I don’t understand why everyone is saying summer is over because I am melting over here in the corner, since the Chambana summer heat is certainly not over. Sure school has started but why does that mean it needs to be Halloween already? So this week I’ve decided to put together a list of songs I jammed (and am currently jamming) to this summer.
1. Neon Indian – “Annie”
Neon Indian went under my radar for a while after Era Extraña in 2011, but he suddenly came up with this new release. I was immediately interested because it’s unlike anything he’s every done before. Here we are again with another prominent bass line, and oh is he doing it right.
2. Panda Bear – “No Man’s Land”
I wrote a review for Panda Bear’s PBMTGR album a while back and his new EP that came out in August sounds sort of like an extension of the album. This song is definitely more cheerful and has more of a flow as opposed to his more experimental songs on the past album. That being said, you definitely hear his strange sound coming through here in this song.
3. CHVRCHES – “Leave a Trace”
“Leave a Trace” was CHVRCHES’ summer release and it rocked my world right away. Lauren Mayberry belts it in the chorus right away so you don’t even have to think about how it’s going to blow your mind. The electronic track that vibrates in the back through the song is infectious and works well with Mayberry’s voice.
4. Big Data – “Snowed In (ft. Rivers Cuomo)”
This song is very unlike Big Data’s popular hit “Dangerous,” since it’s a lot more electronic and more of a dancing song. That being said a lot of Big Data’s album 2.0 is more of that genre.
5. Mura Masa – “Miss You”
I found this Mura Masa song on a Band Camp mix and immediately fell in love. Maybe it’s the rain that plays softly in the background but this song is chill, smooth, and groovy. The beat isn’t too intense but it’s just enough to get your head nodding. Mura Masa’s album Someday Somewhere from last April got a lot of buzz, with a similar sound.
6. Hayley Kiyoko – “Girls Like Girls”
It took the Internet by storm and if you ask my roommates over the summer they’ll tell you it also got me obsessed. With the music video containing two former Disney Channel stars, it went viral for a little bit, but the song is even more catchy. It has a kickass message to any of those who still don’t understand non-heterosexual relationships with the passive aggressive lyric in the chorus, “Nothing new.” It’s simple with not too many layers of sound, but Hayley Kiyoko makes it an earworm. The simplest songs are the ones that get stuck in your head, right?
7. The Beach Boys – “Barbara Ann”
After I watched The Wrecking Crew on Netflix (go watch it right now), I went on a serious Beach Boys kick for a couple months. I’ve always appreciated the mastery behind this band and how they really changed the music game in the 50s and 60s, but somehow this movie really opened my eyes to all the behind the scenes goings on in the recording sessions. “Barbara Ann” is simply a personal favorite from my childhood.
8. Christine and the Queens – “Saint Claude”
I came across Christine and the Queens while I was just Spotifying around one day and I was absolutely blown away by this song. It became a summer constant. She’s a French singer with a very gentle voice. The track starts out with a fluttering piano sound and the rest has a simple electronic beat. It’s quite minimal and very beautiful. Also check out the music video. She has some killer moves that are extremely emotional, just like the song (and I don’t even speak French).
9. Grizzly Bear – “Foreground”
I have always been a huge Grizzly Bear fan, and I revisited their ground breaking Veckatimest album this summer, after it was always sort of on the backburner when I was done being obsessed with it. But this song was one that sometimes went overlooked. It’s extremely beautiful with a simple piano chord, a dreamy choir singing, and an ominous drum beating throughout the entire track.
