The Beau Brummels Essentials
Apple Music
Armed with jangly guitar and easy sing-alongs, The Beau Brummels arrived in the mid-'60s as a winsome American rival to ubiquitous UK imports. But the San Francisco band soon darkened their bubblegum pop with psychedelic dankness and Byrds-like textured twang, while Sal Valentino's lead vocals accrued world-weary charisma. Their surreal fourth album, 1967's Triangle, bridged pastoral and orchestral instrumentation, before 1968's Bradley's Barn brought their country influence to the fore. The group wrapped up near the end of the decade, though a couple of brief reunions would follow.