BeachBoys.com: The Complete Guide

REVIEW: I was clued into Matt Tyson by fellow fan Ron Anderson, and finally have gotten around to purchasing their first two albums, both of which have a strong affinity with the vocal stylings of the early Beach Boys sound, circa 1964. The Malibus is actually the work of one man, who wrote and sang most of the tracks on Keep An Eye On The Malibus, his debut album. The songs are all originals, but hew closely to the Four Freshman/Chuck Berry template that informed The Beach Boys unique American sound. There are Brian Wilson touchstones scattered throughout the album that reminds me of specific Beach Boys songs, such as "Moment That Well Fell"'s strong affinity with "Keep An Eye On Summer", or "Keep An Eye On Gina"'s mixing of "Fun Fun Fun" and "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", or the Pet Sounds vibe found on "Somethimes I Need To Be Alone." I would describe Matt's sound as "The Beach Boys on Amphetamines" - everything sounds a bit busy - from the melodies which jump in and out of falsetto with little reason other than to showcase Tyson's impressive vocal acrobatics, to the songs themselves, which try very hard to ape Brian Wilson's sense of time and place, but missing the real emotional bedrock that Brian Wilson and Mike Love brought to their songs. Also, the production sounds a little thick, I felt like a lot of details, especially vocals, were being buried in the mix, but with so much going on, the denseness helps tracks like the Spector-ish "Lucky In Love". There are several beautiful and impressive moments here: stunning, harmony breaks, propulsive songwriting, and enough deja-vu moments for Beach Boys fans to get a real kick out of. Released on CD-R media, and definitely worth checking out. Also available in high-quality mp3: Keep An Eye On the Malibus (mp3 album)

REVIEW: Three years after the disastrous CD debut of the "new" Rip Chords, Collectables shovels out another Rip Chords album The Rip Chords ...Now!, this once featuring more studio covers, a few new songs (including the self-referential "Bruce and Terry Told Me") and surprise, surprise, a 1961 "pre-Rip Chords" track from Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus which makes its debut here. Well, is there anything here for Beach Boys fans? There's re-recordings of some Rip Chords tracks penned by Bruce Johnston & Terry Melcher: "Summer U.S.A." and "Big Wednesday"; one soggy Carribean number "Ocean Breeze," an Al Jardine number, "Lookin' At Tomorrow" (which appeared on the Beach Boys Surf's Up album) with its socially-conscious message sounding completely out of place next to the surf and drag songs; and a couple of competent pastiches: "Surf City Ain't No City" and "Go Go Red and White Vette". There's also the bluesy "Fuzzy Dice" and the superfluous "Mustang Love". The self-referential (and self-serving) "Bruce and Terry Told Me" is one of the best tracks here - a rocker that benefits from an energy and verve that most of the album lacks. The most interesting track for me was the previously mentioned "My Summer Baby," which comes from 1961, and is the only track here that fully captures the sound of the era, with an innocuous lyric and youthful delivery that shows why Rich and Arnie were the perfect choice to become the touring Rip Chords back in the day. Three or four tracks out of the whole which I'd recommend hearing.

