Straight-up mainstream, commercial music is often the best summer music I think: stuff everybody knows and everybody can sing along with. Stuff that’s playing on the radio and blasting from everybody’s car stereo. This is a mix of that music with some old songs, newer songs, and random upbeat tracks from otherwise not super summery albums. Some of these songs I associate with specific summers, some of them I just think you can groove to. The first CD is more upbeat stuff; it’s road-trip tested and approved. The second mix is more for chilling out. I put these together so they work as either one long mix or as individual mixes.
Click on the title to download each mix.
Disc 1: Heating Up
1. Hazel Eyes—The Darkness
2. You Shook Me All Night Long—AC/DC
3. Kids In America—The Muffs
Just try not to drive fast with the windows down while listening to this song.
4. You! Me! Dancing!—Los Campesinos
If you’ve never seen these guys live and get an opportunity, I highly recommend it. So much energy, so much fun.
5. Mardy Bum—Arctic Monkeys
6. The Modern Age—The Strokes
7. Together Forever In Love—Go Sailor
8. I Was Born (A Unicorn)—The Unicorns
This is off Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone, which is one of my favorite albums of all time and I can listen to in any season. But this song is especially good in summer.
9. Take It Off—Dick Dale
Clearly, the king of the surf guitar belongs on a summer mix.
10. Hey Ya—Outkast
I strongly associate this song with the summer of ’04. It was featured at every house party I went to.
11. Move Your Feet—Junior Senior
Ditto with this song.
12. Pacemaker—Jamie T
This album, Panic Prevention, is one of my favorites. Also good any time of year.
13. Si Señor—Control Machete
This is possibly my favorite summer jam in this whole mix. It’s just this kind of menacing sounding Mexican rap. The thing about it is, the worse your stereo, the better it sounds. I love driving to it; I have a pretty crummy car stereo.
14. Random—Lady Sovereign
15. Shut The Club Down—Girl Talk
Girl Talk=instant dance party.
16. I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head—Kylie Minogue
I should feel shame for how much I love this song, but I don’t. Also a classic from my pre-21 house party days.
17. Canned Heat—Jamiroquai
Another one that was big at house parties when I was 19, pre-Napoleaon Dynamite.
18. Crazy—Gnarls Barkley
Nothing says summer ’06 to me like this song.
19. No One—Alicia Keys
Crank this and drive.
Disc 2: Cooling Down
1. You’re Gorgeous—Baby Bird
Because what says summer more than a semi-exploitative fling?
2. Gemini (Birthday Song)—Why?
3. Temptation—New Order
4. Niagara Falls—Harlem Shakes
If you talk to me about music for more than two minutes, you’ll likely learn of my love of this band. After at least three years together, their first album, Technicolor Health, finally came out in March, and I listen to it about once a day. It’s a good one for spring and summer.
5. Lovedust—Luna
6. For the Actor—Mates Of State
Not really what I’d think of as a summery band, but if some cruise line can use this song to sell vacations, I figure it fits on here.
7. Climbing—Persephone’s Bees
8. Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town—Talking Heads
I’m super into this as a sumer jam right now.
9. Dancing In The Street—The Mamas & The Papas
10. Don’t You Just Know It—The Sonics
Some classic local flavor.
11. Parties In The U.S.A.—Jonathan Richman
12. Shake-N-Stomp—Dick Dale
13. Hot Fun In The Summer Time—Sly & The Family Stone
The informal survey this month’s mixes suggests this might be the most-included song this time around.
14. Wait Till The Summer Comes Along—The Kinks
15. Muriel The Actor—Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
I love Steve Harley and this album, The Human Menagerie, is great summer listening. I’m into anything with a calypso sound to it.
16. Jogging Gorgeous Summer—Islands
17. Don’t Look Back—David Lindley
Enjoy!
xo
Aiko
