my ambitions to spend my days napping in the garden have been temporarily put on hold by shitty belgian weather. still, a couple of days in the late seventies have gotten me to thinking about my summer playlist...
the best summer songs have a spacious, almost airy quality, something that evokes a bright and open sky. sunny, catchy guitars -- dreamy reverb or finger-picky acoustic -- and lyrics drenched in anticipation: for the guy down the hall, for a debauched six-hour club marathon, or just for a midday walk through the old town square. after all, when you're young, the best part of summer is the possibility of all the great things to come...
[1] Vampire Weekend, Bryn a sweet melody, one of prettiest guitar lines I've ever heard, not a bass line or drumbeat out of place. a sweet, sunny pop gem that sticks in your head long after the sun goes down.
[2] Dirty Projectors, Temecula Sunrise unapologetically joyous, especially the vocal back and forth between male and female voices. only dave longstreth could successfully seduce a girl on the premise of sipping gatorade in the basement on a strip beyond the dealership.
[3] The Drums, Let's Go Surfing I'm a year behind on these guys, but the beach boys-meets-joy division bounce of this song is perfect for post-punk lovers who need a break from their moping.
[4] Ornella Vanoni, L'appuntamento the sensuality and sincerity of vanoni's voice leaves you with a strange sense of longing, a sweet sadness, and the sudden desire to zoom along the amalfi coast on the back of some italian guy's vespa.
[5] Toro y Moi, Blessa the best word for this song is disembodied... it just sort of rambles and floats along, as all good summer days should.
[6] Beach House, Take Care teen dream really is the best title for this album. far more energetic than their earlier stuff, yet still very ethereal. no one does dreamy like victoria legrand -- to me this song sounds like the daydream of a lovelorn 15-year-old at summer camp.
[7] The Walkmen, Louisiana I would run away with hamilton leithauser in 5 minutes, but in case you need some convincing, the chiming, reverberating guitars and mexican horns will have you itching to hit the highway.
[8] Seu Jorge, Rebel Rebel sexy, louche, brazilian. while this basically describes all of seu jorge's music, this song turns the rollicking bowie original into a chill and romantic acoustic.
[9] The Temper Trap, Sweet Disposition there's a reason this was the theme to (500) days of summer -- it's pure romantic abandon, with one of the catchiest beats I've ever heard.
[10] Animal Collective, My Girls exuberant is the only word for this song, hand claps, whoops and all. even the video feels like a celebration.
[11] The Beatles, I'm Only Sleeping john lennon's classic ode to laziness. if this doesn't make you want to drop everything and have a nap in the grass, you may want to see a hypnotherapist.