REVIEW: It's been a long, dry spell since I've heard any artist who consistently and competently manages to capture the magic of The Beach Boys in modern-day music. But now, like rain descending on a scorched desert, here comes The Explorer's Club, and their album Freedom Wind, which is everything I could've wished for in a Beach Boys album, tribute or otherwise. The band, which consists of Jason Brewer, Jimmy Faust, Dave Ellis, Wally Reddington, Stefan Rogenmoser, and Neil Thomas, tap into the zeitgeist of Brian Wilson and Co. so completely, so coolly, that with just a little tweak of the imagination, it's not hard to imagine the second coming of The Beach Boys while listening. It's not just that the band strives so hard to capture the sound of the sixties in their production touches, it's how successfully they grasp the feeling of the times - the innocence and decadence - startlingly shown in the juxtapositions of "Honey, I Don't Know Why" with its turbulent growl nicely offsetting the sweet, Wilson-esque "Don't Forget The Sun" which is so sweet and easy that you'd swear it's a lost track off The Beach Boys' *Friends*. Or the very cool, stripped down harmonic acrobatics of "Lost My Head," which sounds as if it came from the trippy Smiley Smile sessions. In fact, half of the fun, and the joy of listening to Freedom Wind is pinpointing exactly which album The Explorer's Club is emulating, and they do it so well - "Do You Love Me" has the dry, synthesized whine found on Love You before morphing into something sweeter and hookier on the chorus; or the Pet Sounds instrumental "Summer Air" which glides by so serenely and perfectly that it's become one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is a band who "gets" Brian Wilson in the same way the Wondermints do - triple threats who can write, sing and play original music just like The Beach Boys would've in their prime; and that's saying a whole bunch. I've just fallen in love with these guys - a superb, near-perfect album. Also available as part of their first digital download single is a bonus track, "Carry On", which sounds like something Dennis Wilson might have penned for his Pacific Ocean Blue.

REVIEW: If I lived over in Italy, I have no doubts whatsoever that I would be a Sunny Boys groupie, ...you know, hanging out at concerts, waiting to get their autograph, trying to imitate some of their guitar licks... Best known for being a highly skilled Beach Boys cover band, Gianluca Leone (who wrote all of the songs here) and Company have produced their first full album of original music, and although they're obviously informed by the sound of Brian Wilson and Mike Love's music, these guys are no Beach Boys clones. The songs have an undeniable "Italian" flavor to them, which, when married to these sunny California harmonies, creates something truly unique. The music is remarkable, each track having its own flavor and style; the hooks are huge, the harmonies impeccable, the playing powerful, and the songs are slices of sheer California-by-way-of-Rome fun. The Sunny Boys have attracted their fair share of Beach Boys fans too, with everyone from Andrew Doe to Jeff Foskett jumping on their bandwagon, and neither of them are musical slouches. I really can't pick a favorite track, although I adore "Caroline, " "She's My Summer Dream" "Full Throttle" "Freerider" and frankly, pretty much everything else as well. If I can think of a single nit-picky thing (and I'm really splitting hairs here) it's that I wish the production was dirtier, a bit more Wall-of-Sound; the recording is very clean and defined, lacking only that unique sonic power that Brian Wilson was able to create with his primitive equipment; but it's all so gorgeous and perfect, you'd swear at times that you're listening to a lost platter from The Beach Boys, circa 1964. They're that good. And not only are they remarkable musicians, they are genuinely nice guys as well. You can purchase this album directly from their website, and I unreservedly recommend it.

REVIEW: Released almost exactly a year after their debut album, Matt Tyson's second album, Now! veers somewhat from their Beach Boys-on-speed formula that defined their debut, and it's all to the good. Still hewing closely to their Beach Boys harmony-surf templet, it's easy to hear parallels to Beach Boys songs, with "Fun When The Weekend Comes" steering closely to "Fun, Fun, Fun" territory, and "What's A Guy Supposed To Do" a close cousin to both "Good To My Baby" and "She Knows Me Too Well", but charting it's own course. I still feel like the vocals get buried in the production, with percussion taking precedence over the singing in the rocking "You Know What I Mean" and the equally thunderous "I Don't Mind" which is a far harder-rocking sound than anything The Beach Boys recorded, sounding like something The Dave Clark Five might have done in their heyday. But overall, this is an impressive collection of original songs, and the vocal harmony arrangements and wealth of songwriting riches here are, if anything, more clean and distinct than their debut. Favorites include the frenetic cousin "My Little Malibu", "Can't Make My Mind", "Marianne (Makes Everything Different)" "After All This Time", the ELO-flavored "A Little More Love" and "MCMLXV" (1965). The second half of the album is fantastic, and I'm looking forward to their next album, California Myth, which is due in August, 2009. Highly recommended. Also available as a HQ MP3 download: Matt Tyson Now!

