Brian Wilson/Beach Boys soundalikes...

[AWoPS]

Hello to everyone on the board!  I am a long time fan of Brian and the Beach Boys, but brand new to this board.  I hope to become an active member of the board over time.  Would be appropiate to post in this section about songs (or bands) that sound like Brian and The Beach Boys?  I have been scouring the music universe for several years tracking down such songs and have collected more than 300...and counting!

I am particularly interested in the Today/Summer Days, Summer Nights/Pet Sounds/SMiLE/Friends/Love You sounds.  If anyone on the board could point me toward more I'd appreciate it greatly - and I am open to trading.  I have posted 3 mixes at www.artofthemix.com titled "A Wall of Pet Sounds" (a 4th volume is on the way) with BW/BB soundalike songs.  If anyone is interested in hearing one of the mixes let me know.  Also, an acquaitance of mine has posted 8 volumes under the title "Pet Soundalikes."

Here is what I am trying to find:

1. Songs that sound like Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys

2. Songs that sample Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys

3. Songs that either reference or are about Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys

If you wouldn't mind posting the following info I'd be thankful:

-Artist
-Title
-Album
-Where I can get it
-Which BW/BB era does it sound like?

I know I am asking a lot...if anyone is looking for similar things let me know, I'll see what I can dig up and send you.

Thanks!

AWoPS

[AWoPS]

To get this thead moving a bit, I recommend the following, in case you haven't heard of them:

1. The Explorer's Club - best thing since the Beach Boys if you are looking for that "Brian Wilson" feeling.  Check them out on myspace and buy tunes at itunes.  Check out "I Lost My Head," "Don't Forget the Sun," and "Forever."

2. The Chymes - Last Gas.  Don't know where you can actually purchase this song, but you can hear it at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thechymes.  IF ANYONE CAN GET A DECENT QUALITY DOWNLOAD OF THIS SONG (128k or better) I'D MUCH APPRECIATE.  In fact, I'd take any download at all...I've tried to contact the band, but no response.  The song has a bit part that sounds like "Love and Mercy" mixed with Pet Sounds.

3. The Brother Kite - Waiting for the Time To Be Right.  You can get it anywhere.

Will list more if you like.

[shelter]

http://www.beachboys.com/relatedI.html
http://www.beachboys.com/relatedII.html
http://www.beachboys.com/relatedIII.html
http://www.beachboys.com/relatedIV.html
http://www.beachboys.com/relatedV.html
http://www.beachboys.com/relatedVI.html

[AWoPS]

Shelter - thank you!  I probably should have mentioned that I have scoured this site, but thank you, I had lost the link and now I have it again!

[SG7]

The Thrills "So Much For The City" album really do sound very Beach Boys ish like early 70s sounding. (


There is also a group called Augustana that has a very Beach Boys influnced song ( I feel) called "Boston" which is worthy to check out.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids - "Sons Of The Beaches"

There's a couple of songs from this album, especially "Summer Means Fun" and "Time Will Tell", which resemble the Beach Boys' sound and style...

[shelter]

Shelter - thank you!  I probably should have mentioned that I have scoured this site, but thank you, I had lost the link and now I have it again!

www.beachboys.com shouldn't be that hard to remember. 

[AWoPS]

Here is another one:

The Ruby Suns - Criterion.  Great song and it lifts directly from Sloop John B.  Pretty good stuff.

Also check out the songs "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending" and "Only a Summer Away" by Spyderbaby (produced by Mark Wirtz).

For female sung BB soundalike, go to myspace and look for a band called "The Bird and The Bee" - the song "I'm a Broken Heart" has a BW feel to it.

[chris.metcalfe]

British rock critics have spent the last two or three years dropping the name Brian Wilson into every third rate indie-band's review. Consequently, old suckers like me (who remember when critics knew s**t) have bought the likes of the Thrills, Hal, Cosmic Rough Riders, etc. Almost all this stuff is college-kid dross and sounds nothing like the BBs. Sorry. The Ruby Suns sound more interesting but more like the Byrds. The only guy who recently has shown the spirit of Brian while having very much his own sound is the brilliant Sufjan Stevens.

