Results tagged “beachboys”

                     

Whether the Beach Boys were singing about showing off their cars, surfing, falling in love or eating hamburgers, they made it sound like the most wonderful thing, like you wanted to be doing that right now. Kids in Omaha might not be able to relate to songs about surfing, but anybody could get what songs like “I Get Around” and “Fun Fun Fun” were about. Much like Eddie Cochran’s “Somethin’ Else”, they were about nothing less than the American dream: idealism, pursuit of happiness, pride of ownership and the kind of freedom you can only get from your own set of wheels. Having Brian Wilson play at the Petersen Automotive Museum’s annual fundraising gala was a kind of idealism realized, a harmonious pairing in more ways than one.

It's a great week to be a Brian Wilson fan in Southern California, with the release of a great new DVD package, an in-person signing and, finally, a performance of his very fine new album in the city that inspired it.

It’s an LA tradition to send out summer with a fireworks spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl and this year, they may have found their most ideal co-host and honoree in Brian Wilson. As leader of the Beach Boys, he created the closest thing we have to an Original Soundtrack for the city, and last night, we got to see it played out in front of us, complete with fireworks.

Californians like to sing songs about California. Actually, so do non-Californians, just ask the Ramones. Even they know Rockaway Beach is a dump. Call it civic pride or just common sense, a song about the sun shining and the top rolled down is never a bad thing in this town: you can look out the window and sing along about three hundred and fifty days out of the year.

LAist was among a couple hundred lucky fans left with goose bumps after being treated to an intimate set of music by Brian Wilson. The former Beach Boy debuted material from his brand new, Van Dyke Parks-produced album, That Lucky Old Sun backed by his energetic 10-piece band. Classic Beach Boys faves "California Girls," "I Get Around," "Good Vibrations," and more.

Beach Boys fans are well acquainted with author Domenic Priore, who performed the heroic feat of gathering every word ever written about the Beach Boys’ Smile, and publishing all of it, with minimal but insightful commentary, as Look! Listen! Vibrate Smile! in the mid-1990s. It was nothing if not thorough, kind of like a researcher’s entire file drawer dumped on your desk with notes attached to each artifact.

Christmas Eve is here. And today is no time for cynicism, irony or nastiness of any sort. Time instead to make something nice to eat, clink your glass with a loved one, and count your blessings with total sincerity.

Oh, to have unlimited resources and $8,000 to blow. My perceptions of rock 'n' roll fantasy camps forever changed this morning when my eyes skimmed an e-mail touting the mother of all rock experiences. My skepticism led me to open the e-mail and I was genuinely shocked by the caliber of the special guests and "camp counselors," which include Brian Wilson, Nick Mason, Cliff Williams and more. The Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp will take place Feb. 15-18 at a recording studio in Los Angeles and will include an on-stage performance with Cliff Williams at the House of Blues.

Why do all these songs about frostbite conditions sound so wonderful in sun-drenched shirtless reverb? Ever try pushing a sled through sand? I don't recommend it. But I heartily recommend each of the following experiences. Don't worry, we'll get to more Beach Boys later on, today (with the exception of track four) it's all about those chiming guitars. THE VENTURES - Sleigh Ride This comes from their fantastic Christmas album, one of the greats...

by Chuck Clayton for LAist

Artist: Foreign Born Album: On The Wing Now Label: Dim Mak Release Date: 8/21/07 Listen to the track "Letter of Inclusion" While all of Foreign Born's members may not be native sons of LA, they are emissaries of a Silver Lake music scene with their own, almost classic, West Coast flavor. "Almost classic" because the era of the Beach Boys, and the Mamas and the Poppas (and to a lesser extent the Eagles) is now...

We couldn't do a proper tribute to Late Night Eats in Los Angeles without a visit to the original Late Night Eats establishment, the one that started it all, the restaurant that embodies the very essence of car-hopping, car-worshiping SoCal burger culture: Bob's Big Boy. The Big Boy Burger was born in Glendale in 1936, the brainchild of Bob Wian (I know, the alliteration is getting a bit much for me too); the Burbank branch...

Artist: Caribou Album: Andorra Label: Merge Records Release Date: August 21, 2007 Hey lookie folks, it's another solo project by a brilliant Canadian. Dan Snaith originally released his work as Manitoba until he ran afoul of the Dictators frontman, Handsome "Dick" Manitoba, and had to change his stage name to...... Caribou. While some of Caribou's first release, The Milk of Human Kindness, sounded somewhat electronica-light, Andorra certainly does not: this is raging full-on psychedelica. Is...

Artist: Dappled Cities Release Date: June 2007 Album: Granddance Label: Dangerbird Records The Aussie band Dappled Cities (formerly Dappled Cities Fly) are often compared to the Flaming Lips and I just don't get it. The Dappled Cities produce measured indie rock that has marching highs and Sigur Ros-like lows but none of the crazy, out-there solos or fantastical weirdness of the Lips. Their release, Granddance, on LA's Dangerbird Records, is 11 tracks of well-crafted...

