This post is now over a month late; we're into the third full week since summer officially started, and I had been mulling over a summer playlist since May. You can thank Mother Nature for forgetting about the four seasons this year and just skipping spring. Anyways, I finally got to throwing a very basic list together on my iPod, in time to head up to a friend's cottage a few weekends ago (which was an utterly amazing experience, by the way). It wanders from genre to genre; there's a lot of the de rigeur low-fi beach music from established favourites like Neon Indian and Best Coast, but also some older stuff from years passed, and even some new Drake (I'm sorry). The full list is hovering around 200 songs, but as I'm sure it's got at least a couple embarrassing additions in it (not to mention it'd be cruel to just copy/paste a wall of songs), I cut it down to the ones that seem to get the most playtime from me so far. Each song reminds me of certain aspects of summer; some of them are tied to things from the afore-mentioned trip (even though my iPod was barely touched), some remind me of childhood, and others just invite general summer feelings upon listening. It’s kinda hard to nail it down. Anyways, click past the jump to see the 17 I felt needed to be mentioned, 16 of which come with Youtube videos for easy previewing:
Albert Hammond Jr. - In Transit: Honestly, I had trouble not just listing the whole album. The cover art informs you of what kind of album you're about to experience, and for the most part, it's pretty accurate. You can hear some Strokes influence in the basic structure of the songs, but everything is far less serious, and importantly, you can feel the sunshine throughout. Albert keeps telling you he's free from it all, and that's exactly the kind of mood you'll be in listening to this. Pull up a chair on the patio, find a cold drink, and start basking.
Animal Collective - Did You See The Words?: For years this album ("Feels") was my only reference point to AC. Then Merriweather Post Pavilion came out, the band gained some crossover success on the basis of "Girls", and this song popped up in Spike Jonze's "I'm Here" short film (which is actually pretty incredible, and I suggest you go watch it here). It's still a go-to choice for the summer, and the build-up in this, the opening track to the album, is fantastic. Enjoy a fan-made video:
Atlas Sound - Walkabout: This one shouldn't be too surprising considering Animal Collective already popped up. Bradford Cox takes some time off from fronting Deerhunter and does his solo thing under the Atlas Sound name. Noah Lennox ("Panda Bear") pops in for a guest spot on this song, resulting in a simpler, poppier summer song than you'd typically get from either man's main band. It has more than a hint of old Beach Boys about it, something I heard a lot of when I was growing up out in the country. That reminds me: "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" should be a requirement for summer listening. You could argue with me about it, but you'd be wrong.
Beck - Que Onda Guero: What up blondie? The ambient noises in the background, the Spanish, Beck's trademark smooth delivery; I picture a guy in a straw hat parked in front of a terra cotta house. Is that lazy? Probably. And I'm fine with that, I'll keep sitting here bobbing to the music and enjoying the weather.
Best Coast - This Is Real: As good as "When I'm With You" is (here we go), I felt like another of Beth's songs deserves attention. Like just about any song from Best Coast, it feels like it should be played over a montage of your favourite summer moments. This fuzzy, lo-fi thing might be a passing fad, but its one I can get behind for the simple reason it draws up an enjoyable image upon hearing it. It doesn't matter where you're stuck when you listen to Best Coast; immediately, you're thinking of the beach. I've procrastinated so long, that today, the debut LP comes out. So go grab that.
Bloc Party - This Modern Love: I've had this album since first year university, and even then, this song stuck with me most. It's more of a tail-end-of-the-night, coming-down-from-the-mayhem kind of song. At one point during my trip up north, a few of us sat on the dock and watched for satellites and shooting stars. And got eaten by mosquitoes. Then we'd all talk about some childhood memory and laugh about it. That's what I picture when I hear this.
Broken Social Scene - Windsurfing Nation: Damnit, it's hard to narrow things down to one song for BSS. Their entire catalog is essentially one long summer jam session. I submit to you this song because I love the buildup and release of energy in it. I've watched the band live twice, on Olympic Island in Toronto, and in Chicago, and both times they played this. While it's not from their best album, and isn't as obvious as some other options ("Pacific Theme"), it's still a favourite.
Discovery - So Insane: Hate them all you want, Vampire Weekend is loaded with talent. This side-project sounds similar to the main outfit, but different enough to attract people who would otherwise write them off. It's a song from an album that definitely benefits from a full play through, so hunt this down if you enjoy.
Galaxie 500 - Summertime: Well, the name's kind of obvious, no? No video for this one, but it's another slow-burn, perfect for sitting around the fire and just chilling. Which brings us to...
Girls - Hellhole Ratrace: Watch the video, and tell me you don't want a summer like that. Every group of friends needs a Christopher Owens and a guitar when the fire's going. The repetitiveness is what makes this work. For a more upbeat Girls view of summer, check out "Lust For Life". You can't really go wrong with these guys.
Memory Tapes - Bicycle: Another album that blurs together into one giant watercolour of summer. It's like Her Space Holiday after a bong rip. This song is a bit more dance-friendly than others on the album, but don't hold that against it.
Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer: Another easy choice, but it deserves its place. I can be trapped on a disgusting city bus, put this on, and as long as the sun's shining, I don't care about the insane people on their motorized scooters or the teen mothers anymore.
Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica: Oh hey, look, another AC-related song. Whatever, the chant's hypnotic.
She & Him - In The Sun: Oh come on, try and not smile watching this. Zooey is so damn cute that you're a heartless husk of a human being if you can't.
Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill: Possibly one of my most-played albums this summer, I've been loving Sleigh Bells and endlessly pushing them (probably annoyingly) to many friends. I originally overlooked Ring Ring (renamed for the album) in favour of their more abrasive, bigger tunes, but as summer neared, I reintroduced myself to this, by far the loungingest song on the album. It's one of those songs you feel instantly familiar with, like the band are two buddies who've been with you for years. Enjoy some Strangers with Candy visuals:
Surfer Blood - Swim: Another album that I could pick song titles out of a hat for and still find something appropriate. It's probably due to hearing this song first that I still stick to it though. Driving up to the cottage, we played this, and the album was in rotation a few times throughout the weekend. It reminds me of flying across the water in the sea-doos or the boat.
Washed Out - New Theory: Sup, Flock of Seagulls? This song doesn't even remind me of summer so much as ultimate 80's homage, GTA Vice City. It's not a huge stretch considering what bands this blatantly plunders from (not that it's alone in this), but I can't shake the image of a coked-out, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing guy strolling down some neon-sign-ridden strip.
Well, there we go, 16 Youtube videos in one post. I promise no more will pop up for a while. There's still a good chunk of summer left, so feel free to suggest a song or two (or 16 more)!
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