[AWoPS]

I agree with your assessment and have been burned several times.  While I more or less like The Thrills, the "Beach Boyness" is minimal.  Bands like Hal are, to me, more "twee" than Brian Wilson-esque.  With the Cosmic Rough Riders, I have no idea why they are compared to the BB.  Sean O'Hagan/High Llamas have been able to pull off some "SMiLE-esque" quirkiness, but the feeling of Brian's music just isn't there.

I have to admit, while I very much appreciate what Brian did - from the complexity in his music, to forging a new path in pop/rock, to the feeling his music evokes, I also enjoyh the music, plain and simple.  So when a band does write a good song that has the BB/BW feel to it, I can still enjoy it.  Take Flash Cadillac, for example.  The guys certainly are not hip, and they have a bit of a "cheese" factor - and goodness knows there is nothing original about what they are doing.  However, the songs are good, nice melodies, nice harmonies.  No reason not to just enjoy it for what it is.

I strongly recommend checking out  The Explorers Club at myspace.  These guys write good music and have great voices.  If you don't think "I Lost My Head" sounds like a Brian Wilson song you can ignore everything I post on this board.  Honestly, the first time I heard the song I thought it was a Brian Wilson song I'd somehow missed.  Also check out "Don't Forget the Sun" and "Forever" while you are there.  Forever starts out lifting the Phil Spector drum beat and quickly shifts into a Brian/Phil homage.  Really good stuff.

BTW, I only recommended one song by The Ruby Suns, Criterion, which does have a BB sound.  I do mostly agree about their overall sound though, which is why I didn't comment on any other songs.

Check out any of the *songs* I recommended, you may not like them, but they are clearly influenced by Brian and The Beach Boys.

[Jonas]

Almost all this stuff is college-kid dross and sounds nothing like the BBs. Sorry.

Agreed.

The only guy who recently has shown the spirit of Brian while having very much his own sound is the brilliant Sufjan Stevens.

Agreed.

And I have to disagree with AWoPs' sentiment of the Explorer Club, or whatever they're called. They don't sound like the Beach Boys. Sorry.

[AWoPS]

Then you haven't listened to the band.  You may not think they exihibit the same level of talent as Brian, or the same level of innovation - and I would agree, Brian is head and shoulders about even Sufjan.  But to say they don't sound like the Beach Boys?  That is not being honest.

[the captain]

The reason everyone name drops the BBs/BW in reviews is twofold:

1) SMiLE has been hip in indie circles for at least the past decade or so, if not longer. (I am not old enough to have known about indie circles before that.) Before it was released, there wasn't much better to mention (as off-handedly as possible, of course...) than that because it proved you had boots, and were thus oh-so fodaing hip.

2) Most critics are, like most fans, merdaty musicians. Vocal harmony = Beach Boys in their minds, just like 12-string electric guitars = Byrds, mellotron or harpsichord in a pop song = Beatles, and out-of-tune singer over acoustic guitar = Dylan. Criticism tends to be about immediate reference points and ego-stroking. Not much more.

As for all this Sufjan is Brilliant talk, please...enough already. He's good. Leave him there.

And as for finding BBs sound-alikes, there are none. There are great musicians who were influenced by them, of course. And there are musicians of varying quality who try to do the most blatant rip-offs possible. But finding them for the latter reason is a waste of time, in my book. A brilliant imitator of the Beach Boys is just a covers band or a jukebox. Big fodaing deal. I'd take the former any day for the same reason that I don't listen to Beach Boys records in order to hear the Four Freshmen or Chuck Berry.

[Jonas]

Then you haven't listened to the band.  You may not think they exihibit the same level of talent as Brian, or the same level of innovation - and I would agree, Brian is head and shoulders about even Sufjan.  But to say they don't sound like the Beach Boys?  That is not being honest.

