Written by So, this weekend is Memorial Day, which for some reason we still refer to as the “Unofficial Kick-Off To Summer,” when really it’s kind of been like common law married into being the “Official Kick-Off To Summer.” Right? Let’s just give Memorial Day it’s due. THAT combined with the fact that it’s been hotter than a German for Hasselhoff over the last few days. For all intents and purposes, it’s summertime. Break out those bikinis ladies and gentlemen (Equal Opportunity Blogging!)! And for your listening pleasure, the AMOTUI team has put together their favorite summer jams into one amazing playlist (located at the bottom of the post). The mix is old and new, but the vibe is the same, ladies and gents: The Pop Ramblings Summer Jams LP
Jim: “Forced to Love” - Broken Social Scene, lots of guitars, catchy as all hell and even finds the appropriate use of the flute in a rave up.
“Drunk Girls” – LCD Soundsystem, I’m all kinds of excited to see these guys at Pitchfork in July. Also, this has got one of the best Spike Jonze vids in a while:
“Spill the Wine” Eric Burdon and War – Mexican grass, sunshine caressing your face, hollywood movie dreams, what else do you want? The Hall of the Mountain King???
“Get it On (Bang a Gong), T-Rex – get it on, bang a gong, get it on, get it on, bang a gong, get it on HEY NOW!
Brad: “Waltz” by Fiona Apple is a great lazy summer song. As far as new songs go, I’ma go with “Nothing Like You” by Frightened Rabbit. Just too fun and to the point to leave off this list.
Patrick: “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus — It’s not lyrical poetry or musical genius but it definitely gets people moving and singing along, which is what a summer song should do.
“Folding Chair” by Regina Spektor — This IS lyrical poetry and some musical genius and it’s beach-themed (sure it’s a metaphor, but so what). It’s upbeat without being frantic.
“Swimming Pools” by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down — This evokes images of youthful summers spent getting pruny in the pool.
“Hot in Herre” by Jenny Owen Youngs — Hands down the best cover of a Nelly Song ever made.
Kevin: Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga-”Country Road”. You can hear this on the En Concert album/DVD from Jack. Is it cliche to listen to jack in the summer at the beach? Hell yeah, because it’s awesome. This song+ a Jon Daly (lemonade+iced tea vodka) in the backyard=awesome. Who doesn’t like a whistle section?
Surfer Blood-”Fast Jabroni”. Jabroni is the best word ever, and a fast one is always better than a slow. I got into this album through Seth, and even though it’s gotten a Brooklyn-hipster following (and I have severe issues with hipsters), I gotta love old school surf guitar in modern day. and they’re Floridian.
This guy likes it too!
B.O.B feat. Hayley Williams-”Airplanes”. The summer for me back in the day meant rolling to the beach with a bunch of friends with a boombox to rock on the sand to pass the time. That means listening to the radio and whatever pop/rap and R&B/alt-rock songs dominated the charts-don’t pretend like you didn’t rock some Nelly or Crazy Town in your car with the windows down in ’00. This song is going to be this summers chart topper-prediction!
Karla: My two new ones are Sally Seltman’s infectious and sweet song “Harmony to my Heartbeat”. I imagine that I will hear this song play in my head when I think about the guy I marry. It’s light and fun, just like summer should be. But it doesn’t lack depth. Which music (and marriage) should not.And also Josh Rouse’s “I Will Live on Islands” which is so so danceable and which I had the pleasure of hearing live not too long ago. It makes you want to move to the Costa Blanca and just figure it out when you get there.
Toto’s “Africa” is a pick because it totally rocks and I will play it more than once on my 15 hr flight to the eponymous continent on Memorial Day Weekend.
Summer: This was made for me.
Windows Down Song: “Summer Girl”- Jessica Andrews — Bringing in the girly country music that my brother will tease me for. But nothing makes me want to roll down my windows and belt it out with my girlfriends like this song. It’s just a happy, upbeat song about enjoying the summer with your girlfriends.
These guys get it. PUPS!
It’s 9pm, 90 Degrees, and Still Light Outside Song: “Snails”- The Format — You know that perfect time of night only available in the summertime. It’s late, but the sun is down so it’s warm but not uncomfortable, and it is still light out. Fireflies are out, you’re sitting on the porch with your best friends just hanging out. That moment is encapsulated in this song.
Chilling on the Beach Song: “Flake”- Jack Johnson — Jack will always be the perfect beach music to me. So chill and relaxing.
Amped that the Weather is Warm Song: “Free Energy”- Free Energy — The power poppiness of the band just screams summertime to me. In fact, every time I listen to it I just think about how much better it will sound blasting from my speakers by the pool in July.
