The image that first comes to mind when discussing the Beach Boys is likely that of California summers. In the early stages of their career, their beautiful harmonies painted pictures of jovial adolescent adventures at the beach – chasing waves as often as girls. As they began to age, their material shifted towards more avant-garde production, which backed similar discussions of romance and early adulthood. Much has been said about their impact on modern baroque pop – modern artists such as Sufjan Stevens to Animal Collective have cited them as a direct influence. However, their influence on the lo-fi movement seems to be overlooked.

1966’s Pet Sounds astounded critics nationwide, with its intricate production gaining the attention of many musical artists. It’s become a legendary pop album, often cited as a landmark in modern music. But within just two years, The Beach Boys moved towards a minimalist approach, with a string of lo fidelity recordings. To many, these albums represented an unfortunate change of direction and a shameful waste of Brian Wilson’s compositional skills. During a brief four year stretch, while Brian Wilson struggled with schizoaffective disorder, the Beach Boys were seen as a washed up waste of talent. However, Wilson’s creativity managed to shine through his mental issues and he managed to handcraft a unique, personal sound which hadn’t been heard outside of the a few isolated members of the nascent proto-punk movement.

When Smiley Smile was released in 1967, audiences were incredibly disappointed, as they were hoping for another baroque pop masterpiece. What they got instead was an eccentric and crudely constructed attempt at psychedelic pop. Despite its standout moments, like “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains”, Smiley Smile was seen a shoddy, incomplete mess. Carl Wilson summarized it accurately, calling it “a bunt rather than a grand slam”.

When Wild Honey hit the shelves the following year, audiences were mystified. Why were the Beach Boys making soul music? And why did it sound like it was recorded underwater? In a bizarre twist, Brian Wilson, a renowned composer, struggled to make a simple soul album. The next two albums, Friends and 20/20 continued the same style, confusing audiences and outraging critics. In an era dominated by avant-garde production techniques, from progressive rock to British blues and psychedelic rock, the Beach Boys were strangely doing the opposite.

Although The Beach Boys’ late 60s albums were utter commercial failures, they remain absurdly influential. And understandably so – there’s something oddly charming about lo fidelity recordings. It’s an extremely personal and vulnerable listening experience – hearing an artist at their simplest. In such a genre, the artist has no place to hide, exposing him or herself to the audience in an unprecedented manner. Thus, lo-fi has an interesting allure – bringing forth some of the most intriguing figures in modern music – from Jeff Mangum to Daniel Johnston and Phil Elvrum.

Musicians began to recognize the artistic allure of imperfection and a new renaissance of lo-fi/indie albums began to take hold in the late 80s, likely drawing inspiration from the most bizarre works of the Beach Boys.

So how did these later Beach Boys albums impact musical history? The Velvet Underground often gain the majority of the credit in spawning any form of rock music – after all, their music was unreasonably prophetic for the time period. In the 1960s, they showed signs of genres ranging from the simplicity of garage rock to the nihilistic attitudes of punk and even the more angular structures of the post-punk movement. However, I’d argue The Beach Boys had an equally powerful impact on a new generation of indie artists post 1980. Let’s take a look at one of the movements their most bizarre recordings helped create.

1980s – New Wave of Lo-fi

The first notable example of a modern lo-fidelity recording is most likely 1981’s Songs of Pain by indie/outsider folk artist Daniel Johnston. Drawing inspiration from late 60s artists from John Lennon to Bob Dylan and even the Sex Pistols, Johnston quickly realized he lacked a pleasant singing voice. However, he pushed ahead, recording in his own personal style.

All of Songs of Pain was recorded on cassette player, giving it an unusual sound and unique charming atmosphere. However, this recording style may not have been a result of a choice. His mental disorders forced Johnston to obsessively film and record nearly everything that occurred in the family’s household. So whether he intended for the recordings to remain poor quality is up to the audience. Regardless, by 1992, he’d gained a significant amount of fame, thanks in part to Kurt Cobain, unintentionally starting a new wave of alternative artists.

