If You Like X, Then You'll Like Y: The '60s

Revisiting last year's "If You Like The Sixties" post with refreshed new music recs in every category: motown, girl groups, surf rock, space age pop, and yé-yé. Plus, a full playlist!

Francoise Hardy drawn by Bijou Karman

Below you’ll find a spruced-up, dusted-off version of last year’s mega-recommendation post of new music that sounds like the ‘60s. I’ve added at least one new highlight track to each category, plus a bunch more to the playlist (which is unpaywalled for a short time!)

Get it while it’s hot, and skip around if you feel like it:

MOTOWN
GIRL GROUPS
SPACE AGE POP
SURF ROCK
YÉ-YÉ
THE PLAYLIST

New Bands for Old(er) Heads

Previously on “If You Like…”, I served up a themeless charcuterie board of frequent requests. That means while there was no unifying genre, the left side of the equation was filled with artists who were popular amongst ‘90s-era youths.

This time, we’re going a little bit sideways and a whole lot backwards.

FIRST, I’m focusing on (sub)genres, rather than specific bands.

SECOND, I am briefly ditching the decades of (most of) our teenage years and going fully rogue into the 1960s.

THIRD, since I’ve already made an offering to the gatekeepers of Classic Rock with an entire playlist of new music influenced by bands like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones, I wanted to poke at a few genres that too often get a bad rep as kitschy or even costumey¹ instead: motown, girl groups, surf rock, yé-yé, and yes, martini lounge music.

This isn’t a music history lesson, and I can’t promise that sharing the new music you find here will charm dinner party hosts into handing you the aux (though that’s always at least partially my intent). But I do promise if you take the time to listen, you won’t just get a better appreciation for how these new bands have built off their predecessors, but also how all of the musical genres feed into each other.

Isn’t music discovery fun?

If you like Motown

Motown is a genre of Detroit soul music from the ‘50s and ‘60s, but it technically refers to a record label, and people get pretty snippy if you miscategorize. That is, it’s all well and good if you call real Motown by its name (think the Temptations, the Four Tops, Jackson 5), but God help you if you accidentally say Al Green was Motown.

try:

1. Thee Sacred Souls: Coming in hot right away with an off-brand recommendation, because Thee Sacred Souls aren’t strictly Motown: they blend it with Chicano soul, doo-wop, and R&B.

2. Aaron Frazer: Sure, maybe it’s more Northern soul than Motown, but the influence of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles is everywhere, from the vocals to the hooks.

3. Pete Josef: A clear devotee of both Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Josef brings a little social consciousness to his soulful sound.

4. Pale Jay: For a slightly more modern spin, let this mysteriously masked artist seduce you with his falsetto over smooth afro-beats. He reminds me of Curtis Mayfield - so perhaps we’re leaning closer to the ‘70s?

If you like Girl Groups

I thought about making this a sub-genre of Motown, since some of the better-known acts (The Supremes), were part of Berry Gordy’s Motown roster. But many others were not, so I’ll leave it vague.

try:

1. Shannon & the Clams: Dan Auerbach (of Black Keys fame) produced this rockabilly/garage rock revival, and he’s yet to lead me astray.

2. The Courettes: These Danish garage rockers are clearly having a blast on their invitingly schtick-y new release The Soul of the Fabulous Courettes, which is enough of an era-nod even before you see the cover or listen to the music!

3. SAULT: A cheater’s pick, sure, because the disco and R&B elements muscle in for top billing, but I dare you not to be enchanted by the very concept of a mysterious soul music collective, whatever the influences.

4. Thandii: Not unlike SAULT, but lighter on its feet and more effervescent.

More Bijou Karman!

If you like Space Age Pop

If the Mid-Century Modern decor had a soundtrack (and arguably, it did!) it would be space age pop. This was the Wii shopping channel music of the 1950s and ‘60s, the sort of thing you imagine hearing on those strange futuristic appliance advertisements, or perhaps in sitcom or cartoon soundtracks of the era.

try:

1. Pearl & the Oysters: Somewhere between drinking martinis with Henry Mancini and rolling up stars in Katamari Damacy is vibing with Pearl & the Oysters, hopefully on some flavor of vinyl furniture.

2. Chinese American Bear: Playful and quirky, this group might seem more twee than lounge, more Deerhoof than Esquivel, but all the cartoonish elements of both are there.

3. Vanishing Twin: Alright, I’m just shamelessly shoehorning in Stereolab successors at this point, but the ‘90s saw a little space age pop resurgence that Vanishing Twin pays delightful homage to.

4. Astrobal: French pop meets sci-fi B movie.

If you like Surf Rock

This probably needs the least amount of explanation, but just in case - traditional surf rock came before the Beach Boys and was chiefly instrumental, reverb-heavy, and meant to mimic the sway of ocean waves (Miserlou and Wipe Out come to mind first). Many elements were borrowed from Mexican and Middle Eastern music, as well.

try:

1. The Surfrajettes: "Just a bunch of ‘60s instrumental surf music” that doesn’t “appeal to anybody besides horny straight guys,” proclaims one outraged Redditor. Aside from the song below, I’ll present their ingenious instrumental interpretation of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” as evidence to the contrary.

2. The Garrys: Three indie rock sisters singing close harmonies might give you instant thoughts of HAIM, but think twice: these are haunting tremolo guitars with a healthy dose of spaghetti western.

3. Los Bitchos: Possibly pushing it into the ‘70s (as I’m wont to do), Los Bitchos’ brand of surf leans heavily into cumbia. Just as well suited to the often tropical or Latin American inspired space age pop up above!

4. Holiday Ghosts: This lo-fi UK brings a surf rock backbone to their Kinks-inspired sound. You can imagine them on an early Flying Nun roster.

If you like Yé-yé

Pop’s Paper Dolls: A Short History of Yé-Yé

The French reaction to the British invasion and their constant “yeah yeah yeah”s, yé-yé was characterized mainly by teenage heartthrobs singing French covers of popular British or American pop songs, or tongue-in-cheek, often suggestive lyrics set to innocent, childlike melodies. The so-called “Yé-yé girls” (Françoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan, France Gall, Jane Birkin) were fashion icons and “It” girls as much as they were pop stars.

try:

1. Fleur: This particular photorealistic yé-yé starts with mimicry of a (sadly still too common) old formula: established male songwriter makes charming music for pretty female ingenue. Here, Floor Elman does her best France Gall to Mark ten Hoor’s Serge Gainsbourg.

2. KCIDY: A bit more modern and experimental, KCIDY sits somewhere between ‘60s French pop and ‘80s Japanese city pop² (though certainly much closer to the former).

3. Gwenno: Welsh singer and former Pipette has more of a soft pop style, but brings touches of French flair to her wistful songs.

4. Juniore: In the swinging bachelor pad that plays every single one of the genres and artists you’ve seen on this list (okay, maybe setting Motown aside), Juniore feels the most at home. Spacey psychedelia, grungy garage riffs, surf rock tremolo, soft reverby French vocals, lilting cocktail-hour rhythms… yé-yé’s influences and evolution are all laid out in one band. And if you’d rather skip the booze, this one makes for the perfect accompaniment to long walks through crisp leaves in oddly warm October weather.

The Playlist

Also on Apple, Soundcloud, & YouTube.

What decade or genre should I tackle next?

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