Wednesday, July 02, 2003

::Some Songs for Summertyme::

It's most defintely summer at this point. I'm very excited, as you have probably already noticed from my review yesterday. I love the summer and everything about it. Even though I digest dreary-as-fuck music, films, and books daily, there's no way to deny a blue-skied, warm summer day. And what's better than a beautiful summer day than a few tunes to provide the soundtrack for it. (Answer: Nothing. Unless, your preferences are different, of course.) So here's just five of my (rock) favorites. Which should be yours:

Sonic Youth - "Disconnection Notice" - Murray Street: Now I know what you may be thinking. "Bullshit, man. Sonic Youth reminds me of a heroin addict face down in the gutter." Fair enough, but that's not what this sounds like. This seamless rock for 6 minutes that feels just like a cool sea breeze. It sounds the huge orange summer sun looming on the horizon threating to end the day before you want it to.

My Bloody Valentine - "Sometimes" - Loveless: Now I don't know what Kevin Sheilds is singing about, but I'd venture to say it doesn't really matter. Either that, or I don't really care because this is such a beautiful song. This song has always reminded me of salt air in my nose and a cool breeze through my hair. This song screams to be played at nighttime, at about 65-70 degrees, with a clear sky and endless stars.

My Morning Jacket - "Bermuda Highway" - At Dawn: Something about bands with "My" at the beginning of their name makes them summertime music. This song, about a quarter of the way through MMJ's epic second album must be heard to believed. Jim James' honey-sweet voice floats perfectly over a single acoustic guitar all while swamped in reverb, creating an incredibly captivating performance. Straddles the line between warmth and overheating perfectly.

Secret Machines - "Still See You" - September 000: A perfect song from an all too short mini LP by New York by way of Texas rockers Secret Machines. A soothing long instrumental intro rides along until--BAM!!--here's the hook. And what a hook it is. Pure joyous pop that no one could hate. This song is like a dip in crystal clear waters underneath a bright blue sky.

TransChamps - "First Comes Sunday Morning" into "Then Comes Saturday Night" - Double Exposure EP: I don't think anyone should be without this. This is the best supergroup I've ever heard and the five track album is a tease. Just imagine, indie-metallers The Fucking Champs and indie-everythings Trans Am. The first song is all pretty and sunny acoustic guitars perfect to float on a raft to. The second half, on the other hand, kicks in and The Fucking Champs and Trans Am stop being pussies and crank their Marshall stacks--motherfucker, this is what summertime is about. Weed, booze, and broads all compacted into a 7 minute instrumental suite. An ode to partying, if you will.

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