I don't know about you, but whenever I ask people to suggest songs for a summer playlist, they always respond "The Beach Boys". Wonderful suggestion, yes, but also too obvious. So I've put together a list of eleven tracks that does NOT include "Good Vibrations", the Piña Colada Song, or "Orinoco Flow". I've tried to combine classic artists with newer ones, and well-known songs with some that you may not have heard yet. Whether you're spending your summer working frantically or kicking back and relaxing by the pool, these tracks are sure to hit the spot.
- School of Seven Bells – Half Asleep [This song reminds me of the dreamy splendor of summer mornings, watching the sun rise over the treetops and listening to the birds singing . . . or maybe just hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep.]
- Bishop Allen – Cue the Elephants [The first line is: "The morning belonged to the grapefruit". 'Nuff said.]
- Traveling Wilburys – Margarita [Ahh, the '80s supergroup that was the Traveling Wilburys. George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan lend their considerable talent to this fun track. I have no idea what the heck they're singing about, but it sure sounds cool.]
- Goldfish – Fort Knox [Combining funk with electronica, this song by the up-and-coming South African duo is best listened to blaring from the stereo with the bass cranked up.]
- Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood [Great tune for lying out on a picnic blanket and soaking up the sun.]
- Tracy Chapman – Fast Car [This song almost begs to be listened to when you're out driving at night. Just roll down the windows and let the balmy summer breeze and Chapman's soulful voice flow over you.]
- Mungo Jerry – In the Summertime [For me, this track is a quintessential summer song, and not just 'cause of the title either. The beat of this song is reminiscent of an ol'-time Southern washboard band, and makes me think of sipping sweet tea in the cool shade.]
- The Crookes – Backstreet Lovers [Very few artists could make a song about switch-blades, Skinheads, and concrete jungles sound so happy and innocent, yet The Crookes pull it off with infectious charm.]
- The Decemberists – July, July! [Although Colin Meloy can't resist sticking in a few references to macabre things like blood and guts, this song still ends up sounding cheerful and bright.]
- Panic(!) at the Disco – When the Day Met the Night [Starting off with a shimmering of sitar-like guitar noise, this song from the new Panic at the Disco album Pretty. Odd. crescendos into a Beatles-esque pop song about love "in the middle of the summer".]
- The Cat Empire – Hello [With Latin and ska influences and jazzy trumpets, this track is perfect for dancing.]
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