And as for finding BBs sound-alikes, there are none. There are great musicians who were influenced by them, of course. And there are musicians of varying quality who try to do the most blatant rip-offs possible. But finding them for the latter reason is a waste of time, in my book. A brilliant imitator of the Beach Boys is just a covers band or a jukebox. Big fodaing deal. I'd take the former any day for the same reason that I don't listen to Beach Boys records in order to hear the Four Freshmen or Chuck Berry.

I didnt even have to say anything.

[AWoPS]

>And as for finding BBs sound-alikes, there are none. There are great musicians who were influenced by them, of >course. And there are musicians of varying quality who try to do the most blatant rip-offs possible. But finding them >for the latter reason is a waste of time, in my book. A brilliant imitator of the Beach Boys is just a covers band or a >jukebox. Big fodaing deal. I'd take the former any day for the same reason that I don't listen to Beach Boys records in >order to hear the Four Freshmen or Chuck Berry.

I think we are talking past one another here.  If you mean that no one has reached the heights of Brian and the Beach Boys, and that to compare The Explorers Club, The High Llamas, etc. to them is an insult to the talent of Brian Wilson and the boys, sure, I agree.  If you mean that when you listen to one of these bands there are not a lot of similarities between their sound and the Beach Boys sound, then you just aren't being reasonable.  Are the songs as complex?  No.  Do the harmonies sound as good?  No.  Is the song as original?  Obviously not, they are purposely copying the Beach Boys.  Do the bands have half the talent BW has?  No.  Do the songs incorporate similar elements - similar melodies and harmonies though less complex, yes.  Similar rhythm?  Yes.  Similar "feeling" though not as deep/transcendent?  Yes.  When one hears, for example, Motley Crue, the music does not call to mind the Beach Boys.  When one hears Cosmic Rough Riders there is very little that calls to mind the Beach Boys, though perhaps more than Motley Crue.  When one hears The Explorers Club, it does bring to mind the Beach Boys, even if to a trained ear the similarities are on the surface.

To deny this is not sensible.

As for finding bands that "rip-off"/copy/imitate the Beach Boys just because they are rip-offs, I am not sure who has stated this reason for searching out such bands.  My personal interest in such music is that, generally, I like the music.  Sometimes for the talent, sometimes for the simple reason I enjoy the tune.  Not everything has to be Bach or Beethoven, sometimes I just enjoy a song because I enjoy the song - and I happen to enjoy songs that have a similar "feeling" as a Brian Wilson song.  Sometimes this happens even when the song is just a shadow of a Brian Wilson-type of song.

Ultimately, I am not interested in what this or that critic claims and why.  I am interested in finding music that I like - tending to like music with a BW/BB feel, I try to find such music.  At other times I am a big fan of soul music, other times folk, still other times classical (I especially like Bach and Handel).  The "I only like brilliant musicians" thing is unecessarily elitist.  There is something to be said for brilliance, but there is also something to be said for a simple tune that recalls a certain memory or makes a guy feel a certain way - and in this there is a brilliance, even if not musical genius.  To find it is not a waste of time anymore than listening to Brian Wilson.

[the captain]

I actually also disagree that nobody has "reached the heights of the Beach Boys." They were a great band who did a lot of great music and they're gone. I guess I just don't see the point of the exercise of finding imitations. Therefore I ought to bow out of the thread. Good luck finding every band you can find that uses vocal harmonies and I-ii chord progressions ad nauseum, or wood blocks, or pianists playing block chords on every beat, etc.

[AWoPS]

You may as well bow out.  By definition you are incapable of contributing to the purpose of this thread - if the idea is to find a song that sounds like the Beach Boys and you don't think such exists, how could you add anything other than contrary ideas?  Of course you are free to do so, but why poo-poo someone else's party, right?

Ironically, though, while acknowleding that there are "rip-off" bands and naming elements common to BB songs (even if sarcastically), you have acknowleded what you deny - that there is a "BB-sound" and that there are songs/bands that have that sound.  You may think it all rubbish, but you acknowledge it nonetheless.

