Summer is quickly coming to an end, which is sad for some, and sweet relief for people like me who get sunburned while driving for five minutes with the tinted windows tightly shut. Even so, sun-lovers and sun-shunners alike can reflect on summers well-spent. For me, nothing solidifies and brings back memories like music does. Each summer of my life has had its own soundtrack; I distinctly remember attending my sorority’s Bid Day party the year I pledged and hearing “Hooch” by Everything, or driving around with the windows rolled down singing “Wide Open Spaces” by The Dixie Chicks at the top of my lungs while on summer break from college. Last summer, I devoured all things Imagine Dragons, and had Lovers by The Royalty on constant repeat; the song “Won’t Be Long” struck such a nerve that I would listen to it and “ugly-girl” cry at the drop of a hat.
This summer I have all but worn out The Joy Of Painting‘s Tender Age (which warranted its own blog post back in June), as well as Wild Child‘s Pillow Talk (which I wrote about in the post about the Outside City Limits Tour, also in June). The best concerts I attended this summer had to be, hands down, Imagine Dragons, where I enjoyed watching frontman Dan Reynolds hang in mid-air and play a huge drum suspended from the ceiling of the venue, and where I was introduced to a new band I really enjoy, opening act Terraplane Sun. I also had the gold medal experience of witnessing my favorite band of all time, The Killers, light up the Grand Ole Opry.
So, I want to know, what were your songs of summer? Leave a comment, introduce us to your songs and tell us your story….
Loved, loved, loved the Imagine Dragons concert! It’s amazing to see the audience growth from the The Cannery Ballroom the year before. Best live performers hands down.
Favorite song of the summer is L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. by Noah & the Whale. Their whole album, Last Night On Earth is blissfully addicting. Instant mood lifter and easy to sing along to, as long as its not in your car with hand motions. Or do.
Oh! How could I forget Shakey Graves. One man band. Skinny jeans, beautiful vocals, and a suitcase-turned-drumkick/tambourine.. whaaa?? And that’s not the half of it.
I was able to see The Joy of Painting at 3rd and Lindsley a few weekends back and they were spectacular!! The band was not only full of energy but really set the tone for such a great night at Cause A Scene Nash. I was also introduced to Machines Are People too that night and WOW. Needless to say, their EP Nickels and Dimes has been a part of my ‘morning mix’ for the past week.
I’m 98% sure that Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires did not leave my car for a solid two weeks in May. Then there was The Civil Wars self-titled album that was released while I was conducting my annual summer house sitting. I shamelessly used this temporary surround system opportunity for my own, personal concert(s) since it is unlikely that The Civil Wars will tour off their second album. The album captivated me with every type of emotion, even up to the very last song D’Arline, which in my book, makes an album stand out from the rest.
But I have to say that my favorite song of Summer 2013 is All of Me by Tanlines. I remember hearing it for the first time at Starbucks during the 4th of July monsoon. It’s extremely upbeat and you can’t help but interpretative dance when you hear it. Or at least that’s my first reaction when I press play.
I am eternally jealous that you were able to see Imagine Dragons, The Killers and Texas-born Shakey Graves. I decided to take a minute and look at my Spotify starred playlist to jar my memory. It’s definitely one of those questions that I have answers to but when it’s asked my mind goes blank. I recently found the The 1975 and there song ‘Chocolate’. Very catchy and upbeat guitar riff sucks you right in even if the song title is in fact ‘Chocolate.’
Other songs that come to mind is theee entire album of Glorious Ruins by Hillsong Live. I have enjoyed worshipping to those songs whether it be in a corporate setting or in my own home. ‘Christ is Enough’ paints this beautiful picture of the sufficiency of Christ and how His love, His word make us who we are. Simply written, yet lyrically powerful.
I am as well impartial to The Royalty. Need I say more on that subject. They rock, they…ya just rock. My sister is so talented and has a beautiful voice to back it up.
Everything by Tim Hughes has really given me perspective on what my relationship with Christ should look like. It’s a very powerful song in my opinion.
Springsteen by Eric Church, Give Me the Beat by Ghostland Observatory, Earth Angel by The Penguins (Old School), Timeless by The Airborne Toxic Event, We’re on Our Way by Radical Face, Generator^First Floor by Freelance Whales and Time to Run by Lord Huron are just a few other ones that encompassed my summer.
I too went to the Imagine Dragons show!! Out of the handful of live performances I’ve seen, it was BY FAR the greatest experience and performance.
Lucky for non-music-savy me, I have a man in my life and a mentor with a music blog and killer playlist to coach me through the “what’s new” and “who’s who” of music!
My summer playlist reflects the activities that I encountered this all too short summer 2013.
Part 1) I nannied the most charming 2 year old in the planet and listened to my fair share of “Dreaming” by Smallpools and “Hold on” by the Alabama Shakes (not to mention the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Part 2) My partner in crime, Nick Bastoky, and I jammed to the tunes of Hillsong’s Glorious Ruins album, Lorde’s Ep The Love Club (also her two followup singles “Tennis Court” & “Swingin Party”), Bastille’s hit “Pompeii,” “Sweater Weather” and “Female Robbery” by the Neighborhood, Alt-J’s “Fitzpleasure” and “Breezeblocks,” Vampire Weekend’s newly released album Modern Vampires Of The City, Fitz And The Tantrum’s “6am” and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out,” Of course Imagine Dragon’s album Night Visions, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ album The Heist, Brett Dennen’s new release “Wild Child.”
whew! and lastly..
Part 3) Susan’s INDIE EXTRAVAGANZA playlist on spotify is ALWAYS a go-to source to accompany me on Laundry Night, House Cleaning Sprees, Art Projects, Weekend Mornings Getting Ready… and many more opportunities.
Well, I’ll take it back a few years here… The one summer that sticks out to me was summer of 1997. I had just graduated from college, and I was taking the summer off to do nothing other than sleep late, hang out with my friends, travel to Italy for a few days, and go to Dancin’ in the District every single week in Nashville before I started law school that fall. BEST. SUMMER. EVER.
There are a few songs that I really remember from that summer, like “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind and “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison. I saw White Town perform “Your Woman” at some outdoor concert in Nashville. Never heard of them before that, and still haven’t since, but that’s a great dance song. I was a huge Sarah McLachlan fan, and Mirrorball came out a couple of weeks before I left to go to law school. I remember driving to Birmingham singing “Building a Mystery” at the top of my lungs on repeat.
Good times.