Summer approved listening

A start-of-the-summer mix with a little new, a little old, a little in-between.

Most neo-new wave bands these days are plundering the vaults of the Buzzcocks, Gang of Four and New Order. But San Francisco’s Boyskout has clearly got an affinity for West Coast new wavers like Missing Persons and Romeo Void. Back to Bed takes me back to my twelve-year-old self, vacationing in L.A., begging my parents to turn up KROQ on the car stereo . . .

Back to Bed (mp3)

Jesse James Remix (mp3)


SpinART has long indulged bands with sweet tooths (teeth? the grammar's too confusing here). Power pop, retro pop, psychedelic pop, twee pop, whatever—it’s perfect summer music. Apollo Sunshine (the name says it all) is a relatively new, very melodic band from Boston. Apples in Stereo, of course, is one of the label’s oldest, biggest names and responsible for Glowworm--a tune that easily makes my top 10 of all time. Merry Go Round comes from a 1998 spinART compilation. The band’s called The Lemmings and apparently they’re from Tampa—maybe someone out there knows more.

I Was On The Moon (mp3)

Glowworm (mp3)

Merry Go Round (mp3)


For mellower moods, Nyles Lannon's (also, n.Lannon) Hollow Heart is what you want to hear as you row a boat across a quiet lake at dusk. And speaking of lakes, Toronto’s Great Lake Swimmers have a gorgeous campfire singalong in I Will Never See the Sun. It’s the most rockin’ tune on their self-titled album (if you can believe it), which singer/songwriter Tony Dekker recorded with a few friends in an abandoned grain silo. Listen carefully to Great Lake Swimmers (the song) for chirping crickets in the background.

Hollow Heart (mp3)

I Will Never See The Sun (mp3)

Great Lake Swimmers (mp3)

Finally, a couple real obvious ones. First from The Bravery, which everyone either loves or is working on the front lines of an intense backlash against. The other from The Faraway Places, an L.A. band that likes to call its sound “California Krautrock.” Sure, okay.

Swollen Summer (mp3)

Summertime (mp3)

If you like, buy:
School of Etiquette – Boyskout
Katonah – Apollo Sunshine
Science Faire – Apples in Stereo
LemonLime Vol. 2 – Various
Chemical Friends – Nyles Lannon
Great Lake Swimmers – Great Lake Swimmers
The Bravery – The Bravery
Unfocus On It – The Faraway Places