My Summertime Bangers
Been on a bit of a writing rest since I'm hanging out in Melbourne for a couple of months, and luckily for me, it’s summertime here, and so obviously the music I have been listening to has done a complete 180 (I’m lying). Here are some bangers that you should check out even if your balls might be freezing off while reading.
MJ Lenderman - On My Knees
On my Knees is a drunkard’s ballad of self-loathing with those hints of Berman, Tweedy, and Molina sprinkled in for good measure. Something that I really admire about Lenderman’s songwriting on Manning Fireworks is how fun it is. Those one-liners that are just so fucking stupid and catchy and have me sending them to people out of context because of how stuck in my head they are. Going through a breakup 10,000 miles away from home isn’t something that I planned for my time abroad but being able to just walk around and vibe to a masterclass in irony and youth is something that I can’t help but appreciate. The instruments on this thing work so well with the lyrics, and it’s the one song I can always recommend to friends trying to get into him.
Favorite line: “...of bees nestled in a hole in the yard of Travolta’s bald head”
Park National - Your Mom’s House
You can never go wrong with a classic indie rock song about someone from your past, Backseat Lovers style. I knew about this dude for a while and really vibed with the EP he dropped a couple of years ago, and when I saw him at Something In The Way Fest in Boston I knew I had to revisit his stuff. His new record is great, and the guy is insanely talented. Citizen bias aside, he was my favorite act of the day and I’m so happy that he was able to share his music with a crowd full of emo dorks. This song just kind of feels like driving down the beach with all of the windows down at night, and I think it hits all the right spots for that summertime feeling.
Favorite line: “...I’m wearing all of my t-shirts that I thought I outgrew”
The Strokes - What Ever Happened?
I can’t lie to you, I’ve been on a bit of a Strokes crave ever since Julian Casablancas gave endless middle fingers to Fantano after the release of Getting Killed. And I mean, I feel like everyone should always be listening to The Strokes. Going back and relistening to some of the most formative records of my music taste kind of makes me realize just how trailblazing these guys really were and how great the music is. Honestly, endless middle fingers to Pitchfork for always giving these guys the shit end of the stick. Vocally, this is one of my favorite performances from Casablancas. It sounds like he’s so uninterested in what he’s saying but he also just needs to get the words out. It’s so Strokes. Thematically I think it’s the most fantastic song they’ve done and was the ideal opener coming off of the success from their debut record. It sounds like a drunk heartbreak lying in the middle of the hot pavement of a July night.
Favorite line: “Oh, Tennessee, what did you write?”
Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice
I mean, what can be said about this song that hasn’t already been said 30 years ago? I mean it’s just a vibe man. This shit makes me feel like I should be cripwalking down some Hollywood Boulevard. The storytelling, the synths, the hook?? This is just a pregame banger and I’m yet to meet a person who can tell me that they don’t like this song with a straight face.
Favorite line: “With my mind on my money and my money on my mind”
Player - Givin’ It All
I think the first thing I’m going to do when I land in LA is loop this and G&J, grab a speaker and a few Coronas, and sit up on top of that one hill that has that crazy view at sunset. Pure, raw, direct, commitment. The groove on this thing just makes you wanna get up and dance. I love it for how simply romantic it is. The vocals are just crazy and the synths right before the bridge is the cherry on top. Just a summertime banger.
Favorite line: “Giving it all, but I just can’t make you love me”
Ovven - Abbreviated
I discovered Ovven just a few weeks ago, and just as any insufferable indie nerd finds new music nowadays, through my daylists and recommended music from my Spotify’s algorithm. His new record completely rocks. Abbreviated is a song that I love for the same reason that I love On My Knees, it’s just so fun. Not being called OJ cause he was born during the OJ Simpson chase is just fucking hilarious and making a catchy, brilliant, song about it just takes it to the next level, it’s so Tweedy. Thematically this thing speaks of reflection and imagining if you were someone else and relatability is always a great thing in a goofy song like this. The guitars on this thing are dope and I think that this dude has so much potential and will be selling out shows in no time.
Favorite line: “A completely different genre of guy, he’s got shades on”
Jason Molina - The Dark Don’t Hide It
The friction between Molina’s voice and the guitars on this thing are what really sell it for me. I think that word for word, this song is the most relatable for me for what I’m currently going through. I remember this thing coming on during my layover in Dubai and I replayed it probably like 50 times just thinking to myself, how could I forget a song like this exists? This song just smells like a cooler full of PBR’s and yet it’s so confrontational and brilliant like I just don’t even know how to put into words how in love I am with this song. Just a complete masterclass in songwriting and vulnerability. It has a bright outlook on fighting demons and all with that summery country vibe like I just love it man just go listen to it.
Favorite line: “...the world was empty on the day they made it, but heaven needed some place to throw all the shit”
PinkPanthress & Zara Larsson - Stateside
To be honest, the way I discovered this song was looking up “cunty gym motivation” on Spotify and when it came on I was just like waiiiiiit. This is fierce. I love the beat so much, it’s so bouncy and fun and is one that I’ve been consistently playing at pregames, like if I had chromesthesia this song would be pink and blue. If you’ve never been stalkerish over someone have you ever really had a crush? You can just tell that these two had so much fun making this and if I heard it 6 tequila sodas in at the club I’d probably collapse.
Favorite line: “Why can’t you say that you want it too?”
The Roches - Hammond Song
The folkiest song on this list, a melancholic, humorous ballad sung by sisters, I think I love this one because of how bittersweet it sounds. I love the harmonies on this thing and how personal it is. I feel like it’s directly a slice of life from the three sisters and that’s what makes it so great. The song is more or less about a girl going to chase some man followed by some remarks from her disapproving family. I think the way that they leave things hanging in this song and then pick it right back up is just fantastic and I would definitely consider this one of my personal folk classics. It’s a beach song.
Favorite line: “Do your eyes have an answer to this song I sing?”
The Sha La Das - Those Years Are Over
When this thing first autoplayed, I thought it was some Beach Boys deep cut that I’d never heard and was just really impressed on how well this thing captures that vibe. Sonically, it’s obviously great. It’s like something that would play during a beach shot of some A24 film set in the 60’s. But I really really do enjoy the songwriting on this song. It’s a subtle nod to the acceptance of change and it’s not depressing. Sure, a little heartbreaking, but it’s really colorful. Call and response grooves are always just something that I’m a sucker for and this track does it perfectly. I’d recommend checking out the entire record as it’s so so great and carries this vibe super well.
Favorite line: “Don’t worry baby, we’re all getting older, yes those years are over”
Honorable Mentions:
Robbie Basho - Cathedrals et Fleur de Lis
Dove Ellis - Love Is
Tove Lo - Heat
Geese - Cowboy Nudes
Arthur Russell - Your Motion Says
Lil Uzi Vert - Secure The Bag
Stromae - Ave Cesaria
Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Dan English - Across My Jaw
This is Lorelei - Where’s Your Love Now?
