ordered the CD after listening to it on YouTube!
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« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2018, 03:25:24 PM »

Re Steohen Despers comments on Papa Doo Run Run 's California Project -- that is where Jeff Foskett did a cracking version of Warmth of the Sun
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2018, 04:17:22 PM »

My favorite Beach Boys tribute band is the Fendertones! I found them on Facebook and YouTube


COMMENT to DisneySpirit:

When the Fendertones decided to re-create Surf's Up, their Musical Director got in touch with Bruce Johnston about the project. Bruce and Michael decided to help and to sing background too -- along with other musicians you will recognize.  You will see them in the link below . . . at the fade.

Bruce gave me a call while they were working out the parts to see if I had any tracks that would help them in the fade. I did have exactly what Bruce wanted and sent several tracks to him, which he used to teach the parts to the singers. He wanted them to hear how some of the chords evolve, which I was able to isolate in the tracks I supplied.

It may come as a surprise to you, but Bruce did all the vocal arrangements for the Surf's Up fade -- which is why he was so interested in working with the Fendertones on this song. His goal was to bring out some of the dissonance chords at the end of this fade that were hard to hear in the original recording. If you listen at the end of the fade, these are accented for that very reason.

FENDERTONES -- SURF'S UP >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKx6t8T9iwY 


~swd

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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2018, 12:40:42 AM »

I don't think The Fendertones should belong in this thread, because they are a Beach Boys cover band and I think willmansell  meant bands that are influened by The Beach Boys and are close to sounding like them

The Heavy Blinkers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTD2Jn0J8Kc

The Surf School Dropouts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJIxbgLnZx4

And this REM song sounds exactly like The Beach Boys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXs66BPooY
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« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2018, 04:11:56 AM »

Hey Hot Rod, I am really digging the REM song. Thanks!
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« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2018, 06:52:05 AM »

I don't think The Fendertones should belong in this thread, because they are a Beach Boys cover band and I think willmansell  meant bands that are influened by The Beach Boys and are close to sounding like them

The Heavy Blinkers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTD2Jn0J8Kc

The Surf School Dropouts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJIxbgLnZx4

And this REM song sounds exactly like The Beach Boys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXs66BPooY

COMMENT to Hot Rod:   I listened to several of the offerings by The Heavy Blinkers. Good stuff. Thanks for the link. ~swd
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« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2018, 01:05:14 PM »

Just thought I'd link the recent Sail On podcast - I Can't Believe It's Not The Beach Boys!

https://sailon.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-2-i-cant-believe-its-not-the-beach-boys/


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« Reply #17 on: April 28, 2018, 07:00:53 PM »

A couple of songs that to me have definite Beach Boys influence, at least vocally are California Girl and Fly At Night  by Chilliwack. I know the older than the 1990's but thought it might be overlooked here.


Fly At Night   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKY7yonQ_I4

California Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoUJb1KZGiw

Another song that I am sure has been brought up on this board before is The Ghost At Number One by Jellyfish. At 1:33 I really hear Carl and Bruce....or is it Brian....?

The Ghost at Number 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgKjC2V4xfk

Of course there is Beach Boys influence in a lot of Weezer music and their photo styles:


California Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMeu0ZubufU

Weezer and The Beach Boys Similarities  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aITqHaYZWFo
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« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2018, 04:17:22 AM »

In the vein of The Captain's post, rather than bands that set out to sound like the BBs, I prefer bands that merely love them, and set out to sound like themselves; in this sense Frank Black is worth mentioning.  It is seen in his solo work (w/ the Catholics) more than his group work w/ the Pixies.
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« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2018, 01:02:46 PM »

Stephen...I too enjoy Alan Boyd's 'Channel Surfing' album.  It is available a cdbaby.com 

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanboyd2

...as are these 2 Vinyl Kings' releases which spend considerable time being influenced by both Brian and also by those 4 fab fellas from Liverpool.

 https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/vinylkings
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« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2018, 07:12:49 AM »

Grandaddy has a Beach Boys vibe

https://youtu.be/NUDLFkRAAv0
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« Reply #21 on: April 30, 2018, 09:32:18 AM »

This is a journey many of us have taken, I suppose: with a limited catalog, eventually one tries to find lookalike supplements. In the late 90s to the mid 00s I was doing the same thing, including with some of those bands you mentioned. My unsolicited opinion on the whole effort is that it ends up empty: any group worth its salt isn’t trying to ape another band, but to add different influences or (hopefully) create something new. Those bands, then, peel off from being Beach Boys (or Beatles, or whoever) sound-alikes, while those that really stick to a script are just inferior and somewhat dull copycats.
 
