When I think of "summer music" I think of three different placeswhere we regularly experience summer music (I'm leaving off road trips, maybe for another post). The first is at home on a lazy afternoon, which demands music that is a bit
restrained, slowed down, encouraging you to stay lazy in a porch swing.
The second is at
a backyard barbecue where you want something solid and fun in the
background. This one could be "beach music" too, I suppose. The third is cruising around town, soundtracked by cranked-up music pumping through your car speakers as you roll
with your homeys, windows down, around the Tasty Freeze. Here's some of my favorite music for lazy afternoons,
grilling with friends, or cruising around town.
LAZY
Husky Rescue: Country
Falls
This is their 2005 release, which is a perfect companion on a hot summer
day. There's a 2007 I haven't heard yet, though what they have online
sounds great. Whatever, just pick it up and sip some tea for crying out
loud. It's really, really good stuff.
Don't miss: "Summertime Cowboy," "City Lights," and
"Rainbow Flows"
Ray Lamontagne: Trouble
or Till
the Sun Turns Black
This guy's music is just incredible to me. So simple, so easy, so emotional.
Look also for iTunes exclusives and stuff on YouTube. I'm linked to this duet with Damien Rice
before, which is tremendous.
Don't miss: "Barfly," "Shelter," and "Burn"
A few other bands or artists for lazy afternoons: Amos Lee, Sparklehorse, Mountain Goats, Midlake, Josh Rouse, Espers, Eluvium, Jose Gonzalez.
GRILLING & FUN
New Pornographers:
Electric
Version, Twin
Cinema
Super fun music that makes you want to dance, play, and sing-along.
Our family video should be evidence enough: Sing Me Spanish Techno.
It takes a lot of guts to put that video out there, so be nice. :)
Don't miss: "Use It," "The Laws Have Changed," "Sing Me Spanish Techno," and "Twin Cinema"
Peter, Bjorn & John: Writer's
Block
Catchy songs, lots of whistling. Trust me when I say the kids will
join in. I really enjoy the beats. Foot-tapping deliciocity.
Don't miss: "Young Folks," "Amsterdam," "Objects of My Affection"
A few other bands or artists for grilling and fun: The Shins, Phoenix, Mat Kearney, Loney Dear, The Go! Team.
CRUISING
LCD Soundsystem: Sound
of Silver
Hard to beat this music for loud, bass-thumping, toe-tapping, get the lead out goodness. The lyrics and vocals are often quirky and interesting. The music is really great.
Don't miss: "North American Scum," "Time to Get Away," and "Sound of Silver"
Other bands or artists for cruising: Spoon, Linkin Park, Fujiya & Miyagi, Blonde Redhead.
What are your summer music selections?
Though I haven't found them in a store yet, I'm on the lookout for 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand (MySpace). David Eugene Edwards is involved in both (or was, in the case of 16 Horsepower) and both have a thick spiritual flavor. Check this powerful Paste Magazine article, "Woven Hand: The Uncomfortable Faith of David Eugene Edwards." A quote... "I'm just singing from first-hand experience of how wretched people are. And I don't need to go any further than myself," says Edwards of his body of work, formed first as the lead vocalist and main songwriter behind Appalachian goth-folk outfit 16 Horsepower and now the center of his solo project, the more experimental Woven Hand. "I don’t have to point my finger at anybody else, because there is no need." In so doing, Edwards, like Cash, creates a world rendered in stark black and white, peopled with characters that murder and steal and frantically try to stay one step ahead of the judgment they know is trailing them. As with Cash, Edwards uses his personal frailties and deep Christian faith to make unsettling comments on the human condition that are designed for a purpose startlingly out of step with the majority of contemporary entertainment: Edwards aims to make his listener uncomfortable.
