The first day of summer officially arrives on June 20. But with school being out and temperatures reaching into the upper ’80s, it’s as good as here. Assuming the moth army retreats from our corner of the world some point soon, I expect the next 12 weeks or so to be the finest of the year. Here are 15 hot tracks to go with it. Listen here.
Aural Fixation
1) “Summertime” • The Zombies • The Zombies Gershwin’s American jazz standard, written for Porgy and Bess , gently reinterpreted by a ghoulish ’60s British group
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2) “(We Ain’t Got) Nothing Yet” • Blues Magoos • Easy Rider (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) Pioneering psychedelic Bronx band the Blues Magoos as heard in counterculture road trip movie Easy Rider
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3) “New Direction” • Black Lips • Arabia Mountain “Going on a vision quest, surf the mountain, ride the crest …”
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4) “Top Down” • Teenage Head • Teenage Head A late ’70s song about a convertible from an Ontario punk / new wave band named after a Flamin’ Groovies track
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5) “Rockaway Beach” • Ramones • Rocket to Russia Joey sings about one of America’s largest urban beaches.
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6) “Celebrated Summer” • Hüsker Dü • New Day Rising Bittersweet proto-emo; a super buzzy summer lament
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7) “Sunny Afternoon” • The Kinks • Face to Face Anti-tax sentiment; dreaming about living the good life
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8) “Little Honda” • The Beach Boys • All Summer Long Everybody, including the Beach Boys, knows that the summer is the best time to ride two-wheeled motorized vehicles.
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9) “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” • Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel • The Best Years of Our Lives This is the happiest, most cathartic glam rock song ever written, despite its vindictive lyrics.
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10) “Christine’s Tune” • The Flying Burrito Brothers • The Gilded Palace of Sin Psychedelic country has a warm-weather feel
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11) “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” • The Who • My Generation (Deluxe Edition) Roger Daltrey plays Martha Reeves.
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12) “Peaches” • The Stranglers • Rattus Norvegicus A lecherous song about girl-watching at the beach, circa ’77
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13) “Love Is a Wave” • Crystal Stilts • “Love Is a Wave” / “Sugarbaby” 7-inch Oceanic metaphor atop neo post-punk surf guitar
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14) “The Summer” • Yo La Tengo • Fakebook Mellow and jangly with a nostalgic doo-wop feel
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15) “Summertime” • Girls • Album A track that encourages taking full advantage of summer’s many blessings
