Whether you’re spending your summer on the beach or hunched over copy machine, nothing captures the summer spirit like the perfect tune. The rest of the year, music taste is just too serious – when you walk down the street in fall, do you find yourself scrolling through your artist list and stopping at Weezer’s Pinkerton? No! It’s Mirah or The Mountain Goats or Common or some experimental-raised-on-a-commune-beep-boop-hoo-ha. Because the rest of the year, there is pressure. There is pressure because your music taste is supposed to define you. That is, except for those few glorious summer months when hippies and frat boys and Republicans all join together and listen to some music that just makes you want to blend a margarita before noon. Summer is the time for whimsy! And here are some of our favorite summer tunes after the jump.
Paper Planes was THE song of last summer. You are lying if you didn’t sing along to it, lay back, and groove to this last June.
If you don’t listen to K’naan, you should pick up his new album, Troubador. Awesome. Here’s ‘In the Beginning’ from ‘Dusty Foot Philosopher.’ Put up your fists if all you want is freedom!
Alright, I know the song below is a huge cliche. And, it’s pretty bad, too. It’s something people listen to on cruise ships and shuffle around fake two-stepping until their 8pm bed time. But whatever, of you can’t feel the love, y’all are just too serious.
Gold Digger. No explanation necessary. This song is still the shit.
I could have gone with ‘Summertime’ or ‘What I Got,’ but I have to stick to my guns here and go with ‘Santeria.’ It makes you want to get into a car in the blistering heat and roll the windows down and drive forever. Yep.
