I walked outside of East Hill (I know it’s Lee Hall, but in my heart, it will always be East Hill) this morning and I nearly froze in my tracks. In that moment, I swear I was not infinite, but rather knew that the summer was tragically coming to a close.
You see, I change my mind on this several times a day. It’s not because I’m in denial, but because the Bronx tends to be like Antarctica in the morning and then the same temperature as the eighth ring of Hell in Dante’s Inferno by noon. But, alas—my sentiments mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. On September 23, 2015 (today!), the Earth will rotate into the Autumnal Equinox and all things summer shall fade sadly into the sunset. Say goodbye to your shorts, sandals and ice cold alcoholic beverages and say hello to burns on your hands from spilt hot coffee in your morning rush for class.
It’s no secret that I stave off living in the present through the power of music. This week, I have compiled ten songs that are dripping in summery indie-pop and the lo-fi buzz of the Californian sunshine. Momentarily, kick off your heavy fall sweaters and socks and join me as I desperately clutch onto the last vibrant sunrays of summer 2015.
I am not responsible if you fall ill because you weren’t appropriately dressed while being half-naked in the cool, fall weather onslaught. What is wrong with you? Why are you half-naked in public? College is tough, but—damn.
“Keep Together” by Hunter Hunted, off of their album, Ready For You.
If you had to choose one feel-good summer song that you could only listen to for the rest of your life, it would be without a question “Keep Together” by Hunter Hunted. It’s terrifically upbeat and blissfully simple in melody and rhythm. What I particularly like is how the song layers on several different people singing in the chorus as if Hunter Hunted is trying to entice you to join in with their singing.
The elongated “oh” in the chorus is f*cking infectious.
“Ebb Tide” by Eternal Summers, off of their record, Gold and Stone.
I love how low and gravelly Daniel Cundiff’s voice is in “Ebb Tide.” The instrumental accompaniment in this song is warm, rounded and incredibly bright. Upon first listen, the song seems incredibly dark, but there is something inherently pleasant about the juxtaposition of the simplicity and warmth of the guitar. Towards the middle of the song, Cundiff takes a break from breathlessly crooning into the microphone to give way for a sweet piano interlude.
The unchanging guitar is reminiscent of the unchanging sea—a perfect sound and sensation to ease you into the fall frost.
“Get Away” by Yuck, off of their eponymous debut.
No matter how many times I’ve listened to “Get Away” by Yuck, I’m always taken aback by how fuzzy the guitars are. They’re certainly not the first band to use a lo-fi sound, but there’s something overwhelmingly cool about how they use the sound. Yuck throws the listener right into the track—not for a second giving him or her a moment to brace himself or herself for the searing opening guitar riff.
Given that the song is about attempting to “get away,” the fuzz seems to bind the speaker into the sound, preventing him or her from doing exactly that. You’re essentially trapped for the duration of the song, but it’s a pleasant entraptment. There’s an undeniable energy in this track. Daniel Blumberg whines into the microphone—perhaps mirroring the noises you made this morning when you realized you had to go outside?
“Come Down” by Wavves & Cloud Nothings, off of their album, No Life for Me.
This track, with short, rolling vocals and chaotic sounding guitars, is loaded with the summer attitude we’re all about to say goodbye to. Before the chorus, “’Come Down” is your traditional lo-fi song—whiny vocals and guitar white noise. However, come the chorus, Wavves and Cloud Nothings amp up the background chaos noise while maintaining the cool, distant vocal style. The noise becomes not merely a filler for your ear, but something to focus on. You’ll be teetering in between the vocal melody and the chaos behind it all, unsure what to latch on to.
While you’ll feel inclined to jump around to this track, there’s something restricted about it. It’s as if the song is being played underwater. Don’t worry, though—the song never hesitates and rolls right until the end. You’ll have your hand on the repeat button quicker than you know it.
“Honest Feedback” by Saint Motel, off of their debut record, Voyeur.
This is pure, unadulterated indie-pop. While “Honest Feedback” is a step away from the Saint Motel hits we know today (“My Type” and “Cold Cold Man”), in this track, the band did not stray away from their retro sound. It’s a gentle, fun indie pop song that is almost painfully upbeat. The guitar is quick and fills your mind rapidly with a catchy melody and, as always, A/J Jackson’s vocals are sweet and high. In short, this song is going to be stuck in your head for a very long time.
There’s nothing contrasting or dissonant in this song. It’s three minute and forty-two seconds of pure pleasure—meaning it’s a track you can easily dance to as you celebrate the Autumnal Equinox.
