Monday, July 7, 2008

Summer Albums

I don't actually have an iPod, I have a Zune, but this picture will work anyway.

Well, it's definitely summer. Hot temps, rainy days, girls with bikinis as tops (just as long as they follow the fashion rule), babies left in cars...yep, all the telltale signs that summer is in full swing. And it seems like everyone is talking about good summer music these days.

This made me start thinking about my own summer music. I'm one of those people that compartmentalizes things for specific reasons. Like, I have a set group of CDs that are "Winter Music" (The Shins, Sea Wolf, Blonde Redhead, Camera Obscura, etc...), a group for Fall (Death Cab for Cutie, Arctic Monkeys, Malajube, Feist...etc). My "Spring Music" category is pretty ambiguous since there isn't really a Spring in ATL: just winter for like ever then BAM! it's really hot.

So I recently pulled out my good old summer standbys and will be putting them on rotation in my car very soon. My 10 classic summer albums are:

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs:
Show Your Bones
(From "Gold Lion" to "Turn Into"," this whole album is delicate and shimmery and light and perfect for summer. I used to play this album with all my windows down, just loving the music and the warm breeze)

2. Dr. Dog: We All Belong
(We All Belong
is a straight up epic album and perfect for a nighttime BBQ. Put this record on, pour a pitcher of PBR, and just enjoy the night)

3. Cake: Comfort Eagle

4. The Grates: Gravity Won't Get You High

5. Black Lips:
Good Bad Not Evil
(just classic summer garage rock, this album is my go-to summer album even though it was released in September. It's like crusty, sandy, beach rock.)

6. CSS:
CSS

7. Love of Diagrams:
Mosaic
(there is one line in The Valley Of The Dolls where Neely is in her room, "tossing and turning in a barbiturate haze." That line always stuck with me and I feel like this album captures that feeling, because it feels really hot and dark)

8. The Go! Team:
Proof Of Youth
(the Go! Team always makes summer music, but it's classic, like summer on the stoop in 1978)

9. Wolfmother:
Wolfmother

10. New Young Pony Club:
Fantastic Playroom

Well, what are your favorite ten albums? They don't have to be from a particular year or anything, just the albums you always find yourself listening to in the summer. Post up your personal faves in the comments section so I can read them and heckle/praise your taste in music!

Deuces,
Erika

8 comments:

WHOOPI said...

I love you for loving The go! Team.
The go! Team = whoopi's fav.

Anonymous said...

omg, I totally do this too. Except not really with albums, just with songs. I have created endless playlists for ever possible situation. Here's my summer list

1. The Velvet Underground- Loaded
2. Sublime- Robbin the Hood or Sublime.
3. The Go! Team- Proof of Youth
4. The Virgins new album
5. Iggy Pop
6. The Fratelli's- Costello Music
7. Islands- Rough Gem which is a song, but it's really my new favorite summer-y thing.
8. Born Ruffians- Hummingbird, another song.
9. The Darkness- I Believe In a thing Called Love

I can't think of any more right now, IKEA has destroyed my mental functions. Don't mock my musical tastes.

Erika said...

Oh I won't! You have good taste! I have the Fratellis album too and I love Islands! Listen to "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby." It's a cute song.

Anonymous said...

Umm, hells yeah I do! No jk, I actually have really random and some would say shitty musical taste. But I love your selections. Pretty spot on as far as summer goes. Spesh Show Your Bones. Amazing.

I just want it to be nighttime so I can watch Weeds and Secret Diary of a Call Girl already.

Erika said...

Wha???? You have Showtime! LUCKY!!! I just have very basic cable, like stops at channel 75. I don't even have Toon Disney anymore...which is sad 'cos I used to watch The Tick ALLZ the time on it. I just watch Secret Diary online. But I can't watch the 2nd season, so I just pretend 1st season's episodes are 2nd season. Sad.

Anonymous said...

I know, Showtime is actually my only reason for living right now. Weeds, Secret Diary, Dexter. If they only showed Judge Judy and Tyra I would never change the channel. Thank god you can watch these shows online though, cause next year I'm not gonna have a tv.

Anonymous said...

AWESOME! I revived my YYYs and Cake album since you mentioned both. Great summer music, for sure.

The Donnas (gold medal) is also good to rock out to.

Nellz said...

cute...I love your blogs..they make me laugh in my head...take care..god bless