By 1985, Scottish alt rock group Jesus and Mary Chain released Psychocandy, an unusual album featuring pop vocals over overwhelming levels of guitar distortions. Among their greatest influences were the Beach Boys and the Velvet Underground – as they hoped to combine the two into one original subgenre. Typically, Psychocandy is seen as a predecessor to a new movement of shoegazing guitar playing and noise pop but its influence spans genres. The group’s willingness to include a rawer, more “home-made” sound opened the doors for many indie musicians in the early 90s.

In the same time span, Beat Happening released their self-titled debut and Jamboree to critical acclaim, gaining the lo-fi movement even more exposure in the mainstream. Their blend of post-punk vocals and low quality recording process showed influences from The Velvet Underground, Joy Division and of course Jesus and Mary Chain. Additionally, their biggest musical influence, REM had also released Murmur, Reckoning and Fables of Reconstruction, staples in the creation of the new alternative rock movement. Their naive lyrics, carefully orchestrated instrumentation and even the group’s equality in songwriting all drew huge inspiration from none other than the Beach Boys.

Early 1990s – Lo-fi Explosion

By the mid nineties, the lo-fi movement had exploded in popularity and as a result, partially invaded the mainstream airwaves. Pavement released two indie classics – Slanted and Enchanted and Crooked, Crooked Rain – which drew huge inspiration from acts such as The Velvet Underground and the more recently popular REM. Beck had grabbed attention from mainstream critics with “Loser”, which combined absurdist lyrics with a hip-hop beat and a lo-fi aesthetic – a hit worthy of the label “alternative rock”.

While the ’80s saw lo-fi albums coast under the radar, influencing only the most passionate music fans, the ’90s saw lo-fi gain popularity among more casual music fans. Groups such as Sebadoh, Guided by Voices and Olivia Tremor Control were starting to gain traction in the underground rock community, solely based on their bizarre, incomplete production techniques.

Turn of the Century – “Indie” Movement

By the early 2000s, the lo-fi movement arguably reached its peak. Elliott Smith established himself as an essential listen for any indie folk fan, Modest Mouse began gaining a strong following after the release of The Moon & Antarctica and Built to Spill had gained a strong fanbase.

But perhaps the most intriguing albums released in the early 2000s were of the lo-fi variety – The Glow, Part 2 and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

The Glow, Part 2 is a sprawling 20 track lo-fi masterpiece which tackles a haunting look at depression, isolation and love. The angular, dense instrumentation matches the subject matter beautifully, making it a gritty but beautiful listen. Since, it’s gained a reputation as one of the best albums of the early 2000s and a seminal work in the lo-fi movement.

On the other hand, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is quite the unique album, mixing dark, peculiar subject matter with irresistibly catchy melodies. It since has left fans enthralled. Many have come up with their own fan theories – is it actually a concept album about Anne Frank? Also, what in the hell is on the cover, a potato, a tambourine or something else peculiar? It’s gained a reputation as not only a stellar album but also brings about an unusual allure. Jeff Mangum’s peculiar personality only adds to the intrigue, alluring audiences from all backgrounds.

Late 00s – Now

Since the turn of the century, the lo-fi movement has slowed significantly. The improvement of technology has rendered cassette tapes and similar “homemade” recording devices rare and essentially useless. However, the expansion of music technology has made it much easier to replicate a lo-fi sound and incorporate it into all genres. In that sense, the true genre of lo-fi is long gone but its influence prospers, permeating into seemingly every aspect of the modern music world. Although some accurately reenact the original founders of the lo-fi movement, many artists have provided new twists to a dying genre.

Black Moth Super Rainbow brings neo-psychedelia into the mix, even implementing a talkbox. And Wavves brings some modern, unusual lo-fi elements to surf rock. Lo-fi has even influenced a new era of hip-hop – from Clams Casino’s cloud rap to Lil Ugly Mane’s Memphis revivalism and perhaps even aspects Death Grips’ industrial approach. In an intriguing twist, a small group of 80s artists went on to impact a huge variety of artists – thanks to the huge expansion of technology and mass media.

The influence of groups such as the Beach Boys or The Velvet Underground has clearly become less obvious in modern times. There’s very few artists who accurately replicate their more traditional rock-based sounds of the late 60s. And it’s hard to find much (if any) of their style in a group as bizarre as Death Grips. However, it’s their influence that lives on. It’s clear their lo-fi roots in the late 60s had an enormous impact on the course of modern indie history, changing the course of music for quite some time.