Summer is officially here! And along with swimming, tanning and skin cancer comes the first installment of LIST-SERVE, the newest segment here at Isaac Bruce Springsteen. Basically, it's just an excuse for me to give you lists year-round rather than just at the end of the calendar. Excited? You better be.
Top BBQ Album: Sublime by Sublime - You'd be hard-pressed to find a summer-album list without this classic on it. So I'll just start with it and save you the suspense. The ideal mix of Jamaican reggae with U.S. alternative rock, Sublime is really all you need when the burgers are on the grill and you're in the pool. And if it's a family barbecue with people who'd frown upon lyrics like "Don't fuck around with my dog," feel free to throw on some John Cougar.
Top Luau Album: E Ala E by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Better known as IZ and even better known as that fat Hawaiian dude who did that cover of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is pretty much the master of Hawaiian ukelele jams. I don't know if this is actually his best album, but this is the one my parents got when they went to Hawaii for their 10-year anniversary, and it serves as a perfect, chilled-out backdrop for any luau, be it in Maui or Missouri.
Top Night-Driving Album: Frengers by Mew - I don't really know what it is about this album, but it just sounds freaking epic while driving around at night. It's like the acoustics were purposely designed to sound better with the windows down. If you've ever got some time to burn after sundown before you head out partying, just throw this on and drive around for a while. You won't regret it.
Top Late-Night Driving Album: Nostalgia, Ultra by Frank Ocean - I don't know about you, but whenever it's really really late and I'm driving, I always feel like turning on some smooth R&B. Frank's surely got that smoothness, but he's also got the catchy and fun factors that make this even more of a summertime classic. Plus, with a last name like Ocean, he kind of gets the benefit of the doubt here. (Honorable Mention: House of Balloons by The Weeknd.)
Top Early-Riser Album: Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes - For those three days this summer you get up before noon, put on some Fleet Foxes and start visualizing that perfect, adventurous summer day. Even if you just end up switching from bed to couch, this'll at least give you a good start. Sure, the album's most popular track is titled "White Winter Hymnal," but the first track is "Sun It Rises," so fuck you.
Top Dance Party Album: Manners by Passion Pit - For those spontaneous nights where you and your friends just feel like cranking up the iHome and getting your groove on, Passion Pit is the way to go. The synth riffs are just preposterously sick. If you can't dance to this, you can't dance to anything. (And even if you're fully aware of this fact, this album still makes it fun to try.)
Top Baby-Making Music: Thank Me Later by Drake - Having trouble with the ladies? You must not be playing enough Drake. Either that or you're fat and ugly. Either way, just throw on some Drake, and who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky. And once you do, leave the Drake on because this album is the perfect soundtrack for some summer lovin'. At least, I assume it is.
Top Nostalgia Album: Blue by Third Eye Blind - Okay, I don't think I've ever actually listened to this whole album, but "Never Let You Go" is an absolute must for any list of summer tunes. It is the epitome of a summertime jam. Plus, if you're a '90s kid like me, most songs from that decade are perfect for summer listening, especially when you're sitting in your backyard, wishing you were 8 again and yearning for just one more game of dodgeball... Sorry. Like I said: nostalgic. (Note: my personal favorite nostalgia album is my first album: Astro Lounge by Smash Mouth, but I assume most of you swore years ago that if you ever heard "All Star" again you would stab someone, and I didn't want to raise the murder rate.)
Top Lying-In-The-Sun Album: Heavier Things by John Mayer - If you've ever caught some pool-side rays, you know that "chill" music is the way to go. There's nothing more relaxing than lying out with a book, some babes and some classic John Mayer. Plus, I swear this album makes you get tan faster.
Top Sk8r Album: King of the Beach by Wavves - I've never been a skater before (genetically uncoordinated), but if I was, I would totally listen to this album all the time. Plus, it's called King of the Beach, for Christ's sake. It shouldn't be too hard to squeeze into your summer playlists.
Top Boating Album: Songs You Know By Heart - Jimmy Buffett - If there's one guy who's capitalized on the genre of summer albums, it's this guy. Not only has he become essential listening for any weekend at the lake, but he's also managed to take his earnings and become the billionaire owner of Berkshire Hathaway. Wait... I think I'm getting my Buffetts mixed. Anyway, this album's got songs about cheeseburgers, margaritas and a track with a chorus of, "Why don't we get drunk and screw?" What more do you want from me?
Top 2011 Summer Album: w h o k i l l by tUnE-yArDs - I couldn't think of a category for this one, but it's my summer album this year, and I think it definitely belongs on this list. It's energetic as fuck, and "Bizness" is just a flat-out stellar track. Don't let the capitalization or the androgynous lead singer throw you off. This definitely needs to be on your summer rotation.
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Comment below with your favorite summer albums
'Blue' is the best summer album of all time. I, too, have never listened to all of it. I just assume it is.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite summer one this year is probably 'The King is Dead' by the Decemberists.
I love "Down By The Water." Guess I'm a sucker for harmonicas.
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