Matt Tyson: California Myth
Mai Tai Sun Records ST1006 [CD-R];
Released July 13, 2009

REVIEW: Matt Tyson has to be considered one of the few modern artists who can accurately capture not just the sound, but the feeling of 1960s surf & drag music. Not only is Matt a canny songwriter, but he's able to sing all the harmonies himself, very much like Brian Wilson was able to at times during The Beach Boys career. On this, his second (or third, or fourth, depending on if you count the free "covers" CDs he also offers with purchases of his albums) release, he serves up another thick slice of the California Myth on this, his latest in a prolific release schedule. The CD begins with a short invocation to surfing, "My Turn To Ride" and continues with a land-locked love letter "I Just Can't Reach The Beach". "Say You Love Me Again" is one of his few ballads, a sweet, Spector-ish production, followed by the title track, a reverent hymn to California, that contains a nod to "Caroline, No" in its heart-rendingly impassioned lyric, which name-drops several other artist's songs as it recounts the golden age of West Coast cultism. "I Wanna" is next, another lovely mid-tempo ballad, followed by a fascinating foray into 80s pop experimentalism: "Felicity" which smartly changes up the formula, taking the music into a different direction. "Land Lovin' Beauty" takes a cue from the doo-wop of "Car Crazy Cutie" while "Every Minute, Every Second" is another Spectorish cut, with a little nod to "Surfer Girl" in it's melody. "Top Down" sounds like a little brother to "Shut Down" with a little bit of The Shangri-Las "Leader of the Pack" in its bloodline. "Maui Breeze" is a sweet, misty paean to tropical beaches, while "The Big Kahuna" pays tribute to the monster waves of the Pacific islands. "Judy Knows Malibu" is a frenetic up-change in tempo, and sounds like the kind of song Matt Tyson can throw off in his sleep. He take a creative leap with the nine-minute-long "Tidal Wave (Water Suite)" which closes out the album - it's an ambitious suite filled with short instrumental/vocal "feels" stitched together exactly like Brian Wilson can create. My only hang up about this album is its a little sterile - a purely studio creation of one man - these songs would gain a new dimension if they could be played and sung live by a band (like, say, The Beach Boys!) That said, however, California Myth is yet another easily-recommendable album that Beach Boys fans should seek out.

The Rip Chords: Cobra Beach
Home Room Productions/RFM Music HRRFM2009 [CD];
Released July 16, 2009

REVIEW: It's strange to think that the modern-day incarnation of The Rip Chords has outstripped the original band in its output. With their third album Cobra Beach, the current lineup (anchored by original touring band members Richie Rotkin and Arnie Marcus) has outlasted the Bruce & Terry led Rip Chords by several years, and one album. To be fair, the sixties Rip Chords had more original songs under their belt, and the quality of the former Rips is undeniably higher than the latter-day version. But on this album, The Rip Chords really polish their sound, and approach the quality of songwriting and production values that Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher were able to bring to their albums. In fact, it's so far ahead of their previous two albums in quality and appeal that I have no problems with recommending it in full - from the retro-drag vibe of "Red Hot Roadster" to the catchy commercial shilling of "Body Glove World" to the head-banging "All Out!" with it's impossibly catchy riff, the CD starts out full-bore, and what's even more surprising, The Rip Chords try hard to match the original sound of the '64 studio band - listen to the shimmery sound on their remakes of "Red Hot Roadster" and "Here I Stand" - it has that same odd compressed sound that the old Rip Chords managed. The excellent "Hot Rod Holiday" brings some familiar sleigh bells to the mix and a hot guitar lick to boot. A wonderful acoustic guitar kicks off the nostalgic "Hot Rod Days Revisited" and features lots harmonies and a catchy lead vocal. "Beast of the East" is reminiscent of the twisted Rat Fink records of Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos, and "Red Light Girl" is a jittery paean to prostitutes which is far more fun than it has any right to be. "Hello To Summer" closes out the album proper, with the album ending with a hot live version of the instrumental title track, and a rare 1959 be-bop acetate of "Lights Out" which Rich and Arnie recorded in their pre-Rip days. An all-around excellent album, well worth purchasing for genre fans.

