All summer long

Yard fest: Maybe it was the dog in a red tutu or the girls wearing flower crowns, but this backyard show felt very different than most backyard shows.

That’s partially because it had a name, and most backyard shows don’t have names. It was Summer Opus, already in its third year. With that came stellar organization and professional sound, as well as multiple artists who were, in comedian Daniel Humbarger’s words, “painting the shit out of paintings.” Yes, there was a comedy hour, too.

The mini-festival of sorts is partly organized by Andrew Barnhart, the frontman of on-hiatus electronic rock act Saint Solitaire. As such, lots of musicians were in the house—err, in the yard—and the lineup was stocked with talent.

Headliner Life in 24 Frames was well-complemented by fellow local indie band Epsilona, whose set of psychedelic and ’80s power-pop-leaning jams felt in perfect sync with the gathering’s chill vibes. Watch out for Epsilona rocking LowBrau on Tuesday, September 20, for a Le Twist event—the group will release some new music that night.

The only strange, out-of-place Summer Opus booking was Honey B & the Cultivation, the lone reggae act of the evening. The band delivered solid grooves and, to her credit, singer Honey B tried to work the crowd, weaving throughout the party instead of performing solely on stage. But folks seemed to lose interest right after the first song, when Honey B attempted to justify her use of a fake Jamaican accent—an accent she maintained while chatting in between songs as well. She said she grew up in the Central Valley, but since her mom taught in Jamaica, Honey B “spent some time there.”

Clearly, she fell in love with the music, the culture and awkwardly speaking in Jamaican English. Coupled with her sports bra that read “Jamaica” underneath a fishnet tank top, Honey B presented herself as a massive stereotype. She also stuffed a scarf in her back pocket with Rastafarian colors, and her belt and earrings displayed red, yellow and green stripes as well. With reggae, it’s a particularly fine line between celebrating a style and cultural appropriation. Let’s just say Honey B made for some very spirited bathroom line conversation.

Good vibrations: The Beach Boys weren’t always about cars and girls and surfing. I See Love, a tribute album featuring a few local artists, covers Sunflower. It comes out on Wednesday, August 31, the same day as Sunflower did back in 1970.

If you consider yourself a Beach Boys fan and have never heard of Sunflower, don’t freak out. It’s puzzling, actually, how the record could be so critically acclaimed yet also become so forgotten over time. The easy answer? There’s no colossal hit on Sunflower. The closest? “Forever.”

Anyway, I See Love pairs 12 indie artists with Sunflower’s songs—in some cases, completely reimagining them so they’re barely recognizable. Still, the romantic, vibrant energy of the Beach Boys seeps through even the most synthy, electro-pop makeovers. It’s a beautiful, fun collection for both old Beach Boys fans and younger strangers.

As far as locals go, there’s Nevada City’s Golden Shoulders turning “This Whole World” into a charming, low-fi indie rock track; Rob Brundage, formerly of Wife & Son, with a stripped-down, psychedelic version of “Got to Know the Woman”; and Mike Visser of Imaginary Tricks and former Sacramento band Frank Jordan added even more distance and spaciness to “All I Wanna Do.”

Then, there’s Adam and Darcie, the Grass Valley indie folk duo. Adam Sanders actually got the whole project going about a year ago. Fittingly, the husband-and-wife team covered the supremely romantic “Our Sweet Love” with layered vocal harmonies and a lovely, lush aesthetic.

“It may sound overly rosy, but we believe there’s a need for more optimism, kindness, forgiveness, sunshine,” Sanders says. “Credit to the Beach Boys and the songs on Sunflower for offering a message that may be as timely today as it ever was.”