Summer Jams
The Debbie Downer of YHTS wants to tell you that summer is half over. But our fun side wants to tell you that you still have plenty of time to soak up the sun, get piss drunk, make mistakes, and listen to some great jams.
There's nothing more fun than imposing...or eh hum....'suggesting' your taste to other people. So here are our picks for summer tunes to listen to by the pool, in a backyard, alone in your room, King's Landing....etc.
Marsh's Picks:
Sadly "Ho Hey" did not make the cut :'( ....but there's still plenty of fun to be had this Lumineer-less summer.
Black Skinhead, Kanye West-
I wasn't a big fan of Kanye's last album, but Yeezus has me on the Kanye train I was once on in high school. It may be the fact that Black Skinhead is in The Wolf of Wall Street trailer...but the thing rocks and I love it.
Doing it Right, Daft Punk ft. Panda Bear
If you haven't worn yourself out with Random Access Memories yet, I suggest the chillest and least disco-y song on the album. The good thing about this song is that it can be played to get the vibe started as well as winding it down.
GUN, CHVRCHES-
You're just going to have to get over my CHVRCHES bias. Gun is their latest release and probably their most 'fun' song. It has a lot of the heart pounding beats that "Black Skinhead" has, but overall the song isn't as intense and won't tire out a crowd too quickly.
This is How We Do It, Montell Jordan
A throwback obviously, this Monty J classic is appropriate for any occasion and my top choice to be played at the end of my funeral.
It not only works nicely as a summer pumper and will get any crowd going, but also has a lot of good messages:
I reach for my 40 and I turn it up
Desingated driver take the keys to my truck
Hit the shore 'cause I'm faded
Monty J wants himself and the fans to be safe and so does YHTS.
Brownie's Picks:
Okay so as most of you don’t know, I consider myself
somewhat of a music savant (granted I am the only one who thinks so). Born and
raised in Austin, Texas, I have grown up surrounded by live music, indie bands,
and budding music superstars, while playing in bands myself and writing music.
Basically, I know my shit. So if you are interested in adding some new music to
your summer playlist then here are a few suggestions of artists, and songs that
you may enjoy. I’ll try to put out three or four daily, but no promises.
Afraid of the General
– Wick-It the Instigator, The Brothers of Chico Dusty
For you rap or blues fans this album is just nasty. The
entire album is a mash-up of Brothers by the Black Keys (my favorite band,
currently) and Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty by Big Boi. Both
of those albums on their own are great (Brothers is in my top 3 of all time),
and together they may work even better. I do like mash-up artists, although
normally I wouldn’t suggest one over the original, but this album really is
great. Afraid of the General in particular is a slow, melodic jam that will
have you bumping your head while you’re cruising around, and in my opinion is
perfect background music for any event. Check out the whole album, but start
with this one.
Hold On – The Gospel
Whiskey Runners, Hold On
The album itself is just so-so, really only two or three
other songs that are worth mentioning (like I am a Ghost) but the title track
for the album is a pretty relaxing, uplifting song that is pretty easy to
listen to in any setting. Rhythmically it has a pretty nice groove, created by
both the use of rhythm guitar and light drums, which drives the repetitive song
all the way to the end. The band uses harmonies very nicely for variation to
help reinforce their catchy melody. I’d say avoid the album, but this track is
definitely worth a listen.
Frankie Lee – Max
Frost
Max is a buddy of mine from high school days and he is
truly, truly a phenomenal talent. A budding superstar, he is one of those
musicians that can pick up anything that makes noise and turn it into something
funky. His music draws from jazz, rock, blues, soul, rap, and funk backgrounds
and he blends them together to create catchy tunes. He has recently gained
tremendous local notoriety, becoming a house-hold Austin name thanks to his
massively successful hit single White Lies, however Frankie Lee is actually my
favorite of his work because I think it is a better reflection of his
bluesy/funky style. His partner in crime is Kydd Jones, an Austin-based rapper
who Max teamed up with early on. Kydd is another artist who is definitely worth
checking out. Max recently signed a contract with Atlantic Records at the age
of 20, so expect some pretty huge things from this guy.
