Every summer when the days start growing longer, the air starts smelling floral and saltier, the clothes start coming off, the grass is greener, and people are less pasty, I find myself heading straight for my box of CD's and grabbing a pile of music reserved only for this nostalgic season. For some reason there are a handful of songs that epitomize summertime for me and no matter how old I am, nothing will sound better when I'm driving along, all windows down, hair blowing in my face, sun burning my skin and margaritas on my mind. As soon as the temperature hits 72 I've got Luscious Jackson's Natural Ingredients CD on repeat everywhere I go. The gritty streets sounds of this CD are the perfect anthem to summer. Instantly I'm sitting on a stoop with a 40, my girls, my hair's pulled off my neck in a messy ponytails, it's hot and we're shooting the shit. It's summertime perfection.
There are just some songs that reek of summer. You want to turn them all the way up and sing at the tops of your lungs. Here are some more of mine:
Been Thinking About You - Radiohead
Scratch the DJ - Free Kitten
Big Pimpin' - Jay-Z
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
Cannonball - Breeders
Pounding - Doves
Take On Me - Ah Ha
Strict Machine - Goldfrapp
Such Great Heights - Postal Services
Girls & Boys - Blur
Hey Ya - outkast
Mandika - Sinead O'Connor
Soft Serve - Soul Coughing
And then there's always the current summer's greatest hits. You know, the song that comes out around mid-May that you can't hear enough and makes the anticipation for a week of straight sunshine almost unbearable. You're dying to wear a tanktop (if you don't have a hairy back & chest). You want to get a pedi (if you're female). You want to jump out of your office chair and immediately head to a deck or a boat and grab your cold, alcoholic drink of choice.
So, here's mine for this summer.
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Into Your Arms - Mylo
Heartbeat - The Knife
Phenomenon - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Funeral - Band of Horses
Add to the mix. Give me your past and present summer soundtrack song.
I haven't thought about luscious jackson in 10 years, easily. I am so downloading those bitches now. I saw them at lollaopalooza '94, on the second stage. between will oldham and the frogs!
Posted by: dutch from sweet juniper | May 17, 2006 at 11:34 PM
dutch - i knew i could count on you for some music love. thanks!
Posted by: crazyvirgo | May 18, 2006 at 09:59 AM
Ooooooh Knife! Great song.
Beating Heart Baby - Head Automatica makes me want summer to never end.
And old school? Well, I can't help but love When I Come Around from Green Day. AAAAh high shcool.
Posted by: Tweets | May 18, 2006 at 11:52 AM