REVIEW: The Smiles are what is becoming more and more common in the era of digital downloads: a college band that has raised money, and promoted themselves via the internet. I discovered The Smiles via YouTube, through two sources: singer/songwriter Will Sturgeon's virtuoustic originals, as well as equally talented John McGrath, (see him with Will performing the unreleased "The Rabbit") who's previous group The Emilia Band released a 60s-flavored album that I found familiarly compelling. These two met at USC, and The Smiles were born. Taking their name from The Beach Boys' lost album, and their California good vibes from their love of feel-good music, Hermosa is a brief, powerful punch of jittery Jamaican guitar work, California topicality, and the dual indie pop sensibilites of Sturgeon and McGrath. The songs: "Cala Cola" (previously titled the trademark-infringing "Coca Cola") races through it's patter lyric and chiming chords with breathless alacrity; "Sun" shows off Will and John's interesting use of dueling vocals, with competing vocal lines, like two simultaneous trains of thought, coming together in Everly Brothers-like harmony on the chorus. "Swimming" sound like it could be a cut off the Beach Boys first album, with a urgent thrust and yelping chorus that reminded me strongly of Dennis Wilson's young vocals. The most Jamaican-sounding cut on the album, "I Could Love You More" is full of sunny, laid back feeling, while "Girl I Love" has a "409" feel to it, bathed in glittering guitar work and stunning drum runs (courtesy of band members Mark Edwards and Brendan Kirlin, respectively). The EP concludes with "California Girls" (not the Beach Boys song) a captivating paean to the lovely ladies of the Golden State. Although only 17 minutes long, Hermosa is brimming full with good vibrations of the best kind, and one listen is certain to make you smile. The album is available for HQ download here. Also check out an otherwise unreleased track on YouTube: "Crack"

Matt Tyson: Malibu Jukebox
Mai Tai Sun Records [MP3] [CD-R];
Released October 21, 2010

REVIEW: The prolific and multi-talented Matt Tyson continues his sonic love-affair with the sound of The Beach Boys on his latest release Malibu Jukebox, a collection of original songs, all boasting the polished sheen of Brian Wilson-esque harmonies, Phil Spector-like production touches, and impressive vocal gymnastics that are part of Matt's many musical strengths. Matt makes no secret of his artistic influences, with "The Ooh Wah Song", "Cars, Surfboards & Girls", and "Shoulda Been Here Yesterday" all liberally name-dropping iconic bands and songs from the Sixties, and songs like "A Quiet Place" strongly echoing "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times". Meanwhile, the lush, melancholy "I'll Be True To You" and melodically challenging "Belief" sound like they could be lost tracks from Pet Sounds. While Matt's multifaceted roles as singer/songwriter/producer and multi-instrumentalist ties his albums together sonically, Malibu Jukebox dips its toe more fully into other musical directions, with "Angela" and "Talk of the Town" psychologically darker slices of California sunshine than is usual. Matt's pop sensibilities are stronger than ever on this release, with several tracks that sound to my ears like prime contenders for release as singles - this is good stuff, folks, and if you haven't taken the time to listen to Matt's music before, Malibu Jukebox is the perfect place to start.

