Summer songs

[urgencytobleed]

The latest theme over at pretty_music is "summer", so I guess this is somewhat of an extension on the summer portion of my seasons post, only not just limited to titles containing the word "summer". Actually, the first half are songs I've already posted here at some point, but the last four are new.

A fun and upbeat summer:

• Rilo Kiley - My Slumbering Heart

This song is really catchy and bouncy and cute and fun, which just screams summer to me. Plus, it's got a lot of summery outdoors-y imagery in the lyrics: "In my dreams, I see myself hitting a baseball in a green field somewhere near a freeway/I'm all tan and smiling and running from third base."

• The Decemberists - July, July!

July is the month I instantly think of when I think "summer". This is another one of those ridiculously catchy songs. Honestly, Colin's voice does annoy me in large doses, but it's fine for a few songs. And his large vocabulary and lyrics that read like a wordy piece of literature make me feel less smart than I am: "We'll remember this when we are old and ancient though the specifics might be vague and I'll say your camisole was a sprightly light magenta when in fact it was a nappy blueish gray."

• Veda Hille - One Hot Summer

I hate to use the word catchy again, but it's true of this song as well, with its energetic (and quite impressive) piano melody. The lyrics are actually quite angry, though, and the vocals are intense. I love the line "God knows that my mouth holds more teeth than wisdom" - pretty clever, in my opinion.

• Tilly and the Wall - Bad Education

They are pretty much the ultimate "summer" band because their songs are so fun and joyous and child-like. Besides being probably my favorite song of theirs, I think this is the perfect introduction to what they're all about because it combines all the elements of the band perfectly - the focus on unconventional percussion methods (tapping, stomping, clapping, etc.), the shared and call-and-response male/female vocals, the random yet cohesive lyrics, and of course, catchiness galore! How anyone could not love this song is beyond me; you'll spend endless summer nights dancing to it!


A depressing summer:

• Tori Amos - Indian Summer

Apparently, a lot of Tori fans place this among their least favorites, but I like it quite a bit. It is slow and long and gets a bit draggy in places, but overall, it's very good and the lyrics are (mostly) very well-written ("Girls, take your hands like you pray, all over the ground, then back on your body"). I also love the quiet intensity of her voice, as if there's so much anger simmering just below the surface, and the general sound of the song, full of reverb and quite haunting.

• Sarah Slean - California

This one really has nothing to do with summer, but since the title place reminds me of it and Sarah is amazing, it doesn't matter. It's very simple, both lyrically and musically, but that's what makes it so affecting. Basically, it tells the story of an affair with a possibly married or otherwise spoken for man (we never really find out for sure, just through little hints such as "he rubs a wedding finger without a wedding band" and "I'd ask about a lover but how would I begin?") that she knows is wrong, but still can't help feeling the way she does: "He knows better anyhow/His kisses are just all in his eyes/I know better, I know better/Still I wish I was by your side."


And a somewhere-in-between summer:

• The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun

This song is very summery to me, not just because of the title, but because of the simple acoustic instrumentation, Blake's unique and warm vocals, and the lo-fi vibe of it. The lyrics probably fit more into the "depressing" category but the music is deceptively upbeat and playful, so it's kind of in-between.

• Orenda Fink - Animal

For some reason, tribal-sounding music makes me think of summer, maybe because I associate it with hot and desert-like places such as Africa and the like. Anyway, this song has a huge focus on slightly creepy tribal chanting which contrasts with Orenda's smooth and sultry voice. It doesn't have much in the way of lyrics, but the way the music almost unnoticeably builds up the entire time is very intense and enthralling.