George Figgs wrote: <I don't understand this almost predictable switch of formerly dubbed alt-twang bands to this pet-sounds pop thing. we've seen it with joe h, jayhwaks, wilco, golden smog, and the old 97's.> Slonedog responds: While a handful (and it is just a handful folks) of the songs on "Summerteeth" (which I think is brilliant) do owe a debt to "Pet Sounds", I don't think either "Sound of Lies" or Joe Henry's new one have much to do with Brian Wilson. The Jayhawks record reminds me more of 70s pop, rock (Big Star, et al) and even psychedelia. Some of the stuff on the Golden Smog record seems to serve as almost a bridge between "Sound of Lies" and "Summerteeth" (I do think Louris and Tweedy influence each other). And Joe Henry's new stuff (some of which is really good, if not as immediately accessible as his earlier alt-country stuff) seems to come from a different planet altogether. And while I haven't heard the new Old 97s record (looking forward to it), I think it's silly to lump all of these efforts together as their "pop thing" or their "Pet Sounds" thing. It's just like some people who see all alt-country bands as sounding the same. Across the above mentioned records and even from track to track, there is a diversity that cannot be that easily categorized.