It complicates it even more that the Beach Boys, like every great band worth copying, is too diverse to be easily copied. Are you channeling “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Surf’s Up,” “Kokomo”? Maybe “Sail On, Sailor,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” or “Busy Doin Nothin”? There are so many elements to incorporate, and it’s pretty unlikely that any band’s taste would lean toward more than a couple of them (unless it’s an actual copycat pastiche kind of act). Think of it this way: would the Beach Boys have been great if they served as the result of a Chuck Berry fan’s quest to find a band that sounded like Chuck Berry? Or the Four Freshmen? It’s the combination of diverse sounds in a unique way that makes any band great.
 
But while you’re searching, and since you mentioned Olivia Tremor Control (who pretty rarely sounded like the Beach Boys, I think, but certainly worshipped Smile-era stuff), you can dig a lot deeper into the associated bands from that same circle, the Elephant 6 collective. Especially in the late 90s and early 00s, a lot of those groups (especially since they tended to share the same musicians) mined that Beach Boys territory, along with the adjacent Beatles, Kinks, and Os Mutantes. If you liked OTC in particular, their offshoot bands Sunshine Fix and Circulatory System would probably be to your liking. Early Of Montreal has its Beach Boys moments, and did Beulah. The Music Tapes shared the so-called experimental vibe of OTC. Chocolate USA, the Essex Green, the Ladybug Transistor, Black Swan Network, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, the Late BP Helium, Marshmallow Coast, and the Minders are others that had a mid-to-late 60s pop vibe that sometimes reflected various Beach Boys sounds… Heck, Apples in Stereo basically came into existence based on a chance train-ride conversation about the Beach Boys and later named their studio Pet Sounds Studios.
 
Most longtime posters have seen a lot of these bands name-checked a million times by now, as this sort of thread pops up somewhat often. Usually the better music being cited doesn’t really sound like the Beach Boys on a consistent basis, but is heavily influenced by them in some way; the influence shows up only here and there, not everywhere. (Raspberries and Eric Carmen, Big Star and Alex Chilton, REM, Super Furry Animals, Belle & Sebastian and God Help the Girl, the Delgados, Flaming Lips, Wondermints, Cotton Mather, the Shins, Fleet Foxes, Dent May, Eels, Girls, Jeremy Messersmith, Euros Childs, Tame Impala, aforementioned Animal Collective and offshoot solo Panda Bear, some Dirty Projectors, etc.) That or it name-drops the BBs. Sometimes it’s some of each, like in Splitsville’s Pet Soul. None of these really sounds like the Beach Boys, but all of these has moments that are clearly either inspired by, similar to, or derivative of them to some degree.
 
Happy hunting (even though I hope you give up).

Thanks Captain, a really thought out and well articulated response. As much as it is about finding similar music, I think my hunt for these bands is also just so I can read about how much other musicians love the BB and Brian's work. I get a big kick when a band I like starts fawning over albums like Holland or Love You that the general public doesn't know exist.

As you say any group worth their salt diverge from their influences and create something new, but it's nice to see how they've incorporated the musical approach and sounds that they loved in Brian's compositions.

I will continue the search, and although I know I'll never find The Beach Boys reincarnate, I'll be able to remind myself there are others out there who are still successfully building on the BB's legacy.
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« Reply #22 on: April 30, 2018, 03:24:17 PM »

https://surfschooldropouts.bandcamp.com/

Montage made by isolated harmony vocals off second album, 'Second Nature': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr_j76JDuX8

« Last Edit: April 30, 2018, 03:31:39 PM by kwan_dk » Logged

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