Also, for the record, my top 4 SUMMER songs:
4) Summer Girls, LFO
3) Summer Skin, Death Cab for Cutie
2) Summer Breeze, Seals & Croft
1) Summer Girl, Jessica Andrews
And for your listening pleasure.
Steve: Jack Johnson is phenomenal and I thought of him almost first given the surfer vibe and all. I can think of 3 songs off the top of my head:
Karla: I’d like to add one more to my list. And it’s not cheating because I only had three: “In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry.
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This guys SCREAMS "Summer"
Sherman: “Treme Song” – John Boutte: The theme to HBO’s spectacular Treme – a must for anyone with the slightest fondness for jazz or music as art – is new to me, but already feels like the theme of summer. In the spirit of just getting down and having a good time with friends, it hits the nail on the head.
“Doin’ Time” – Sublime: Since Kevin Thompson already snagged “What I Got” I’m going with another Sublime (“The official band of summer”) song, the group’s dub of the Ella-sung, Duke-penned masterpiece “Summertime (And The Living’s Easy)”. It’s got all the smooth lethargy of the original, plus Sublime’s modifications that add a modern perspective. Apparently that means drowning your girlfriend, but that gangsta-shit always sounds so chill from Sublime (see: Santeria)
“Stars and Stripes Forever” – John Phillips Sousa: Maybe it’s a product of growing up close to the District, but it’s hard to imagine a hot, sticky summer day without an armed forces band playing the Sousa classics on the Mall.
“Window Seat” – Erykah Badu: If Sousa is summer’s heat and humidity, Erykah Badu is the cement slab in your unfinished basement that you lay down on spread eagle to keep cool. Seriously, this song deserves to be known for its own merits, not its sensationalist video. It’s so smooth. Also, what’s summer without the police needlessly hassling black people?
Nathan: Wilco – “Heavy Metal Drummer”- I have a friend who once claimed that he would only likes to listen to Wilco in the summer. I’m not sure he still adheres to this belief, and I hope he doesn’t because I think it’s silly. However, I agree with him that they’re a great summer band. “I miss the innocence I’ve know/ Playing Kiss covers beautiful and stoned” is also a great summer lyric.Iggy and the Stooges- “Search and Destroy”- “I’m a street walkin’ cheetah with a heart full of napalm” is one of my favorite opening lines for a song. This song is fast and great for those summer car chases.
Vampire Weekend – “A-Punk”- Their entire first album is great for Summer, but, as Musso would attest to, it’s pretty hard not to feel upbeat when this song is playing.
Local Natives – “Airplanes”- I caught this band listening to internet radio and they slowly grew on me. Technically a 2010 pick because their album didn’t release in the US until February 2010 although it had been out in the UK since 2009. Their sound has been compared to Fleet Foxes and Arcade fire. This song fits the mood of summer very well.
Seth: “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” by John Denver- Not much sounds better than Denver crowing about how good he’s got it down on the farm when the temperatures rise. It’s a song most people know and that helps in BBQ settings. I grew up listening to Mr. Denver and there’s something that calls me back about this jam, I can’t help but think about running around without shoes on (which I love), wearing overalls (which I don’t), and sitting on a porch with an ice cold drink (which I do).
Summer Fashion DON'T
Driving with the Windows Down:
Pretty Girls – Wale
Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz
(Top 40 Hip Hop/Pop sounds so much better with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair.)
Anything by Super Mash Brothers
(Ridiculous(ly Awesome) Mash-Ups.)
ALWAYS the Last Song of the Night:
Wagon Wheel – OCMS
(I’ve never seen anyone able to resist dancing maniacally to this song.)
Classics:
Gin & Juice – Snoop
(Makes me want a giant pink Chevy on hydraulics to tool around in.)
Totally agree with Summertime – the Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff
(The Ultimate Summer Jam.)
For your consideration:
Sugar Ray, “Every Morning.” Pretty much anything late-nineties-Sugar Ray, really.
Beck, “Girl.” Might have something to do with the fact that I’m still convinced the chorus refers to “my summer girl.”
Joshua Radin, “Sky.” The duet with Ingrid Michaelson is made for lazy roads with the windows down.
Rosi Golan, “Shine.” This little gem just makes me want to skip down the sidewalk, twirling and tossing daisies as I go.
nice addition wit the K’naan-great artist and this is the one time every four years I feel very strongly about soccer.
Led Zeppelin – All My Love or D’yer Mak’er
Jimmy Buffett – Southern Cross
Allman Brothers Band – Jessica
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Fishin in the Dark
Brandtson – Earthquakes & Sharks
The Format – Oceans
Apparently summer to me = country/classic rock. Those last too are just so I have something from the last decade.