REVIEW: My favorite Minnesota band returns with this melancholic, backwards-looking album Northern Summer ...and all year long! that is a perfect companion to The Beach Boys elegiac That's Why God Made The Radio. Filled with sweet harmonies, gentle melodies, and brimming with wistful memories of the past, the men of Northern Light filter Beach Boys sentiments through rose-tinted Minnesota sensibilities. The most striking aspect of this new album is the wintry cast that chills the summer sentiments expressed throughout. The songs all have a sad cast that seems to regret the lost past, with songs like "'64 Summer Girl", "I Hold A Candle" "Lost Friends" and "Old Cape Cod/Summer's Gone" referencing a new maturity in the band's sound that makes this a bit of a blue album to listen to. Beach Boys touches still linger throughout, from the "Keep An Eye On Summer" acapella intro to "There Is Only One Jill" to the opening trio of Summer-themed songs, and the none-too-subtle destination songs like "Hillaway Trails" and the 2012 remix of their most famous song, "Minnesota" which closes out the disc. At times it feels like Northern Light has sold out to the Minnesota Tourist Bureau! Other songs just seem to be too slow and clunky for my tastes, with "Regular Joe" going absolutely nowhere, and the afore-mentioned "Lost Friends" a bit too 50s rock 'n' roll for what I assume is supposed to be a tribute to missing chums. And the band seems to be trying too hard to connect to Brian's weirder moments with the ode to "French Fries" Still, the entire album has a genial, friendly air to it, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with the band in the first place. Worth checking out if you're already a fan.

REVIEW: Italian Beach Boys fansters The Sunny Boys leave the cradle with this third release, retaining the melodic sweetness and honeyed harmonies of their first two albums, but venturing into far more individualistic, punkier territory than any of their previous discs. And surprise, surprise - it works, BIG TIME. No longer sounding like Brian Wilson progenies, FreebOObin' (yeah, I know) sounds like their own album, shedding their youthful idealism and growing up on this fierce, fearless new album of pop stunners. Released with the promotional tag: "All killers, no filler" The Sunny Boys sound reborn; darker, and much more cynical, but their music retains all the melodicism and sunny harmonies, now married to a tougher world-view, no doubt earned by their baptism-by-fire touring schedule and burgeoning success. Frankly, going in I was a little worried by the title of the album, and tracks like "Backstage Boom Boom" - I wondered if this was going to a descent into panting teenage angst; but nothing could be further from the truth - this album is their most mature outing yet, and shows the band growing exponentially in both their performing chops, and songwriting skills. I'm having a hard time picking a favorite track - it's easily the strongest overall set of songs I've heard in a long time, from the crispy guitar intro of "Popsicle Dreams Again" to the fire-breathing chorus of "Backstage Boom Boom". Production values are top notch, giving each song a professional sheen light-years ahead of their previous discs. This is the sunniest, funnest, rocking-est album I've heard in many years, and leaps to the top of my playlist. If you haven't yet discovered this Euro-sensation, then I strongly suggest that you begin here - this is a FANTASTIC album. Whoo!

REVIEW: I was turned on to the Danish band Surf School Dropouts by band vocalist Martin R. Jensen, who, along with Andreas Jacobsen (vocals, keyboards, bass, drums, guitars, various)
Christian Bendix (vocals, bass, guitars) and Jari Nielsen (vocals, guitars) bring an intriguing mix of early surf pop and Friends-era easy-going vibes to their debut album. They've managed to perfectly capture the early-Sixties feel of "Surfin' Safari" to songs like "Summer Is A State Of Mind" and "Searchin' For The Perfect Wave" while alternately penning such harmonic wonders as "The Road Ahead Of Me" and "Baby I Long To Be Yours" which drip with the kind of aching melancholy which Brian Wilson brought to such songs as "The Lonely Sea" and "'Til I Die". Unlike their jet-propelled Italian doppelgängers The Sunny Boys, Surf School Dropouts key into the heart-tugging ballads which were a hallmark of The Beach Boys most mature albums. The playing and singing are all excellent, with effortless falsetto, tight harmonies, and production which, while not as thick as Brian Wilson's best work, is filled with touchstones of Beach Boys sounds which will instantly take the listener back to the golden days of summer. This is an album I found myself loving from beginning to end, with latter tracks "Stone Cold Crazy" and the Spector-like "Hold On To Me" really flipping my lid. Not a weak track here, folks - and not only that, but it's an album that will leave you smiling, and how many artists carry that kind of good vibrations around with them these days? Another strong release that everyone should check out.