The sweaty dog days of summer are upon us. You can hunker down in the air conditioning or you can go to the beach. And who better to provide music for your trip to the beach but the Beach Boys?

Octothorpe “Kokomo” (Beach Boys)
I just love the combination of cheesy keyboards and low-fi production values. The vocals are obnoxiously over modulated. The whole thing sounds like the guy with the battery-powered keyboard singing on the subway platform for tips. Certainly not something you’ll hear on the radio these days.

David Bowie “God Only Knows” (Beach Boys)
This has got to be one of the most unlikely covers ever. David Bowie, even with his many personas, is about as far from a surfer dude as you can get. But here he brings his famous “scary voice” to bear on a splendidly overwrought lounge version of the most melodramatic Beach Boys song.

Melt Banana “Surfin’ USA” (Beach Boys)
This sounds like somebody shoving the Beach Boys down a flight of stairs. The first minute or so is chaotic and almost unlistenable, but hang in there and it turns into a nice little rave up.

Lash “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (Beach Boys)
The original version of this song manages to be both wistful and hopeful. This one is all twitchy impatience, which to my mind fits the lyrics quite well.

Barry McGuire “Sloop John B” (Beach Boys)
Yeah, it’s the “Eve Of Destruction” guy. His gravel-throated shouting works pretty well on this rockin’ little ditty.