You are free to your opinion and perhaps you are only able to enjoy the most elite artists (having perhaps convinced yourself that Brian is a modern-day Bach or Mozart), but sometimes a good little tune is just as enjoyable as a complex piece of music.

Ta Ta

[shelter]

Two great bands that combine the early BB sound with Ramones-ish punk rock:

The Queers: they recorded punk rock versions of Hawaii, Little Honda and Don't Back Down and they fit in perfectly with their own songs, that should give you an idea of how they sound.

Travoltas: especially their early stuff was heavily influenced by early BB. Unfortionately it lacked harmonies, but the falsetto, surf/girls/car lyrics and melodies were obviously heavily influenced by the BB. They also did a "Travoltas' Party" album similar to the BB Party album.

[Roger Ryan]

Actually shelter, you inadvertently brought up the band that was heavily influenced by early Beach Boys: The Ramones. Forget the buzzsaw guitar, insane tempos and New Yawk vocals; the Ramones always sounded like they were trying to remake "All Summer Long" within their feeble means everytime out. What resulted from those "feeble means" turned out to be something fresh, exciting and/or simply fun. Certainly Spector and a whole host of 60s garage bands also had an influence, but look how many times the band tried to rewrite "Do You Remember?", "Drive-In" and "Little Honda"! The Ramones found a way to bring the innocence of the early 60s sound back to life without it seeming like a nostalgia act.

I also think this points out a crucial difference: musicians that have absorbed the ideas Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys put out there without simply mimicking the vocal sound and production arrangements tend to be more interesting. Blatant imitation is unappealing, but someone like Sufjan Stevens can take some of that BB influence and turn it into something more original. Sometimes the connection is simply an emotional one: I have always associated the Eels' "Manchild" with "Caroline, No". Both songs are placed at the end of their respective albums, both have great plaintive bridges and both feature instrumental fadeouts mixed with sound effects; but beyond that the songs have nothing in common. Still, there is that emotional response that both songs invoke which will always connect the two for me.

Elvis Costello has publicly stated that his "Favorite Hour" was influenced by "Surf's Up". You can spot the influence once pointed out, but the Costello track is not a slavish reproduction of the earlier song. That's the way it should be. If an artist or band is influenced by the Beach Boys, they better be bringing something fresh to the mix as well for the "new" song to hold up.

[shelter]

Actually shelter, you inadvertently brought up the band that was heavily influenced by early Beach Boys: The Ramones.

I know, I played in a Ramones cover band for a (short) while. But I think Spector had A LOT more influence on them than the Beach Boys.

[PMcC]

instrumentally, has anyone mentioned the High Llamas "Hawaii"? Got it on the stereo in the bathroom. Excellent music to shave by.

[AWoPS]

I own the disc.  I have never been able to fully get into The High Llamas, but Hawaii is the one disc I by THL that I have in my collection (or should I say, two discs)...pretty good stuff, though not totally my cup of tea.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I am doing them like this... band (album): what era BBs it sounds like

1. Music Tapes (Imaginary Symphony of Nomad): Smile
2. Pollyphonic Spree (Together We're Heavy): Pet Sounds, Smile and Sunflower
3. Grandaddy (Under the Western Freeway): Friends, Surfs Up and Love You
4. REM (Up): Sunflower and Surfs Up
5. ELO (Time): Love You and LA Light Album

These are a few that I really enjoy

[shelter]

instrumentally, has anyone mentioned the High Llamas "Hawaii"? Got it on the stereo in the bathroom. Excellent music to shave by.

I love the High Llamas' sound, but they seem to lack the skills to write any truely memorable songs.

[PMcC]

Yeah, I noticed that. One song seems to run into another without gaining your attention. A couple of songs stand out, but I think there are too many of them on this collection. It would have made a better 'single' album with all of the best songs. I'm not crazy about his voice, his harmony arrangements are not particularly memorable, but the mood he gets from the music is very nice and BW-ish. I wish he would've left out a few of those dumb sound effects segueing between songs.