I listen to certain music at certain times of the year and even certain times of day. You just can't do "Ocean Man" by Ween at night, and you can't do "Nightcall" by Kavinsky during the day. I loathe hearing Christmas music in summer, and winter invokes nostalgia for the days when I listened to heavier metal like Amon Amarth. But there is a lot of music I associate with summer, and since we're doing a Summer Music List series here at PJ Media, I thought I should share my recommendations with our readers.
I have no strongly preferred genre of music, and my tastes are all over the place. So, my contribution to our Summer Music List will be my recommendations for certain genres, focusing on a specific artist for each one. Stay tuned for the diverse range of genres and the intriguing artists I'll be sharing.
Country: Johnny Cash
I think most PJ Media readers will appreciate me putting this genre and Johnny Cash first. Something about Cash's twangy guitar sound and baritone voice just screams "summer" to me, and few of his songs invoke that feeling better than his signature "Folsom Prison Blues," specifically the studio version as heard here:
Other favorites of mine by Cash include "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," "Cocaine Blues," "Jackson" with June Carter (my wife has promised me she will learn June's verses so we can sing the duet together), "A Boy Named Sue," "God's Gonna Cut You Down," "One Piece at a Time," and "I've Been Everywhere."
Of course, you can't really skip over country music without mentioning Hank Williams, Jr. To me, Bocephus's most "summer" songs are "Cajun Baby," "There's a Tear in My Beer" (featuring his late father Hank Sr.), "If the South Woulda Won," (mentioning that one is why this article's a VIP exclusive), and "Dixie On My Mind."
Pop, Hip Hop, and Electronica: Gorillaz
I was a big fan of this British virtual band back in middle school, and I even got my dad into it. If you don't know them, they are a product of Blur lead singer Damon Albarn and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett (his other famous work is the comic book Tank Girl), the fictional members being the dimwitted lead singer and keyboardist "2-D" (Albarn does his singing), the lecherous, scheming bassist and self-proclaimed leader Murdoc, Japanese-born guitarist "Noodle," and drummer Russell, possessed by the ghosts of his deceased friends.
While their signature song is undoubtedly "Feel Good Inc." from their second major album Demon Days, their third album, Plastic Beach, is easily the most summery-sounding, and in particular, "On Melancholy Hill" is perfect to relax on a summer night with despite its name. Still, if you want something more energetic, "We Got the Power" from their later album Humanz is an anthemic tune that is sure to make you at least smack the steering wheel and sing along as you drive.
Honorable mentions go to the kings of electronica, Daft Punk. I didn't focus on them because I only really know two of their songs: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and "Human After All." The former is definitely something to go down the highway on as the heat turns up.
Other Genres: The Longest Johns, Bob Marley, and Mike Westcott
During COVID, sea shanties became popular again among us younguns, likely because their structure gave everyone a sense of unity and commonality despite being physically separate. Plus, singing them, in general, is fun.
The Longest Johns, an English group, achieved worldwide fame through their rendition of the New Zealand whaling tune "Wellerman," first published in 1971. You have probably heard that one by now, but did you ever hear their take on "Randy-Dandy-Oh," "Drunken Sailor," or their evidently original song, "John Paul Jones is a Pirate?" (I won't tolerate besmirching Jones' name as an American, but it is still a fun one to sing).
It isn't summer if you don't listen to reggae at least once, and there is nobody better to listen to than Tuff Gong himself, Bob Marley. While "One Love" and "Buffalo Soldier" are very well known (and there is nothing like belting out the latter's "wy-yo-yo, wy-yo-yo-yo"), "Waiting in Vain" is good for siestas and downtime, even if the lyrics are sad.
This last one is probably the most obscure, but I wrote a column about Mike Westcott and Leprechaun's other song, "It's a Long Way to Mukumbura" back in March. They were in Zimbabwe back when it was Rhodesia (hence the obscurity), and "It's a Long Way to Mukumbura" is a fascinating look into the past.
Their other song I have found is what I consider to be "the national anthem of day-drinking," "I'm Just a Shumba Drinker." I am not entirely sure what Shumba is (or was), but from what I have gathered, it is either South African slang for a cheap beer or a cheap beer popular in Rhodesia in the 1970s (if any Rhodies or South African readers can fill me in, let me know in the comments).
This one can only be found on YouTube and SoundCloud, but that does not diminish its enjoyability.
I do believe those are my personal recommendations for your summer listening pleasure, but if I think of anything else, I will fill you in.
