Disclaimer: I am not from California. I’m from the Midwest (which clearly gives me the authority to give my opinion on the West Coast).
Maybe it’s all the social media influencers that I follow, or the extreme weather here in the CU area, but recently I’ve been craving a trip to the West Coast, specifically California. That perfect 70-80’s weather, ocean views, and clear skies sounds like the perfect summer getaway. Since I’m not that spontaneous, I decided to make a playlist that reminded me of that California vibe instead of actually booking a plane ticket.
I’ve included a handful of artists who call the golden state their home, such as FIDLAR (Los Angeles), The Growlers (Dana Point), Grandaddy (Modesto) and Hot Flash Heat Wave (San Francisco).
I’ve also included some artists that have captured the laid back feel of California while not being from there. Some groups that fall into that category include: The F-16’s (Chennai, India), Alvvays (Toronto, Canada), Rex Orange County (Hampshire, England), and boy pablo (Bergen, Norway).
However, I didn’t want to include just one genre of music on this playlist. After all, California is home to almost 40 million people. This playlist is what I’d listen to while exploring the state, making it one massive mix of music. Anywhere from indie pop to punk rock, acoustic to “guitar music for people who don’t like guitars”. To make it easier to navigate, I’ve categorized the songs below by their genre and highlighted bands native to California! Enjoy.
“Draem Girl”, No Vacation, Bedroom Pop
“Sunflower” and “Best Friend”, Rex Orange County, Indie Pop
“Everytime”, boy pablo, Indie Pop
“Home”, Vacations, Indie Pop
“Dreams Tonite”, Alvvays, Indie Pop
“When Did Your Heart Go Missing?”, Rooney, Indie Rock
“Weekend”, Smith Westerns, Indie Rock
“Someday”, The Strokes, Indie Rock
“It’s Real”, Real Estate, Indie Rock
“My Kind of Woman”, Mac Demarco, Indie/Psychedelic Rock
“Dope on a Rope” and “Rare Hearts”, The Growlers, Psychedelic Rock
“West Coast”, FIDLAR, Punk Rock
“Post Acid”, Wavves, Punk Rock
“Moon Child”, The F-16’s, Rock
“Gutter Girl”, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Rock
“Way We Won’t”, Grandaddy, Rock
“Can’t Get Happy”, Only Real, “guitar music for people who don’t like guitars”
