Each summer, there are always a handful of songs that I blare through my speakers that serve as the perfect backdrop to my summer, accompanying any activity I take part in. Whether I’m cruising down the road in my sunglasses with the backdrop of the setting sun as the cool summer breeze rolls through my car windows. Or lounging by the pool as the beat of the songs appear to synchronize perfectly with the moving water. Whatever the songs are that specific summer, they instantly bring to mind the summer memories that were made while listening to them. Here are my handpicked songs that will serve as my summer 2015 soundtrack and will hopefully be added to yours as well. And if it’s not summer where you live, may these songs bring some summer sun into your life.
“St. Croix”- Family of the Year
Every single aspect of this song shouts summer and embodies it since “St. Croix” is practically a tribute from Family of the Year to the beautiful season. From the catchy, light, upbeat, rhythm, to the fitting lyrics, and to top it off, the cheesy, bright, 60s summer themed music video that will make you want to do the twist to this song all summer long.
“Beach Bones” – More Amor ft. Ryan Ross
Each summer, this particular song always proves to creep its way back into my playlist because for me, the season is incomplete without “Beach Bones” playing. “Beach Bones” by More Amor featuring Ryan Ross’s sweet voice singing the chorus captures in a single song the effect that summer can have on ones feelings. Particularly, feelings for another person. I catch myself each season belting out the lyric, “Lately when the sun falls down in L.A. it’s the summer of our love” when in reality, I’m not in L.A. and most summers I don’t have a boyfriend, but a girl can dream, right? 😉
“Ain’t It the Life” – Foo Fighters
In the Foo Fighters’ third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose, the band decided to take a more relaxed approach to recording this album by doing so in the basement of a house in Virginia. This low-key environment affected the albums sound, giving the songs a softer and calmer vibe then a usual Foo Fighters song. This is most evident in “Ain’t It the Life” which is continuously mellow throughout the entire song. As Dave Grohl softly and slowly sings the line, “Ain’t it the life” a few times in a row, I start to believe it myself, especially while lying in the sun without a single worry in my mind.
“Island in the Sun” – Weezer
To sum up the lyrics, “Island in the Sun” by Weezer is the epitome of what summer should be spent doing: having fun in the sun. This is the song that will accompany every chill and relaxing activity I do this season. To top it off, the music video is filled to the brim with cuteness since the whole video is Weezer playing with animals. If you don’t smile in the slightest while watching it, your soul belongs to the winter.
“Summer Girl”- Family of the Year
I know I already included a song by Family of the Year on this list, so sue me, but how could I leave out a song that has summer in the title? “Summer Girl” tells the story of a girl who begins to change throughout the summer as a boy admires those changes and the girl she has become, hoping that those changes won’t disappear as the season does. Family of the Year seems to always write songs with lyrics that make me smile and reflect on how great life truly is as well as the people that live life alongside me. Now that I think about it, numerous Family of the Year songs, not just the two I mentioned, are great to listen to during the summer.
“Take a Vacation!” – The Young Veins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK_F0hzyqiY
Ryan Ross has made his way into this list in not only one song (Beach Bones), but also “Take a Vacation!” with his unfortunately short-lived band The Young Veins. “Take a Vacation!” oozes 60s influence through the music video, sound, and style and simply has the message of wanting to take a vacation because what better time to do that then during the summer?