Division Day, the indie pop band hailing from Santa Cruz and formed in 2001, is out with their debut full length album, Beartrap Island, a combination of echoey sounds, exciting drums, and catchy choruses. Originally from northern California the band makes its home in Los Angeles now, more specifically Eagle Rock's "rock block" - the neighborhood known for its numerous recording studios and rehearsal spaces.

As a music collector, I’ve always salivated over the concept of The Lost Album. I’ve scoured endless record stores searching for that elusive bootleg of Homegrown - the scrapped Neil Young album, or the lost Brian Eno-produced Television demos, or the abandoned Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan album. (they laid down 15 songs in 2 days back in 1969)

If I had to make a list of my top 100 albums of all time, Redd Kross' Born Innocent would at least make the top 20. I can't even begin to describe how excited I was to learn that this album was going to be performed live as the opening act for Sonic Youth at the Greek. I had to get tickets for the show. Nothing against Sonic Youth, who would have rocked the roof off had there been one. But I have not seen Redd Kross play a set list like this since - oh, around 1985.

Generously coated with crunchy quirks and utterly bursting from its chewy 60s center, Philadelphia’s lo-fi recording traditionalists, Dr. Dog headlined a packed show at the Echo last week in support of their latest record, We All Belong (Park The Van). The attending cross-section of fandom was something like suburban Silverlake meets overgrown, asymmetrical haircuts meets the Laurel Canyon revivalists. And this makes sense if you believe that Dr. Dog is what happens when The Beach...

If Perry Farrell wants to have a Flash Mob situation happen in Venice on Sunday, fine. Bro invented Jane's Addiction, an LA band so great it ranks right up there with the Doors, Guns n Roses, and the Beach Boys. Like Brian Wilson, Perry could have holed himself up in a house doing drugs and thinking about surfing, but instead he invented Lollapalooza and then made the underground classic film The Gift. So if...

Long Beach is ready to party -- their basketball team is the trendy bracket-buster pick to knock off Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA hoops Tournament. Long Beach students are pumped, ready for a big party at the Acapulco Inn. (Well, they'll party at the AI either way.) But we want to pass along a friendly note to Long Beach students: Regardless of what happens with the game, just remember that things could...

What's up moon doggies?! It's time again for the International Surf Festival 2006. Here's a quote from the AOL Cityguide:

Since the mid-1960s, when the Beach Boys were topping the charts with songs about SoCal surfing, the cities of Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach teamed up to present the International Surf Festival, a weekend of good vibrations with competitions in just about every possible beach activity. Surfing and life guarding top the list, with some of the country's most skilled surfers catching South Bay waves, but people can also compete in swimming, volleyball, running and even sand-castle-building events. Most events have categories to accommodate a range of ages and skill levels.

The event is going on all weekend long, and it's free to watch. So come check out this big beach spectacle or come be part of the mess. It's sure to be hot this weekend, and worth the trip to the coast regardless.

Photo uploaded by coral11 via flickr

by Peter DeWolf

Out in Malibu tonight studio legend Leon Russell will perfom at the Malibu Inn on PCH. Russell who sat in with the Stones, Dylan, Clapton, Sinatra, and was a mainstay in the Phil Spector wall of sound, has written hundreds of tunes over the years that were covered by the likes of Ray Charles, B.B. King, Joe Cocker and Willie Nelson.And yes that's him playing piano on the Beach Boys classic "California Girls".

The Monday holiday makes it a very light week for new releases. Here are a few things that caught our eye....

Gram Rabbit Cultivation (Stinky) – They’ve got a unique sound (kind of like Calexico mixed with trip-hop) and they’re from Joshua Tree. This is their second release and they’re performing live at Tower Sunset on 4/20 at 6:00 PM and the Echo on 4/21. Listen to some tracks on MYSPACE.

We know that it was friggin cold last night, but what's up with the snap continuing today? It's been like four days of cold weather. Enough already. Though our East Coast brethren scoff and call us weather wimps, this is LA -- home of the Beach Boys and Baywatch. Hello...wasn't it 80 degrees last week? This weather, especially rain, is not good for Angelenos' perfectly coiffed hair -- and the cold, dry stuff is not good for our skin (says our dermatologist).

It seems there aren't any good vibrations in Surf City, USA. Beach Boy Mike Love is suing cousin and ex-bandmate Brian Wilson over Wilson's recent Smile release. According to an Associated Press report:

LAist would like to send you and a guest to see Brian Wilson perform the legendary lost Beach Boys album SMiLE live at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, September 4th.

Southern California is lucky to have Domenic Priore, 45, as a native son. The author and documentary filmmaker has focused his considerable energy on documenting the heyday of the Sunset Strip music scene and Beach Boys hagiography resulting in books like his latest "Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece," which can be considered an adjunct to the documentary on Brian Wilson called "Beautiful Dreamer," and his upcoming book "Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood 1965/1966."

Do listen to classic Beach Boys tunes on occasion. Do not go in the water.