Maybe you heard we’re having a party? A summer camp party? And what’s more summer camp than awkward 13-year-olds making out at the camp dance to “Everlasting Love” or looking up and seeing your summer crush doing that with someone who’s not you? Ah, anyway… We need some music for this party, dammit, and so we want to know: what’s your summer song?
It doesn’t need to be a dance floor banger, but it should be upbeat and full of the energy that you’ve been storing up all winter and whatever it is that’s replaced spring in the Northeast. It also doesn’t necessarily need to be brand spanking new, although that helps, because summer is a season of forgetting anything else happened in the months preceding it. “Call Me Maybe” has wormed its way into the American consciousness like only Canadian piffle can and is the early contender for song of the summer, but time will tell if it’s got the staying power of “I Get Around” or “Hips Don’t Lie.”
Here are the nominations I got from Brokelyn staff: “Summertime” itself, from Porgy and Bess, covered by Janis Joplin or spun into life by HRH The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. There’s country-fried summer courtesy of The Judds (“Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain“) and Irish pop punk from The Undertones (“Here Comes the Summer“). And it stretches from the east coast (Brooklyn’s own Caveman, “Easy Water“) to the uh, Best Coast (“Last Year“). For some reason Tim suggested “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry. That guy. But as the sexiest, most whip-smart bunch of blog readers in Amercia, I know you guys can help us fill out our playlist, so get to it in the comments!
And don’t think you aren’t doing God’s work here. Summer is the only season where people give a damn about a song to carry them through the season. There’s Christmas music, but it’s a point of pride for people to hate that shit. And no one outside of the Amish (and maybe Mennonites) have any kind of fall/harvest songs they really look forward to. It’s finally hot enough to eschew most items of clothing, there are ice cream trucks EVERYWHERE, there are outdoor concerts and everyone is driven just a little nutso by the previously mentioned lack of clothing.
And if you care, my song of this summer is and forever will be Japandroids’ “The Nights of Wine and Roses.” Which, come to think of it, is also by Canadians. It’s urgent, driving, begins by asking the question we all ask ourselves during the winter (“Don’t we have anything to live for?”) and immediately answers it the most appropriate way I know how (“Of course we do/but until it comes true/we’re drinking”). While it doesn’t exactly describe my life (“The Nights of AmeriCans and More AmeriCans” would be more appropriate), it comes close enough. Plus, it starts with the sound of fireworks, which is a sound that will forever be associated with the summer, no matter what the jerks at Slate say.
What are you, still reading?? Give us some songs and then g0 outside! Don’t you know it’s summer?
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dazed and confused songs!
don’t forget Bruuuuuuuce. Lots of Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!
OMC – “How Bizarre”
The New Radicals – “You Only Get What You Give”
Sublime – “Summertime”
Crazytown – “Butterfly”
Sugar Ray – “Every Morning” or “I Just Want to Fly”
Shaggy – Anything, really. That guy only has one season in his life, and it’s summer.
This is the first and last time Crazy Town will be mentioned on this site.
Sublime’s song is “Doin’ time.” Ella Fitzgerald sang Summertime
Ahem, that’s Billie Holiday. But Ella sang it, too.
I was told your songlist was worse than mine, and mine included Bryan Adams.
Dirty Dancing soundtrack! Sweaty, sultry, forbidden summer love. Plus every song evokes the Swaze with his shirt off. Heeeeeyyyyy, Hey Baby ;)
I agree with that one! Lots of hot sweaty summer dancing in that movie.
I’m going to say “How Bizarre” again because I’m very serious about this.
PARTY IN THE USA
I will be offended if LFO’s “Summer Girls” is not on the playlist. Actually I won’t be offended but a summer camp party NEEDS that song. Also “Wonderwall” but everyone has to sing along while one guy plays it poorly on guitar.
Pretty much all of these too: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/06/hip_hop_summer_songs.php?page=2
Funny you ask, I actually made myself a summer mixtape just yesterday!
http://soundcloud.com/crowlcrowlcrowl/summer-squash
Eternal Summers – You Kill
King Tuff – Bad Thing
Dent May – Best Friend
Death Grips – I’ve Seen Footage
DIIV – Follow
Chairlift – I Belong In Your Arms
Crocodiles – Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)
Bass Drum of Death – Velvet Itch
El-P – The Full Retard
Friends – Ruins
Mrs. Magician – The Spells
Zambri – Hundred Hearts
Summer Camp – Down
Caged Animals – This Summer I’ll Make It Up To You
Little Racer – Little Racer
Tiger Waves – Weekends
That’s so weird! I have the exact same mixtape, except I’ve got “How Bizarre” instead of that El-P track (it’s all mixed together, too).
Strung this sucker together myself yesterday.
King Tuff is the tits!!
No other song matters, folks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUQcnfwUUM
AMERICAN GIRL
I Wish by Skee Lo
My Drive Thru feat. Santogold & Julian Casablancas by N.E.R.D
Bakers Dozen by STA
Go With The Flow by Queens Of The Stoneage
Do You Know Where You’re Going To by Jamiroquai
Juicebox by The Strokes
Can we add some current NYC bands to the mix? How about zerobridge’s “Waiting in the Sun”? (full disclaimer I’m in the band)….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ8WFwq-UOc&feature=plcp
But – it shouldn’t be just the classics right? Some love for NYC bands right now?
Greg
zerobridge
Speaking at least for me, I was kind of going for the classics. I mean, the point of a summer jam is for as many people at the party to be able to jam to it. So it should be somewhere in the collective consciousness. Otherwise it becomes another musical pissing contest at a party.
No, we don’t want that. Because we all know I can pee the farthest.
Theophilus London’s “Why Even Try” (RAC Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfFDxxUhe_U
It’s the right combination of toetapping beats, carefree attitude, and a female backup singer.
Pujol, Jeans Wilder, Tanlines, King Tuff, Hot Chip, the Mynabirds, Slowdance. Probably more I can’t think of yet.
Rumpshaker – Wreckx-n-Effect. That is all.
i’m pretty sure biggie and miley had a baby and it evokes eternal sunshine for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfG94k41MrI
First off–REGGAE. And Brazilian, but not Baile Funk, good old stuff, like Musica Popular Brasilena. Pretty much music from anywhere hot, as much as that may buck the Americana of the summer camp ideal. Also:
Jay-Z – Big Pimpin’
M.I.A. (stuff off Arular or Piracy Funds Terrorism)
Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s
Beck – Black Tamborine; Gamma Ray
Santigold – Disparate Youth
The Rapture
Big Boi – Shine Blockas
Barrington Levy – Here I Come (Broader Than Broadway)
i fink you freeky- die antwoord