Here’s a live video of him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WlZPkwzLqg
Will Smith uses picturesque lyrics that bring you back to good ol' days when the only thing that mattered was how good your car and your hair looks. My favorite lines in the jam:
All the kids playing out front
Little boys messin round with the girls playing double-dutch
While the dj's spinning a tune
As the old folks dance at your family reunion
BPN's Picks:
There are several things that we humans like to change as the seasons come and go: clothing styles, beer selection, and of course - music. As winter changes to to spring, I notice my Norah Jones intake rapidly declines as my Michelle Branch intake rises exponentially. As we enter the heart of the summer, there are roughly 10-15 jams that I simply become a crack-fiend for that I would never listen to during any other time of the year. I would give you my top three, but there is one that takes the cake:
Summertime, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr0tTbTbmVA
Will Smith uses picturesque lyrics that bring you back to good ol' days when the only thing that mattered was how good your car and your hair looks. My favorite lines in the jam:
All the kids playing out front
Little boys messin round with the girls playing double-dutch
While the dj's spinning a tune
As the old folks dance at your family reunion
This is not only a classic Jam, but arguably the best music video. Ever. A few reasons:
#1 Will Smith's shirt
#2 That girl next to Will Smith above
#4 Will Smith rack himself with a basketball - Fast forward to the 2:24 mark
#5 Only one white person in this whole video - Fast forward to the 3:30 mark
I could go on for days, but I will let you guys have some fun with the rest.
Adam's Picks:
#1 Will Smith's shirt
#2 That girl next to Will Smith above
#3 A little kid get jacked by a huge rubber ball - Fast forward to the 1:41 mark.
#4 Will Smith rack himself with a basketball - Fast forward to the 2:24 mark
#5 Only one white person in this whole video - Fast forward to the 3:30 mark
I could go on for days, but I will let you guys have some fun with the rest.
Adam's Picks:
Marshall has asked me to come up with some of my top “summer
jams” to share with the audience and so I am going to do my best to not just
cop-out and say “Pandora’s Summer Hits of the 90s Station” (but that is clearly
the right answer). However, this topic really made me think.
What makes a song a “Summer Jam”?
Is it a song that gets you through those five minutes of
work before you’re off for the weekend?
Is it the song that you hear in the morning and gets you
ready for a day of fun in the sun as it evokes memories of summers long ago?
Or is it the song that you listen to while you’re enjoying
your 12th beer and your 3rd hour of floating in an upside
down lifejacket 20 feet from your dock?
A good summer jam must fit into one of those three
questions, ideally two or three of them. With all this in mind, here are some
jams for you in this summer season. Some new, some old.
Dirt Road Anthem – Brantley
Gilbert
Not
Jason Aldean’s garbage with Luda. The guy who wrote it: Brantley Gilbert. He’s
about the only musician in Tennessee besides Eric Church that would make it in
Texas and make the old guard of country music proud. His original version of Dirt Road Anthem, complete with rap by
Colt Ford is the perfect song to turn up as you begin that road trip, crack
open your first road beer or back out of the dock to start the day on the lake.
Lose Yourself to
Dance – Daft Punk
While
most people would go with this album’s single, Get Lucky, that feels more like
a spring song to me – mainly because it was released in the spring. Lose Yourself is the album’s best party
song (Giorgio by Moroder would top it
if not for opening 2 minute old man monologue) and is guaranteed to get the
feet tapping and heads nodding along to the beat at that backyard BBQ. If
you’re trying to plan a playlist for your summer get-together, you want to make
sure the music matches the mood you’re aiming for (I sure hope I’m not the
first person to tell you that). Summer parties need music that will encourage
more drinking, more swimming and music that will help partygoers fight the urge
to take that mid afternoon nap after being outside in sun all day. While I
wouldn’t drown my party in Daft Punk, Lose
Yourself to Dance would be a great background track for your summer days.
Shine –
Collective Soul
It’s
Saturday morning. You’re hung over as usual. You’re with your friends and the
idea was hatched last night to spend the day at the pool/lake/beach but you
really feel like shit right now. You should’ve passed on those tequila shots at
3:30am and that Taco Bell at 4am. Part of you wants to get up, but right now,
you’d much rather spend the day with your couch and Netflix. You’ll just go out
that night, recuperate on Sunday and then it’s back to work or summer school on
Monday. Stop what youre doing and turn on your computer. Get on to YouTube and
type in “Shine by Collective Soul.”
Press play and let this song take you back to the 90s. Back to when you
couldn’t even fathom not having a summer break. Back to when you spent 15 hours
a day in a wet bathing suit and a sun burn. Let it sink in. Then find the
biggest speakers your home has, blast this song as loud as you can to wake
everyone else up, get out whatever beer is left in the fridge and enjoy your
summer Saturday.
Getting Jiggy With It
– Will Smith
Self-explanatory.
Also acceptable: Miami
Come and Get It –
Selena Gomez
Hey,
it’s summer. If you’re jamming song then chances are you’re drinking. If you’re
drinking, this song isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s even a little catchy. Like Lose Yourself to Dance it is a great
song to keep the energy of the crowd up. Also, to you guys out there –
hopefully there are girls wherever you are enjoying this summer and chances are
they know and love this song. It’s always a good idea to play some songs they
listen to and this song is less rapey than Blurred Lines.
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