“Lust For Life” by Girls, off of their album, Album.
The brightness of the opening guitar chord cannot be denied. No matter the hour, the place or the situation, this song will never fail to bring a smile to your face—I promise you this. Because the guitar is so freakin’ happy, imagine the sun beating down on your face. Imagine running through the streets with your best friends in the height of your summer vacation. It evokes those waves of nostalgia for a better, less stressful time.
Don’t even get me started on the voice of Christopher Owens. It’s carefree, melodic and painfully Californian. The lyrics, “Oh, I wish I had a suntan / I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine / I wish I had a beach house / And we could make a big fire every night” are lyrics anyone can relate to. That is what you should be striving for post-graduation. Forget money—just get a pizza and a bottle of wine. There’s no greater happiness than that.
For everyone complaining that Girls shouldn’t have named this track “Lust For Life” because of Iggy Pop’ song—just shut the f*ck up. I have no time for your negativity right now.
“Total Zombie” by Day Wave, off of the EP, Headcase.
Quite frankly, with all the work I have this week, I feel like a f*cking headcase. Moving on.
I discovered Day Wave this summer—falling in love immediately with Jackson Phillips’ dreamy, spacey vocals. The guitar in “Total Zombie” is the definition of surf rock, a style that understandably gets popular during the warmer months of the year. While the lyrical content is nothing new (I mean, how many love songs can you really write?)—there’s something undeniably sweet about the chorus. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper love song without the perfect splash of self-deprecation (“Only a fool won’t want me”). The lyrics, “’Cause I’m such a total zombie / And you’re gone / Honey / I wish I would have been told” raise so many questions to the listener that the song begs for another two or three listens.
Remember that classic self-deprecation I mentioned earlier? Paired with the oddly happy tone of “Total Zombie,” (excluding entirely that “zombie” suggests a certain lethargy), you have a very complicated song. While it feels like the weather is good and the sun is bright, it’s almost as if this song implies that you’re two seconds away from getting a nasty sunburn.
Phillips’ voice lulls you into a state of relaxation—a place where nothing matters anymore. So, if you’re like me, you’re still avoiding reading Nathaniel Hawthorne—and that’s fine becauses you’re in a zen mode.
“Ruby” by Spirit Maces, off of his EP, Torpor.
All other things aside, this is a great commuting song. If you’re on the train for an extended period of time, “Ruby” is the perfect song to soundtrack your morning from Hell. Who really wants to be on the Long Island Railroad or the One Train at eight in the morning? Not me.
It’s no secret that I listen to a lot of dream pop, chillwave and shoegaze music (and that is officially the worst sentence I’ve ever written). Spirit Maces is a band that effortlessly blends all of those genres together while inspiring a certain nostalgia only evoked when listening to much older music. These are new genres, people. There is no such thing as nostalgia in contemporary music yet. The problem with “Ruby” is that you’re not really sure what melodic line you’re supposed to cling onto. The guitar is just as easy to sing along with as are the vocals. Be swept away by the synthesizer flourishes and revel in the cool, coming-Autumnal evening.
You can listen to this track via YouTube.
“Dawning” by Tamaryn, off of her record, The Waves.
Listen to how dreamy that opening guitar is! Listen to how the rhythm guitar spills over like waves crashing on a beach!
Tamaryn Brown’s voice is a continuous groaning whimper. Like the guitar, it spills over into your ears and drowns out not only any other noise, but drowns your heart in the most overwhelming form of sadness. The constant droning melody and the simple, droning drumbeat imitates someone who is dragging himself or herself through life after a rather nasty break-up. The song overwhelms your senses and places you exactly in the position of the speaker, regardless of whether or not you’ve endured such an emotional strain.
It’s a full-body experience, my friends.
“Surreal Exposure” by Ducktails, off of their album, St. Catherine.
This band ruined me. Flat out ruined me.
Matt Mondanile’s voice sounds so real that it is as if he’s sitting in your dorm room or apartment singing right to you. It’s a track with mellow instrumentations with a voice that’s even more so. In the background plays atmospheric noise that hypnotizes you into being somewhat excited for the coming of fall. There’s nothing pressing or urgent, even as the speaker mulls over how “when you told [him/her] lies / [He/she] wasn’t surprised” and how “There’s a chance you’ll never know / The pain that [he/she] had to let go.”
As “Surreal Exposure” fades out, as do I. See you next week, Jaspers.
You can listen to this week’s playlist via Spotify below.