Every season has it’s own feel, not just for what we wear when we go outside, but the kind of music that we play.
Except for maybe the holiday season (I mean Christmas season, don’t boycott me!), Summer is probably the most specific time of year for the kind of music that you want to play.
You’re rollin’ with your hood down, your tank tops on and a Slurpee in your right hand, what ya got playin on the ole boombox?
For me, it’s gotta be Bleach’s “Again For The First Time”, because it’s about as fun as an album can be for me. I wouldn’t be reluctant to throw in any other pop rock, like Hawk Nelson, FM Static, Capital Lights or even Family Force 5.
So what about you, what do you like to put in your stereo when the temperature is rising?
I usually make my own mixtapes for the summer, but overall great summer albums include:
Andy Mineo- Formerly Known
The Classic Crime- Vagabonds
Blood and Water- In Character
Cold War Kids- Robber & Cowards
Flatfoot 56- Jungle of the Midwest Sea
FM Static- What Are You Waiting For
Hawk Nelson- Letters to the President
Lakes- The Agreement
Lecrae- Church Clothes & Rehab
Mae- The Everglow
Mat Kearney- Young Love
Othello & DJ Vajra- The Required Taste
Playdough- Hotdoggin’
Relient K- MmHmm (and maybe Five Score and Seven Years Ago)
The Rocket Summer- Do You Feel & Of Men and Angels
Run Kid Run- Their first two albums
Tedashii- Blacklight
theBREAX- Never Arrive
Trip Lee- The Good Life
The Washington Projects- Light Up The Dark
Wit & Dre Murray- Hells Paradise II
Plus any album from Children 18:3, House of Heroes, Ruth, & Sent By Ravens will do the trick.
Owl City – All things Bright & Beautiful
Michael W. Smith – This is your Time
These are records I rarely listen to until Summer comes around and then I jam them all the time:
Hell or High Water – As Cities Burn
Overdressed – Caedmon’s Call
This Is an Outrage! – Capital Lights
Children 18:3 – Children 18:3
Vagabonds – The Classic Crime
Business Up Front, Party in the Back – Family Force 5 (but ONLY when I’m with my friends!)
Travel II – Future of Forestry
Suburba – House of Heroes
All Things Bright & Beautiful – Owl City
Riot! – Paramore
Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do – Relient K
The Fear of God – Showbread (my official lawn mowing album)
Learning to Breathe – Switchfoot
If I’ve lumped an album into the Summertime category I tend to think it’s great, but probably slightly inferior because it’s enjoyment is limited to one time of the year. Kind of like Christmas albums.
Mae – Destination: Beautiful. (It’s not officially summer until I drive with the windows down blaring “Summertime”.)
The Elms – The Chess Hotel
Hazel & Vine – Hazel & Vine EP. (A little known group that didn’t last nearly as long as they should have, these guys are similar to early Mae and have a light indie rock/pop sound.)
Pretty much anything from Owl City or Sky Sailing. And I’ll throw in the recent Matt MacDonald side project Vocal Few – She’ll Be Right EP.
i know hazel & vine! its a shame they gave it up
Sorry, but I’ll have to give the boring answer of saying my music habits don’t change with the seasons, nor do my driving habits, really. I’ll be driving with the windows down listening to the same stuff in the summer as I will be in the winter.
III.V and Dance or Die with a Vengeance-FF5
There is something about Hawk Nelson’s “Letters to the President” that just screams summer to me, also House of Heroes “Suburbia”
FF5, FM Static, and anything else that is loud and fun works too!
Suburba by House of Heroes
Mat Kearney – Young Love. No doubt about it.