Hard to believe but the year is coming to an end. I feel like just yesterday I was moving into SoHo and now here I am almost a year later. It’s a very bittersweet feeling to say the least and working on this section has been the highlight of my freshman year and I’m looking forward to bringing it into next year. With the year being over and summer about to begin, I felt that a summer playlist would be appropriate. This playlist isn’t just meant to capture the fun, upbeat moments spent out in the sun. No, I also want to highlight the more bittersweet moments, those calm sunsets and atmospheric nights. It’s a season of many moods and emotions and I wanted a playlist that reflected that.
- Washed Out – Feel It All Around
One of the greatest chillwave songs of all time, this track perfectly captures the vibe of a chill summer day.
- Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
I mean look at the title. Animal Collective create one of the most surreal and sunny pop songs of all time with this beach boys-esque track.
- Paramore – Hard Times
Paramore channel their inner Talking Heads on this 2017 tracks. A start departure from their pop punk roots, “Hard Times” is pure summer fun in music form.
- Gorillaz – Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)
A true sonic journey, this song builds into something truly magical.
- Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
Vampire Weekend created one of the all-time great summer albums with their self-titled debut, and tracks like “Oxford Comma” prove this point.
- Led Zeppelin – D’yer Mak’er
Just about the most fun, carefree, and warm song that Led Zeppelin ever made.
- Arcade Fire – City With No Children & Rococo
“The Suburbs” is a perfect summer record in my opinion, perfectly capturing the feeling of a hot summer afternoon baked in nostalgia. “City With No Children” channels the classic rock songs of the 1980’s that you would hear at any 4th of July BBQ while Rococo has this fiery passion to it as it builds into something more intense than you would expect from the band.
- The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
Nostalgia in music form, a song that takes me back to past summers.
- MGMT – Time to Pretend and Phoenix – 1901
These two tracks came out in the same era and capture a very similar, fun alt-pop vibe in the best way possible. I will always associate the latter with Phoenix’s performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics as well.
- Tyler, The Creator – I THINK
“IGOR” has this warm, surreal sound that is perfect for summer, and a hypnotizing track like “I THINK” shows this off perfectly.
- Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
“Salad Days” captures the feeling of growing up perfectly, describing how the days of your youth are over. Enjoy them while you can.
- Fleet Foxes – Mykonos
Warm, lush indie folk that is perfect for the season.
- Lana Del Rey – Venice B*tch
This 9-minute psychedelic rock beast of a track is truly one of a kind. It’s a song that sounds so vintage yet so fresh, perfectly describing this summer-esque scene of nostalgia.
- Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
That surf rock guitar riff is perfect for the season.
- Tame Impala – The Less I Know the Better
Any one of Tame Impala’s songs could’ve made this spot, but sometimes, as the title suggests, less is more.
- Mac Miller – Ladders
Perfect summer rap song.
- Daft Punk – Face to Face
Daft Punk are pure fun and joy in music form, perfect for your vacation.
- Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
A personal choice here, I listened to this song on repeat before move-in day last year, so I have a strong summer connection to this track.
- HOME – Resonance
You have without a doubt heard this track on TikTok in some form or another – and for good reason. This is a masterpiece that just sounds like summer.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
The first time I ever heard this song was in summer of 2020, and it has never left my rotation since. The perfect summer alt rock track.
- Alice In Chains – Nutshell
Nutshell perfectly captures the feeling of a summer evening. It’s a gorgeously sad song, one that captures summer’s bleaker moments.
- Yo La Tengo – Everyday
“I want summer’s sad songs behind me”. The cover of this record, combined with these lyrics and atmosphere create the perfect song for late summer nights under the bright, starlit sky.
And that’s it for the semester. Thank you all for supporting this section and make sure to check in next semester for weekly reviews and playlists.
