What is summer without a soundtrack? Just sunstruck days with no classes to attend, afternoons spent reading or hanging out with friends and eating everything in sight, and good times at the pool or beach with attractive, almost-naked people. So okay, even without a soundtrack, summer is pretty great, actually. And in fact, if you had a summer soundtrack and none of that other stuff, that would be so sad for you. I have sabotaged my own point, which happens more often than I care to admit.
However, if, like myself, you are gainfully employed and past the age when classes are a concern (though being late or unprepared for them is still a situation frequently revisited in nightmares), a summer soundtrack is still an enjoyable respite from the day-to-day. Look up and listen to these songs, and imagine that the straw in your mid-afternoon smoothie is a palm tree and the smoothie itself is a brightly-colored body of water waiting for you to wade in it. But don’t actually wade in it, unless you are laying groundwork for an insanity plea later when you snap and murder all of your officemates. Wow, that got dark all of a sudden. Anyway! Here: happy summer songs! From some rather unlikely acts.
The Sundays - Summertime
We miss you, Harriet Wheeler! (And you too, David Gavurin.) The Sundays were known for their soaring, soul-tugging songs, for Wheeler’s uniquely beautiful voice and Gavurin’s evocative guitar work; while they never achieved superstardom, their influence echoed across many a subsequent ‘alternative rock’ (as it was then known) act. Summertime is almost uncharacteristic of their mostly-bittersweet output; it’s their happiest song, but it’s one of their great songs nonetheless.
Pet Shop Boys - Se a vida é (That’s the Way Life Is)
A synth-pop duo known for their arch wit and impeccable Englishness (for lack of a better word) is not the source you might expect for a perfect summer pop song. It helps that there is a very strong Brazilian influence. It helps that the video is set in a Wet ‘n Wild water theme park and features the actress Eva Mendes. And it helps that they wrote it to cheer up a depressed friend. Mission accomplished, I should say.
The Avalanches - Electricity
For a song that is essentially wordless, it has just always struck me as being perfect for stretching out under the sun by some bright and inviting body of water. Or just some bright and inviting body.
The Spinanes - Sunday
Again, not a band usually associated with things summery. But when I posted an old Spinanes video on Facebook recently out of sheer nostalgia, it resulted in a Spinanes lovefest in the comments section involving Diego Castillo of Sandwich and The Diegos, and Kathy Gener of Ang Bandang Shirley, among many other Spinanes groupies who came out of hiding. Graphic designer (and indie music superfan) Paul Guadalupe posted Sunday, and said “Napa-music trip din tuloy ako ng Spinanes now... na-alala ko nagedit pa ako ng out of town/beach video na gamit ang song na Sunday as music background, bagay na bagay siya promise!â€
Speaking of Paul, during our days working on Pulp magazine, he introduced me to The Pearlfishers — specifically, their pop masterpiece of an album known as “The Young Picknickers.†Not sure why many of my favorite summer songs are tinged with melancholy amidst the sunshine, but there you go. This song makes me mostly happy but a little sad at the same time.
Weezer - Island in the Sun
The last time I heard this played in public was just last week, while browsing among the shelves of Fully Booked Katipunan on a hot sunny Sunday. Wearing shorts and digesting some sugar-free ice cream (thanks, Sebastian’s), I started nodding my head to this, and said to myself, “The summer has begun.†Then everyone around me backed away slowly.
Cocteau Twins - Tishbite
Famed for ethereal ululations, the Cocteau Twins also, surprisingly, made a number of songs you could take with you to the beach, or just daydream to while an electric fan-made breeze blows over you (see: most of “Four-Calendar Cafe,†some of “Heaven or Las Vegasâ€). This one strikes me as the summeriest.
Aztec Camera - All I Need is Everything
For a band composed mostly of a pale, skinny Scotsman, Aztec Camera did come out with many a summer-worthy, sun-kissed song. This is probably the best of them. Just listen to the first few seconds and you will be transported
Bonus track: Groove Armada - At the River
If you’re fond of sand dunes, and salty air.